Is Cantaloupe Good For You?
Cantaloupe is one of the common fruits that you may have seen but might not have given much thought to. Many have asked, “Is cantaloupe good for you?” and the answer is yes!
As one of the varieties of Cucumis melo, the cantaloupe derived its name from the Italian city Cantalup. It was said that cantaloupes were originally from there but there also other claims that it came from Africa, Persia or India.
There are two known varieties of cantaloupes, the European cantaloupe (Cucumis melo cantalupensis) and the North American cantaloupe (Cucumis melo reticulatus) or muskmelon. The European cantaloupe has smooth light green skin while the muskmelon has reticulated skin like an off-white net covering the light green surface.
Despite its origins, no one can dispute that this antioxidant fruit is truly a great source of nutrition. Here are some of the nutrients you can get from eating cantaloupes:
- Antioxidant flavonoids
- Lutein
- Zeaxanthin
- Cryptoxanthin
- Potassium
- Thiamine
- Niacin
- Fiber
- Folic acid
- Adenosine
- Superoxide dismutase
- Beta-caroene
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B6
Eating cantaloupes is good because it can help reduce the risk of you having to deal with age related macular degeneration, diabetes, cancer, coronary heart disease, menstrual pains and eye-related concerns like cataracts.
How do you take your cantaloupes? We would love to know any recipe you can share. Write on our Facebook wall or leave us a comment below.