Like most fruits, watermelon is an agricultural product that is propagated by seeds. But from the botanical classification, watermelon, pumpkin and gourd all belong to Cucurbitaceae. Therefore, melon skin is also an edible part, and there is no reason to throw it away.

Watermelon can be divided into fresh watermelon and seed watermelon. The selected watermelon varieties are mostly fresh watermelons, which are the main types of watermelon cultivation and the varieties with the highest utilization rate of heterosis. Seed melon has strong adaptability, high seed setting rate of lateral vines and extensive management, and its seed selection is the same as that of fresh watermelon.

There are many cultivated varieties in China, with different exocarp, pulp and seed shapes, among which Xinjiang, Lanzhou, Gansu, Dezhou, Shandong and Dongtai, Jiangsu are the most famous. From Africa, it was widely cultivated in tropical and temperate regions of the world, and then introduced to China.

Expand the nutritional value of watermelon;

According to the scientific research results of USDA, a cup of watermelon (about 237 ml) contains 46 kilocalories, which can provide 20% vitamin C and 20% vitamin A for people's daily needs. In addition, the dietary fiber contained in watermelon is also beneficial to the health of human digestive tract, and its potassium helps to keep blood pressure stable.

The content of lycopene is higher than that of raw tomatoes. A cup of watermelon contains 6 mg of lycopene, while a fresh tomato contains only 4 mg of lycopene. As a super antioxidant, lycopene can resist the damage of free radicals to human cells and enhance the function of immune system.

American nutritionists suggest that in order to get the most antioxidants, it is best to eat watermelon at room temperature.

Baidu encyclopedia-watermelon

People's Network-Five New Nutritional Effects of Watermelon