Even though it is the fruit we eat the most, the seeds have proven to be quite beneficial. For example, when you eat nuts, you are eating seeds and not fruits. The small seeds present in the pumpkin or the jackfruit are eaten in different styles after drying them. Similarly, the musk melon seeds, too, are quite famous amongst the Indians. There are numerous muskmelon seeds benefits for health, and that’s why we will discuss this particular fruit part today.
In our article, you will get to know more about the watermelon fruit itself, the nutritional facts about both the fruits and the seeds, muskmelon seeds benefits and the fruit, and several other such facts which will help you to understand this seasonal fruit in a better way.
So, without wasting any more time further, let’s focus on why the muskmelon seeds are so famous in India!
Table of Contents
What Is Muskmelon?
Melons are the bigger version of a berry-like fruit grown in different parts of the world in huge quantities. There are several types of melons like watermelons, muskmelons, honeydews, and so on that you will find in the market. But today, we will rather discuss the muskmelon out of all the varieties.
The origin of this melon variety is not known to date, but the fruit is cultivated in the entire world. The plant has an annual lifetime, and it usually grows in a warm kind of climate, one that can be easily found in the temperate regions. The fruit has a pale yellow-colored pulp, which almost looks like frozen butter. Running along the center is the aisle-like area where you will find the seeds of the fruit wrapped in a mesh of net created from the fruit fibers.
The seeds are small and almost flat, with a slight bump you will find at the center of the seeds. Each muskmelon will have numerous seeds, the count never remaining the same. Even though this particular melon variety is popular for the flesh, there are many benefits of muskmelon seeds that you can’t ignore.
What Are The Differences Between The Muskmelon And The Cantaloupes?
Before you learn more about muskmelon, you need to learn how this fruit is different from the cantaloupes, which looks similar to the former. Since both these fruits have almost the same appearance, we will consider the nutritional facts, texture, taste, and other such facts to help you understand that the fruit you are buying is the muskmelon and not the cantaloupe.
1. Genetics
The first difference that sets these two fruits apart is their genetic origin. Even though both these fruits belong to the same family of the Cucurbitaceae, their groups are different. Muskmelons belong to the reticulatus group, whereas the Cantaloupe is from the cantalupensis group.
2. External appearance
Once you slit open the fruits, there is hardly any difference to tell from the views. But the same can’t be said about the external appearance where significant differences are present. For instance, muskmelons have tanned and ribbed skin, whereas cantaloupes have a netted, light green skin.
3. Flesh color
The flesh of the muskmelons varies in color from being buttery yellow to orange depending on the stage of ripening. As for the cantaloupe, this fruit has an orange hue color, which resembles the salmon fish.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Muskmelon?
The advantages of muskmelon are entirely dependent on the nutritional content of the fruit. Considering this reason, we will discuss the muskmelon nutrition facts first, and then we will discuss the benefits of the fruit.
The maximum percentage of the muskmelon’s weight is occupied by the water, because of which the fruit tastes so juicy. It has a moderate level of calorie content, having a value of around thirty-five Kcal. Other than this, you will have 0.88 grams of protein, 0.28 grams of lipid, and 0.8 grams of dietary fiber. Carbohydrates are present in the fruit in the form of sugars. Around 8.6 grams of carbohydrates are present in the fruit.
Now, since you know what the major nutrients present in the fruit are, let’s focus on the benefits of muskmelon to understand why this fruit is preferred so much all around the world by dieticians, nutritionists, and health-conscious people.
1. Improves the health of the skin
Major problems that the skin faces include sagging, the appearance of wrinkles earlier than the age, losing skin’s brightness, and darkening the skin tissues. Even though the symptoms and cure of all these problems are different, they all have the same root cause because you need muskmelon. These skin problems can be seen when your dermis starts losing the collagen fibers due to the increased oxidation levels from the free radicals in the blood.
When you are taking the muskmelon fruit, you will get a lot of Vitamin C and collagen fibers, which will tighten the skin tissues. Also, the high number of antioxidants present in the fruit will lower the free radical concentration, thereby helping you fight the signs of early aging.
2. Promotes the health of the gut
No matter the age, almost seventy percent of the global population suffers from digestive problems, be it indigestion, stomach aches, ulcers, constipation, or IBS. It’s not easy to treat digestive problems overnight because you will be in discomfort until a certain time period, no matter what you eat. But luckily, muskmelon nutrition has helped a lot of people suffering from constipation and indigestion.
The high fiber content of the fruit helps in the proper formation of the bowel. Also, the fruit has a high water content that facilitates the proper bowel movement, thereby preventing constipation and IBS.
3. Prevent dehydration in summers
One of the significant benefits of eating muskmelon is enjoying it during the summer seasons. Often in summers, people suffer from dehydration because the ratio to water intake to water loss is less than one. As a result, they show dehydration symptoms like dizziness, parched throat, dry lips, weakness, low blood pressure, and so on.
Moreover, in some cases, excessive dehydration can sometimes cause heat stroke, which might prove to be quite fatal if not treated at the time. So, if you want to avoid such inconvenience, you need to take the muskmelon fruits at least every other day since the fruit’s flesh is filled with water, which will help you overcome the loss of water due to sweating and urination.
