If you are looking for something that is both delicious and healthy, then you should definitely try Pepino melon, if you have not done it already! But before you do it, take a moment to find out more about this fascinating fruit, its nutritional value, benefits and side effects. We promise you will be very surprised!
If you are looking for something that is both delicious and healthy, then you should definitely try Pepino melon, if you have not done it already! But before you do it, take a moment to find out more about this fascinating fruit, its nutritional value, benefits and side effects. We promise you will be very surprised!
What is Pepino melon?
Despite its name, Pepino melon is not actually a melon. As a matter of fact, it is a South American fruit that is closely related to the eggplant and tomato. It is also known as melon pear or tree melon. Another fun fact: Pepino melon has borrowed its name from the Spanish word for ‘cucumber’, even though it resembles it neither in shape nor in taste.
Pepino melons grow on 3-meter-high bushes. Before the fruit appears, the bush is covered in beautiful purple flowers. The fruit itself tastes scrumptious and freshly sweet. It is somewhat resembling of a pear or a cantaloupe.
Recently, Pepino melons have taken the Kenyan fruit market by storm. Most people just love it for the taste; however, it has lots of health benefits on top of that. Find out all about them below!
Nutrition facts about Pepino melon
People call pepino melon magic fruit, and they do it for a reason. It is filled with nutritional benefits to the brim! Here are some of the most prominent nutrition facts about the pepino melon:
- It is full of Vitamin C;
- It is perfect for people that want to lose weight, as pepino melon is very low in the calorie department;
- This delightful fruit contains plenty of fibre, which means that it aids healthy digestion;
- Pepino melon is full of beta-Carotene antioxidants;
- There is not a single gram of ‘bad’ fats in pepino melons;
- They contain loads of iron and potassium.
Continue reading for more pepino melon helpful qualities and even recipes!
Benefits of pepino melon
As we have promised, here is a list of all the benefits of pepino melon for your health:
- Pepino melon can make you more stress-resilient. It contains the Vitamin B complex, which is a great anti-stress tool. It guarantees recuperation and rest. Fresh pepino pulp can protect you from anxiety and helps to recover from stress.
- This exotic fruit strengthens the blood vessel walls, normalises blood pressure and mitigates the risk of haemorrhage.
- Vitamin C that can be found in pepino melon can rejuvenate your skin and help the body to produce more collagen, which makes your skin look taut, radiant and young. You can say good-bye to wrinkly skin!
- Your eyes can also benefit greatly from you eating pepino melons. These fruits contain beta-Carotene, which is essential for good eyesight.
- The cocktail of microelements can increase your stamina and protect you from the flu or a regular cold. It can provide a great boost for the immune system. The large amount of organic acids can make your body more resilient to infections.
- Pepino melon can help to relieve catarrhal diseases and aid the recovery process.
- As we have mentioned before, the pulp of a pepino melon contains fibre. Along with pectin that can also be found there, it can normalise the work of your intestines, remove toxins from your body and regulate bowel movement.
- If you plan on losing some weight, pepino melon should become your best friend. It is a great tool for controlling the cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
- Some researchers even claim that the cocktail of anti-oxidants that can be found in pepino melons can actually prevent cancer, as it protects the DNA molecules from oxidation.
- One of the most important benefits of pepino melon is its assistance with diabetes and its prevention. As the fruit (and its seeds) is low on sugar, it is perfectly safe for diabetics. Moreover, it can help your body to regulate the blood sugar levels, thus preventing diabetes in the first place.
Side effects of Pepino melon
Of course, a thing that has so much good to it must have some side effects. However, do not worry, as there are not too many of them. Scientist say that it is mostly safe for consumption. Nevertheless, its high iodine levels might lead to iodine toxicity, which increases salivation, causes nausea and leaves a metallic taste in one’s mouth.
That said, iodine toxicity could only happen after copious amounts of pepino melon have been consumed, and if you are particularly sensitive to iodine. Thus, if you eat the fruit in moderation with a verified meal delivery plan for example, you should be totally fine.
Another thing you should know is that the aforementioned iodine might cause certain unwanted chemical reactions with some medicine. This includes warfarin, lithium and thyroid medication.
If you are suffering from liver disease, you should probably stay away from Pepino, as it might worsen the damage to your liver. And it goes without saying that if you are not sure whether you are supposed to eat something in your state/condition, you should consult your doctor about it.
Apart from all that, Pepino melon should be safe for most people to eat, especially if it is consumed in moderation. So take it slow!
Tips on how to choose and consume Pepino melons
If you have decided to go ahead and give this new fruit a try, let us give you some advice on how to choose the best one and how to eat it.
When choosing Pepino melons, you should lightly press down on the fruit. A good one should be nice and firm. However, if you are buying it green, do not poke at it. Just leave it to ripen in a cool dry room.
Pepino melon is best consumed chilled, so before preparing it, leave it in a fridge. Then carefully wash and deseed it. Below, you can find some examples of what you can do with this fruit:
- Make a delicious salad out of it by chopping it up and adding avocado;
- Slightly poach it and serve it as ice-cream syrup;
- Combine the Pepino melon with other fruits in a sorbet;
- Add it to jellies and compotes;
- Make a juice out of it!
There are so many other ways you can consume it, but if we were to list them all, we would be here all day. So go ahead, buy yourself some Pepino melons and give them a try. Improve your health and your everyday menu 🙂
Source: TUKO