Health Benefits - Cantaloupe
Cantaloupe contain a broad spectrum of vitamins, minerals and nutrients, some in very high concentrations, which makes this fruit an important addition in optimizing daily nutrition. We seldom think about fruits as providing a broad spectrum of nutrients. Yet judging from its nutrient profile, cantaloupe is a fruit that should get us thinking differently about fruit and nourishment.
Cantaloupes are a great source of Vitamin A and Beta-Carotene. Both nutrients are essential for the maintenance of healthy eyesight. Vitamin A also plays an important role in immune system health, as well as, stress, heart and lung health.
A recent French study found the total amount of polyphenols that cantaloupe contributed to the average daily diet ranked higher than many other commonly eaten fruits, including kiwi, grapefruit, water melon and pineapple. A health-supportive, whole food like fresh cantaloupe may show up as being lower in its concentration of certain nutrients (including total polyphenols), but because we often eat it in serving sizes that are relatively large, we often get substantial nutrient benefits, even in the case of nutrients found in lower concentrations.
Health Benefits - Cantaloupe Juice
Cantaloupe is a fruit with a high water content and is easy to juice. It offers several nutrients that are important for your health and is a sweet and refreshing treat on a hot day.
Potassium is a nutrient that regulates your blood pressure and aids in the contraction of your bones and muscles, including those in your digestive tract. Cantaloupe is a good source of potassium, with 358 mg per serving. Juicing cantaloupe may alter this amount slightly but will still increase your intake in a healthy way.
Beta-carotene converts to vitamin A in your body, increasing the benefits you get from this vitamin. A serving of cantaloupe contains 4,532 IU of vitamin A and 2,707 mcg of beta-carotene. Getting adequate amounts of vitamin A in your diet is associated with the health of your eyes, reproductive system, bones and cell division. It also supports immunity by producing white blood cells, which in turn fight off bacteria and viruses that cause illness. Juicing a cantaloupe offers similar intake benefits
The vitamin C in a glass of cantaloupe juice supports a healthy immune system, creates the collagen needed to keep your skin healthy and heal wounds, and helps your body absorb iron from your food. A serving of cantaloupe contains nearly 50 mg of vitamin C.
Including cantaloupe juice in your diet could help you maintain your weight and even lose excess weight. This is because it is low in fat and calories. A serving has just 46 calories and less than 1 g of fat. Combined with the nutritional benefits, cantaloupe juice is a healthy addition to a well-balanced diet for weight control and overall health.
Source: http://worldtruth.tv/healthy-benefits-of-fresh-juices/
Nutrient Diversity - Cantaloupe
According to an analysis by "The World's Healthiest Foods" (www.whfoods.com), Cantaloupe scores an "excellent" for both vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids) and vitamin C. It scores "very good" for potassium, and "good" for a host of B vitamins (B1, B3, B6, and folate) as well as vitamin K, magnesium, and fiber. When the edible seeds of the cantaloupe are eaten, this melon also provides a measurable about of omega-3 fat in the form of alpha-linolenic acid.
Cantaloupe contains more beta-carotene than alpha-carotene. But because it contains both of these carotenoids, it also contains both of their derivatives, including lutein in the case of alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin in the case of beta-carotene. These carotenoid phytonutrients are joined by the flavonoid luteolin, antioxidant organic acids including ferulic and caffeic acid, and anti-inflammatory cucurbitacins, including cucurbitacin B and cucurbitacin E.
The nutrient diversity of cantaloupe is perhaps its most overlooked health benefit.
Anti-Inflammatory - Anti-Oxidants - Polyphenols - Cantaloupe
As evidenced by the preceding list of phytonutrients, cantaloupe's nutritional strong suit involves its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients. Even while it is relatively low in concentration of certain nutrients (like total polyphenols) in comparison to other fruits, cantaloupe still provides us with important amounts because we tend to eat it in larger serving sizes than other fruits.
Diabetes - Oxidative Stress - Phytonutrients - Cantaloupe
Researchers have shown that intake of cantaloupe phytonutrients can improve insulin and blood sugar metabolism. In addition, intake of cantaloupe extracts has been show to reduce oxidative stress in the kidneys of animals with diabetes, and to improve insulin resistance in diabetic animals.
