Sweet Treat PROTECTS Your Heart

Summer is right around the corner, which means some of my favorite fruits are coming into season.

If you have yet to make friends with a local farmer, I recommend doing it soon.

For starters, I like knowing where my food comes from.

But more than that, consuming local, in-season, organically grown produce is as close to eating the way nature designed as you can get.

And now, a new study found that one of my all-time favorite summer foods provides some pretty sweet heart-health benefits.

I’m betting you’ve never spent much time thinking about the health benefits of watermelon. You just know it’s a delicious summer treat.

But adding this juicy, brightly colored fruit to your summer menu is a tasty way to do something good for your heart—and overall health—this summer.

A recent study analyzed data from the popular NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) survey.

Ultimately, they found that folks who ate watermelon tended to have an overall healthier diet.

More specifically, watermelon eaters ate more dietary fiber, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin A, lycopene, and other carotenoids.

But that’s not all…

Another recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study found that supplementing with watermelon juice for just two weeks protected vascular function during hyperglycemia (when blood sugar runs HIGH and can damage blood vessels).

The bottom line?

Simply eating this delicious summer treat protects your heart and is associated with an overall healthier diet.

Be sure to wait until the fruit has fully ripened before cutting it. To pick the best watermelon, you’ll need to do the “thump test.” When you thump the rind with your hand, it should have a deep, hollow sound

P.S. Watermelon is a rich source of lycopene, a natural inflammation fighter that could help reduce seasonal allergy symptoms. CLICK HERE to discover four MORE allergy-busting foods.

SOURCE:

“The Effect of Watermelon Juice Supplementation on Heart Rate Variability and Metabolic Response during an Oral Glucose Challenge: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial,” Nutrients (2023). DOI: 10.3390/nu15040810