4. Best for keeping the eyes healthy
Ophthalmologists always suggest changing the diet and including healthy foods to improve the eye’s health. Amongst these healthy foods, the marsh melon fruit is one of the most suggested ones. First, the fruit contains Vitamin A, which is extremely helpful for treating problems like night-blindness. The fruit has a high content of antioxidants like beta carotene and zeaxanthin, which improves healthy vision and good ocular health.
5. Helps in the growth of strong hair strands
After years of intensive studies, it has been proven that there are many causes of hair loss. Some of them are stress, depression, lack of a healthy diet, improper nutrition intake, etc. If you, too, are suffering from the same problem, you can easily start eating the muskmelon fruit since it is quite good for the health of your hair.
First, muskmelons contain Vitamin C, which is extremely helpful for the proper growth of the hair. The various minerals present in the fruit will ensure that the new strands coming out of the hair pores have a high amount of keratin.
6. Boosts the immune strength
One of the major muskmelon health benefits is that it helps in strengthening the immune system. The human immune system is responsible for fighting against any intrusion in the form of antigens or toxins. The immune system derives its power from the foods you are eating, i.e., from the probiotic elements like antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, etc.
This is where the muskmelons come into the role play since the fruit has a huge deposit of these probiotic components, which will greatly improve the health of your natural immunity system, thereby improving your overall health and the body’s resistance to diseases and infections.
7. Might help you to fight the stress hormone
The stress hormone, which is released by our body, is extremely harmful if the amount crosses the threshold level. For instance, you will suffer from depression, laziness, lack of concentration, improper sleep routines, indigestion, and so on.
Considering these side effects, you can say that it’s essential to control the stress hormone levels, and that’s why you need the muskmelon fruit. It has potassium, which helps maintain anxiety levels, depression, and stress because of which the levels of the stress hormone to get controlled.
8. Has anti-inflammatory properties
Lastly, muskmelon is rich in several anti-inflammatory compounds that reduce the levels of inflammation in the body. Be it some tissue inflammations because of infections or bone and cartilage inflammations due to some degenerative disease, eating the muskmelon fruit will help you a lot.
How The Seeds Of The Muskmelon Are Cleaned?
For understanding more about the benefits of muskmelon seeds, you need to take those seeds out first from the fruit and clean them.
When you cut the fruit in half, you will find a central cavity in an elongated shape. This central cavity is filled with the kharbuja seeds wrapped up in a mesh of nets from the fruit fibers. For taking the seeds out of the fruit, cut the halves into thin pieces that closely resemble the crescent moon. Once done, use a serrated knife to cut the messy net potion from the flesh along with the seeds and keep the meshes in a separate bowl.
Once you will collect the entire seed mesh, pour cold water into the bowl and stir the mix for a couple of minutes before leaving behind the arrangement to rest for around five to ten minutes. After this, you will see that the flesh and the fruit fiber net are separated and float along the water surface, whereas the rest of the seeds will settle down at the bottom of the bowl. Drain out the water and repeat the process for another two to three times to remove any trace of the flesh and the fibrous net. The seeds that will remain after the repeated cleaning will have an orange hue with no tangles connected to them in a wrap.
Press the seeds in between the paper towels slowly to dry out the excess water. To enjoy the benefits of muskmelon seeds, you will have to dry the seeds because people do not like eating the raw seeds of any fruit most of the time.
How to Dry the Seeds of the Muskmelon?
If you want to enjoy the complete muskmelon seeds of nutrition, you need to dry them to avoid the pungent and bitter taste. Even though there are several methods of drying the seeds, we will discuss only a couple of them, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of muskmelon seeds to the maximum.
1. Sun-drying technique
The first method that we will discuss for drying the musk melon seeds is the air-drying technique. Once will dry the seeds by patting them in between the kitchen towels, spread the seeds on a tray covered with butter paper. Keep the tray under direct sunlight so that the heat can dehydrate the seeds.
You will need to leave the arrangement for a couple of days for efficient drying of the seeds. This way you can reap the benefits of kharbuja seeds.
2. Using the conventional oven
Another amazing method that you can try to enjoy the benefits of muskmelon seeds to the maximum is by using conventional ovens. Spread out the dried seeds on the baking tray and cover the seeds with thin butter paper. Do not form clusters with the seeds since that will alter the drying rate, which will create more problems.
Make sure you are spreading out the seeds and then inserting the baking tray inside the oven. Leave the arrangement inside the oven for at least a couple of hours. It would be best if you check the conditions of the seeds every half an hour to ensure that the seeds are getting dried uniformly.
3. Drying the seeds in the microwave oven
When you want to enjoy the muskmelon seeds benefits, you need to shell the seeds, which can only be done after the water content’s complete dehydration. This is why we have discussed this particular seed drying method using which you will complete the drying in less time.
The only disadvantage of using the microwave for drying is that you cannot use the bulk amount. The arrangement is the same as for the conventional oven, with the only difference in the quantity of the seeds. The huge heat inside the microwave will be able to dry out the seeds in no time.
