The cantaloupe melon is easily recognizable and widely consumed in spring and summer, so it is important to be informed and know what makes it so special, how we can consume it, what is the maximum recommended amount and what are its main benefits. But not everything is positive, the cantaloupe melon, and what has been the melon in general, has a series of adverse effects on the body that should be known.
There are countless melons on the market today, but the cantaloupe melon is very easy to recognize due to its rounded shape and orange interior, its thickness and its sweet flavor. We must not confuse it with the melon known as Piel de Sapo melon, which is oval, greenish on the outside and on the inside it is between whitish-yellowish and green the closer we get to the rind.
Both options are very good, and being the same species of fruit, they share countless benefits, minerals, vitamins and other very important nutritional information. In this case we are going to focus on the orange melon or cantaloupe.
Nutritional values
This orange and flavorful melon has quite a few important nutrients like different groups of vitamins and minerals, apart from other nutritional information like fiber, fat, carbohydrates and so on.
Specifically, this curious melon has 23 kilocalories for every 100 grams of product, 0.6 grams of protein, 0.6 grams of soluble fiber, 5.6 grams of carbohydrates of which 5.4 are natural melon sugars, 0 , 1 grams of fat and more than 60% of the serving is water naturally present in that fruit.
The cantaloupe melon has a multitude of vitamins for each serving of 100 grams. Among all, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B11 stand out , as well as vitamins A, C, E and K.
Among the minerals that this refreshing and tasty fruit has, we highlight calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium and zinc.
Maximum daily amount
Before we have highlighted the nutritional table of this melon focusing on the amount of 100 grams that is the standard in the nutrient information within the European Union, but in the case of cantaloupe melon it does not coincide with the maximum recommended amount.
If we want to eat this delicious fruit, if we are also craving it, we must know that in one day we can eat up to 200 grams of this melon . Of course, we do not recommend doing it in one sitting, but dividing it into several meals and we can use the ideas that we give in the following section to enjoy its flavor and take advantage of all its properties and benefits that we tell at the end of this article.
Be very careful not to exceed the quantities, since the melon is not entirely perfect, in addition, an excess of vitamins and minerals can cause some unpleasant and annoying side effects. The important thing is to maintain a very varied diet and mix many fruits, vegetables, seeds, legumes and others in our day to day in order to complete the percentages of each nutrient and that the body can always function correctly.
Ways to eat cantaloupe melon
This melon is very characteristic and not only for its physical appearance, but for its flavor. Thanks to the latter we can add it to a multitude of different dishes and not only in pieces or in salads, but we can also make juices, cold creams , fruit gazpachos, compotes, jams, ice cream, slices of ham stuffed with mascarpone cheese, walnuts and melon, melon crisps, mozzarella balls dipped in melon sauce , fruit smoothie, melon and yogurt smoothie, cocktail, melon and ham skewers, melon sauce for salads and rice, gelatin, etc.
We can also put ourselves in the shoes of a chef with a Michelin star and create some type of sauce, mix ingredients, use the melon rind as a dish and add its meat as an ingredient in a recipe, etc.
There are countless ideas to add cantaloupe melon or cantaloupe melon to our daily diet and move away a little from always eating it in pieces and with a fork. We are not saying that it is wrong, only that it is good to try new variations and become fond of cooking, since several studies show that knowing how to cook improves our way of eating considerably.
Remember that it is vitally important to have a highly varied diet rich in fruits and vegetables, legumes and seeds, and low in fat. In addition, trends in food are moving towards replacing animal proteins with vegetable proteins, since it is predicted that in 2050 overpopulation will be finishing depleting resources and climate change will have extinguished some animals that are now food.
Main benefits of cantaloupe melon
All foods have benefits and contraindications, and, in the case of this fruit, the benefits outweigh the adverse effects. Next, we are going to highlight the main properties of eating this melon on a regular basis or, better, daily.
It is good for the skin and bones
This delicious fruit helps us prevent wrinkles and skin blemishes, so much so that many beauty products contain melon extracts, as it has properties to combat cell aging and the subsequent appearance of our skin.
This is thanks to the antioxidants that this melon contains and we have already said on numerous occasions how important it is to take antioxidants daily, since they fight against free radicals , promote the health of blood vessels and the connections between neuroconnectors and prevent the aging of the skin.
Regarding the bones, the cantaloup melon strengthens them thanks to folic acid. A cup of this melon provides almost 10% of the folic acid that our body needs each day. Due to the presence of vitamin B9, this fruit is recommended in pregnancies to promote the growth of the bones of the fetus.
Lowers blood pressure
By eating melon every day we are doing our body a huge favor, and that is thanks to the fact that this delicious fruit is low in sodium and rich in potassium. Sodium is not a great ally of our body because it can cause fluid retention, kidney stones, higher blood pressure, etc.
However, potassium, without exceeding us, is somewhat more careful with our body, and the melon being rich in this mineral helps reduce blood pressure. This can translate into a decrease in the chances of suffering from cardiovascular accidents , hypertension and other equally dangerous diseases.
Protects the immune system
It is true that the fruit richest in antioxidants are blueberries and other red fruits, as well as rich in vitamin C, but melon is not far behind, and that is why the presence of this vitamin helps us strengthen our immune system.
The intake of vitamin C is of vital importance in our day to day, since, apart from acting as an antioxidant, it prevents us from respiratory infections such as pneumonia, the flu, or common colds.
In addition, this melon is rich in beta-carotene and, according to several scientific studies, those people who consume enough betcarotene are significantly less likely to suffer from asthma than those who do not consume this nutrient.
Contraindications of this fruit
Before we said that cantaloupe melon is very healthy, but it also had a series of contraindications that it was convenient to know before starting to eat it like crazy.
Both this variety and the melon itself must be consumed in its ripe state, otherwise they will become very indigestible and cause painful and annoying gastrointestinal problems.
Other contraindications of melon are if we suffer some kind of intolerance or allergy to this fruit, we should also avoid it if we suffer from real insufficiency because this fruit is rich in potassium. Also, it would be better not to eat cantaloupe melon if we suffer from irritable bowel.
Melon in general, and this variety in particular, can cause us bloating, discomfort, gas or have that feeling that the fruit repeats itself constantly throughout the day. This can respond to a possible fructose intolerance or a possible case of irritable bowel. It is best to consult a specialist.
