Majority of the watermelon is being sold on the basis of sweetness but presently, ruby color imparted by lycopene is also a convincing factor.
Lycopene, a red-pigmented carotenoid with antioxidant activity has been associated with a lowered risk of prostate, digestive tract, bladder, breast and cervical cancers, as well as with cardiovascular disease.
The lycopene activity in the body depends on its molecular and physicochemical properties and site of action within cells. It acts as singlet oxygen and free radical quencher.
It has been observed that consumption of 20 mg/day of lycopene from fresh frozen watermelon juice, resulted in a 100 to 200% increase in human plasma lycopene, thus showing that lycopene is bioavailable from non-heat processed watermelon.
Watermelon: High content of lycopene