What Is The Nutritional Content Of The Kharbooja Seeds?
The muskmelon seed’s nutritional facts are the same as that of the fruit itself, with high water content, carbohydrates for the sugars, and dietary fibers. Along with this, the seeds are rich in several vitamins and minerals because of which the benefits of muskmelon seeds are widespread.
The seeds contain the least amount of protein and fat, and hence they are perfect for a strict diet routine. According to the measurement facts, every hundred grams of the muskmelon seed offers a total of thirty-four Kcal of energy.
Here’s the list of the best summer fruits.
What are the Benefits of muskmelon seeds?
Since we are almost done discussing the various aspects of the muskmelon or the lajmi fruit, we can focus on the health benefits of muskmelon seeds.
Just like the fruit, the seeds too are quite beneficial, if not more. This is why here we will discuss the top kharbuja seed’s benefits for your health.
1. Appropriate protein content
Even though the protein content of the muskmelon flesh is less, almost negligible, the muskmelon seeds are high in the plant proteins. It contains almost around 3.6 grams of protein, equivalent to soy, tofu, and even cottage cheese. So, if you are on a keto diet, the benefits of muskmelon seeds will help you to gain more proteins for building your body strength.
2. High in essential vitamins
From the outside, the muskmelon seeds look dull because of which one always looks forward to learning more about the benefits of muskmelon seeds. The seeds are high in different vitamins, which are essential for maintaining homeostasis in the human body.
For example, the presence of Vitamin A and C will help your skin get revived again with a nice glow. Similarly, the presence of different Vitamin B family variants makes the muskmelon seeds in English quite popular amongst nutritionists.
3. Helps in strengthening the bones and cartilages
One of the most crucial benefits of muskmelon seeds is their ability to strengthen bones and connective tissues, including cartilages, tendons, and even ligaments. Potassium, calcium, and phosphorus present in the seeds strengthen the bones while the Vitamins increase the immune response, preventing inflammation.
4. Lowers the risks of getting Diabetes
Among the several muskmelon seeds uses, this is one of the best benefits. Eating the muskmelon seeds considerably reduces the blood glucose concentration, since it allows your body to either produce the insulin hormone in the apt quantity or respond appropriately to the produced insulin levels.
5. Improves the heart’s health
The seeds are rich in omega fatty acids, which are extremely good for maintaining your heart’s health. These monounsaturated fatty acids will reduce the LDL levels and the triglycerides in the blood, thereby proving to be one of the major benefits of muskmelon seeds.
Related Read :
14 Amazing Muskmelon Benefits.
How to Eat the Seeds of the Muskmelon?
Now you have learned almost everything about the benefits of muskmelon seeds and the fruit itself. Our final discussion will be regarding the various dishes you can make with both the seeds and the fruits.
1. Salad
Making a salad having the muskmelon cubes, apple cubes, and the Chinese lettuce slices. Using the muskmelon for preparing the Hawaiian pasta salad.
2. Juice
Juice made from muskmelon, watermelon, and apple with no added sugar.
3. Dressing
Salads made with greens like kale, collard greens, dill, basil, and lettuce with the muskmelon being used for dressing.
4. Smoothie
Making a muskmelon smoothie using the fruit’s flesh with oranges and yogurt.
5. Ice Cream
Muskmelon ice cream with solid chunks of the fruit’s flesh.
6. Tropical Salad
Making the tropical salad with the muskmelon crust as the bowl, and including seasonal berries, peaches, mangoes, and the muskmelon fruit.
7. Pancakes
Pancakes prepared from muskmelon seeds powder and oats flour.
8. Barfis
Making of muskmelon barfis using the seeds.
9. Snacks
Making a crunch using the roasted muskmelon seeds and accompanied by roasted oats, dried raisins, and almond and cashew slices.
10. Halwa
Making of the muskmelon halwa with the roasted seeds for added crunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are muskmelon seeds poisonous for children?
No. Muskmelon seeds are said to be a good source of Vitamin C and Vitamin A. These are vital for strengthening your child’s immunity as well as sharpen your kid’s eyesight.
2. Is muskmelon good for the liver?
Muskmelon is naturally rich in water. It is good for the liver as it protects it by preventing fat deposition.
3. Can muskmelon seeds paste be used in gravies?
Yes. If you wish to add a nutty and creamy texture you can use muskmelon seeds paste.
4. Can muskmelon seeds be consumed daily?
Consumption of muskmelon seeds daily might aid weight loss as it is low in calories and high in fiber.
5. What is muskmelon rich in?
Muskmelon is an excellent and rich source of Vitamin C and Vitamin A.
Conclusion
The benefits of muskmelon seeds are abundant, but they are closely related to the fruit. So, if you want to enjoy the benefits to the fullest, use both these parts equally in your salads or juices. However, make sure you are not using the fresh fruit pulp or the raw seeds in cooking some food on flame.
In this article, you will get every single information piece you need to make your favorite juice using the muskmelon seeds and make your diet chart healthier.
