Eating foods rich in water, such as watermelon, can help you hit your daily hydration goal. Staying hydrated is a smart move when it comes to your health because optimal water intake keeps joints lubricated, keeps organs functioning properly, and helps regulate body temperature, among other benefits, according to Harvard University. The Egyptians reportedly placed watermelons in royal tombs to make sure the dead had a source of water, while Hippocrates - the Greek father of medicine - prescribed watermelon to treat heatstroke, per the University of Missouri. Watermelon contains about 92 percent water. Watermelon is also related to squash, pumpkin, and cucumber.Īlthough the modern-day watermelon has evolved significantly from its original form, many of its properties haven't changed. In the United States, bright-red-flesh varieties are the most popular, but watermelon comes in yellow- and orange-flesh versions as well. Today, there are more than 200 varieties of watermelon grown in North America, but China is the top producer worldwide, according to the National Watermelon Promotion Board. This perhaps explains why the watermelon is the most widely consumed melon in the country. Its high water content is refreshing on a hot summer day, and its sweetness rivals that of ice cream and other calorie-rich and processed snacks. It is thought that watermelon was brought to North America by both colonist and slave trade ships.Īlthough no one is exactly sure about the true origins of the watermelon, it’s a fact that generations of Americans have prized the fruit.
From there it made its way to China in the 10th century, and then to the rest of Europe during the 1200s. In both ancient Greece and Rome, watermelon was coveted for its purported medicinal properties and was cultivated in India around the seventh century. Watermelon seeds - and even paintings of watermelons - have been found in Egyptian tombs dating back as far as 4,000 years. Watermelon may be a summertime must-have in the United States, but according to the University of Missouri in Columbia, the earliest ancestor to this drought-tolerant fruit is thought to be indigenous to southern Africa, where it still grows in the wild today.
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