NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

The pulp, which hides underneath the skin of the melon, represents a rich mixture of the basic components necessary in our diet. Melon like all fresh fruit is important as it supplies essential quantities of glucides, vitamins and mineral salts, sodium, calcium and phosphorous, organic acids and fibre which are of assistance in preventing nutritional imbalances and deficiencies.
It also has a very high water content which therefore makes it a powerful thirst-quencher.
In addition, melon consumption can indeed result in an increase in diuresis thus reducing water retention and consequently the feeling of being bloated.
Furthermore, it has a noteworthy satiating effect combined with a low caloric content (1/2 kg of melon pulp is the equivalent in energy to the calories in only 20-30 grams of milk chocolate).
This takes on special meaning in certain physiological situations during our life cycle: for the future mother, for children in infancy and adolescence, for grown men and women, during sporting activities and for the elderly.
The proteins and lipids content of melon, as for all fruit, is low: gucides, e.g. simple sugars, are better represented. The real nutritional wealth of the melon is its vitamin and mineral salt content.
The melon is of great importance both for its function in supplying pro-vitamins and vitamins which protect the epithelia, and for its fibre and cellulose content which have no nutritional value but facilitate the amount of time it takes for passage through the intestine.
This assists with preventing illnesses of the digestive apparatus and in determining glucose absorption levels while at the same time limiting the absorption of cholesterol.
What makes melon particularly interesting is the joint presence of large quantities of Vitamin A and Vitamin C, a combination which doesn't occur often in other foods. In addition to regulating the metabolic processes, these vitamins act as protective chemicals by blocking the resurgence of illnesses and tumours while reducing the amount of free radicals and thus slowing down the ageing of cells.

It has recently been discovered that the red pulp varieties contain a greater quantity of Lycopene, a pigment, which has high anti-oxidising and health properties, the same properties in fact present in the tannic acid molecule in which it is rich and which is evident in its typical and extremely persistent smell.
The most important minerals in melon are calcium, iron, phosphorous, sodium, iodine and potassium.
Potassium in particular, together with iodine, regulates the metabolism (assisting in the rapid reproduction of minerals when an organism is debilitated or dehydrated) and is indispensable for the synthesis of certain enzymes involved in the transmission of nerve impulses. Man has a high potassium requirement, especially during the summer, when he loses a lot through perspiration (an insufficiency in food can cause difficulties ranging from muscle cramps to heart problems in the event of severe deficiencies).
In summary, melon is a refreshing, tasty food, rich in potassium, vitamins and anti-oxidants, and an aid to the digestive processes.

From a dietary point of view and for its low caloric content, melon is a fruit which can be recommended to everyone.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION TABLE