Eye Health - Cataracts - Vitamin A - Beta Carotene - Cantaloupe
In a study that included more than 50,000 women whose ages ranged from 45 to 67, it was found that those who consumed high amounts of vitamin A on a daily basis reduced their risk of developing cataracts by as much as 40%.
Those women who ate cantaloupes as a regular part of their diet also had a lower risk of surgery from cataracts. On the contrary, women whose diets included a lot of salt, butter and unhealthy fats had a higher risk of cataract surgery. Research has also shown that there may be a possible link between beta-carotene and cancer prevention.
Heart Health - Adenosine - Cantaloupe
Cantaloupes are also rich in a compound called adenosine. Adenosine is typically administered to patients who have heart disease since this compound has blood-thinning properties. When your blood is thin, you can prevent blood-clotting in the cardiovascular system. The folate present in cantaloupes and all types of melons also help in preventing a heart attack.
Immune System Health - Anti-Oxidants - Vitamin C - Cantaloupe
Aside from being a significant source of vitamin A, cantaloupes are also a pretty good sources of vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant which functions in the water-soluble parts of the body. Antioxidants help fight against the harmful free radicals in your body. Harmful free radicals spread damage to your cells, causing diseases and signs of aging. Vitamin C also strengthens your immune system by stimulating your white blood cells. Your white blood cells are responsible for killing viruses, bacteria and other foreign elements that seek to enter your body.
Lung Health - Vitamin A - Cantaloupe
A recent study showed that consumption of a vitamin A-rich food like cantaloupe is also beneficial to smokers. If you’re a smoker or someone who is constantly exposed to second-hand smoke then you might want to make cantaloupes a regular part of your diet. One of the carcinogens found in cigarette smoke reportedly created a vitamin A deficiency in the body. When you start incorporating more vitamin A into your diet, the deficiency is reversed and you also lower your risk of developing lung diseases like emphysema
Metabolic Health - Anti-Inflammatory - Cantaloupe
Many researchers understand metabolic syndrome—a group of health problems that includes high blood fats, high blood sugars, high blood pressure, and too much body fat—to be caused by problems in lifestyle that result in chronic underlying levels of unwanted inflammation and oxidative stress throughout the body.
In this context, it's not surprising to see decreased risk of metabolic syndrome in individuals with especially high intake of cantaloupe (along with other fruits), since cantaloupe provides a wide range of antioxidants that help prevent oxidative stress and a wide range of anti-inflammatory phytonutrients that help prevent excessive inflammation. It's also not surprising to see lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the bloodstream of persons who have particularly high intake of cantaloupe, since CRP is a marker widely used to assess levels of inflammation in the body.
Intake of cantaloupe has recently been found to lower risk of metabolic syndrome. In a study involving hundreds of women living and teaching in Tehran, Iran, the lowest risk of metabolic syndrome was found to occur in women who ate the greatest amount of fruit. (In this study, the "greatest amount" meant a minimum of 12 ounces or 340 grams per day.)
Five fruits contributed most to total fruit intake: cantaloupe, apples, grapes, watermelon, and bananas. Women who consumed the largest amounts of these fruits were also determined to have the healthiest levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in their bloodstream. CRP is an indicator very commonly used to assess levels of inflammation, and it's very likely that the anti-inflammatory phytonutrients in cantaloupe and other fruits contributed not only to these participants' healthy levels of CRP but also to their decreased risk of metabolic syndrome.
Given the benefits of cantaloupe for prevention of metabolic syndrome, we would expect to see future studies showing clear health benefits for this melon in the area of heart disease, including atherosclerosis. Many heart-related problems start out with chronic unwanted inflammation and chronic oxidative stress. Hopefully, it won't be long before we have large-scale human studies documenting benefits in this important area.
Stress Relief - Potassium - Cantaloupe
Cantaloupe might also be an ideal fruit to eat during those times when you are feeling anxious and stressed. Cantaloupe is rich in potassium which normalizes the heartbeat and promotes the supply of oxygen to the brain. As a result, you feel more relaxed and focused.
Source: http://www.3fatchicks.com/5-health-benefits-of-cantaloupe/
Source: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=17
Learn more: http://nutrionomics.com/
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