Summer means hot weather, sun but also slices of watermelon, fresh and juicy, that you can taste after lunch or as a snack. But watermelon is also hydrating and helps counteract cholesterol. Moreover, according to a scientific research published a few weeks ago in the journal Nutrients by a team of San Diego University (Lum et al, Nutrients, Mar 2019), watermelon is able to reduce, in case of overweight and obesity, the body mass index and the blood pressure.
Overweight and obesity are linked to several disorders such as cardiovascular problems, hypertension and diabetes. Well, in order to counteract this condition, the scientists have recruited 33 adults aged between 18 and 55, all overweight or obese with a body mass index from 25 to 40. The participants to the study were divided into two groups, one group was asked to eat for 4 weeks 2 cups of watermelon per day. The other group, instead of watermelon, ate for the same period a snack constituted by low fat biscuits and able to bring the same calories than watermelon. At the end of the study, while the group that ate biscuits showed an increase in body fat and blood pressure, the group that ate watermelon showed a decrease in body weight, body mass index and blood pressure. Finally, watermelon has proven to be able to increase the sense of satiety and the antioxidants able to counteract the damages of free radicals.
