Melon seeds: Benefits of melon seeds
The beans are a real food store, but are usually thrown away by most people. Although it is common practice to treat melon seeds as melon waste, melon seeds can be eaten.
The seeds have very good nutritional properties. 100 g of melon seeds provides about 560 calories and contains 15 g of carbohydrates, 28 g of protein and 47 g of fat, mostly unsaturated.
Its protein content consists of essential amino acids such as glutamic acid, tryptophan and arginine. While these support the body in terms of fat burning and muscle tissue increase, glutamic acid participates in brain functions.
Melon seeds also provide 4 g of dietary fiber, which is beneficial for intestinal function. Melon seeds, a plant-based food, do not contain cholesterol.
Melon seeds contain good amounts of potassium, magnesium, zinc, selenium and vitamins A, B and E. They also provide beta carotene, flavonoids, and phenolic acid.
Benefits of melon seeds
Thanks to its nutritious composition, melon seeds have many beneficial properties for human health.
Pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties
Studies show that melon seed extracts have pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties. These effects are more pronounced for higher dosages. Gallic and vanillic acids contained in melon seeds and some phenolic acids have analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity.
Antimicrobial property
Laboratory studies on some bacterial species show that essential oils obtained from melon seeds have antibacterial properties. Melon seeds are among the natural antibiotics.
Antioxidant properties
It is known that melon seed extracts can counteract oxidative stress by acting as antioxidants. It is seen that they can have a clamping effect especially on some metals (copper, iron). In addition, melon seeds act as scavengers against free radicals.
Beneficial properties for cancer prevention
Experiments on cellular models, starting with plant extracts of melon seeds, show some promising anti-cancer properties. It has been observed that melon seeds have a blocking effect on the proliferation of cancer cells and possibly activate cell death mechanisms. These effects are related to the phenolic compounds found in the extracts.
Intestinal regulating properties
Melon seeds act as an effective regulator on the intestine, thanks to the contribution of glutamic acid and fiber.
Blood pressure control
Melon seeds have a good content of unsaturated fatty acids, which makes them a heart-healthy protective food. Potassium and magnesium content makes melon seeds useful for blood pressure control.
How many melon seeds can you eat per day?
As can be understood from the nutritional information, melon seeds are a very caloric food and have a significant fat content.
To benefit from its benefits, it can be consumed in moderation, not exceeding 30 grams per day.
Eating too many melon seeds causes excessive calorie intake. However, it is not a problem to consume one or two slices of melon with its seeds, on the contrary, it provides the nutrients in the seeds to the body.