Cantaloupes, also known as rockmelons, are not just deliciously sweet, but they’re also loaded with essential nutrients we could do with. They are from the Cucurbitaceae family of plants and are believed to be native to Iran, India and Africa. A rockmelon is easy to distiguish from other melons, for it will have a strong bumpy or net-like texture on its skin, sometimes with significant grooves. It may have a green, cream or brown skin, with yellow, orange, or peach coloured flesh. If rockmelons aren’t part of your diet, here’s why you should try to include them in, at least on a weekly basis!
- Rockmelons are high in a type of Vitamin B called folate (Vitamin B-9). Folate is naturally present in foods, where else its synthetic form, folic acid, is what you’ll find in supplements and fortified foods. This vitamin is well-known for preventing neural tube birth defects like spina bifida. There have been clues that folate may help reduce the risk of some cancers, and may even help battle memory loss due to aging, although these have yet to be confirmed by researchers.
- Just one cup of cubed or balled rockmelons contains over 100 percent of the recommended daily value (DV) of vitamin C that we’ll need to stay at the top of our health (together with other important nutients, of course!). Vitamin C is needed in collagen production in bones, blood vessels, cartilage, and muscle.
- It’s loaded with beta carotene, which either converts into vitamin A or acts as a powerful antioxidant to help fight free radicals that attack cells in your body. Rockmelons have more beta carotene than apricots, grapefruit, oranges, peaches, tangerines, nectarines, and mangoes.
- It adds much-needed fibre to your diet, and that’s not merely for preventing constipation! A high-fiber diet may reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes, and help you lose weight by making you feel fuller longer.
- Rockmelons have a high water content, which will aid in keeping your body hydrated, especially in hot days. Since good hydration also supports digestion, healthy kidneys, and helps you maintain a healthy blood pressure, can you imagine a more tasty way to hydrate your body?
- Rockmelons contain a decent amount of potassium, an essential electrolyte mineral
that helps keep the right balance between cells and body fluids. Potassium is also vital to nerve health and proper muscle contraction. Eating a potassium-rich snack like cut rockmelons after exercise helps replenish depleted electrolytes.
