Honeydew Health Benefits

The sweet, juicy flesh of a honeydew melon is one of summer’s supreme pleasures. 

Honeydew is a fruit belonging to the melon family. Inside the hard yellowish to green rind resides the soft, juicy, pale green, sweet pulp of this nutritious fruit.

The honeydew melon is named after the French version, the White Antibes.

Historians believe the melon originated in Asia and was used as early as 2400 B.C., and that it made its way to Europe in the 15th or 16th century.

Spanish missionaries originally brought melons to California in 1683.

The honeydew melon was brought to the United States from France in 1900 and became a popular crop in warm climates; today it is grown primarily in Arizona and California.

Honeydew

Honeydew melons were grown in personal gardens until the latter part of the 20th century.

Today, they are the second most popular commercially grown melon in the United States. Along with traditional honeydew, there is also the orange-flesh honeydew.

The benefits of consuming Honeydew

Honeydew is a vital fruit when it comes to its Vitamin C nurturing properties.

Vitamin C is vital for a strong immune system, and helps our body fight against infectious attacks.

Moreover, this wondrous vitamin helps us get that beautiful glowing skin, as healthy skin and collagen are reliant on an adequate dose of vitamin C consumption.

The body’s ability to repair its tissues and muscles and skin cell regeneration is all reliant on an adequate intake of copper.

One cup of honeydew provides for about 5% of the daily-required dosage of copper demanded by our body.

Adding honeydews to your diet can literally be a sweet way of increasing your levels of this important mineral.

Honeydews consist of a Carotenoid called ‘Zeaxanthin’. It is a very efficient antioxidant, which helps against age related macular degeneration, whereby individuals begin to lose eyesight, as they grow older.

A potassium deficiency can result in an irregular heartbeat or inefficiency at pumping blood throughout your body.

Many fruits supply a good dose of potassium and a 1-cup serving of honeydew will provide you with up to 8 percent of what you need each day.

The water-potassium ratio on honeydew may also help prevent an increase in blood pressure.

Add some cubed honeydew to your breakfast or lunch as a healthy side dish or mix with cantaloupe and watermelon chunks to create a mixed melon fruit salad.

In addition to supplying potassium, vitamin C and copper, honeydew is also a good source of several B vitamins, including thiamine and niacin. B vitamins help your body get rid of toxins that can cause illness and disease. B vitamins may also reduce your risk of heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.