What else do we have in the pumpkin family arsenal? Oh yes — melons and watermelons! They look quite similar, but by and large, as they say, there are two big differences. Unfortunately, in England, this difference is not as noticeable as in Ukraine — here you can find striped ‘potbellies’ and yellow, round beauties. Yes, they are beautiful, but in reality they are not very sweet and have a slightly grassy taste. They are nothing like Ukrainian melons and watermelons! The difference in price and, especially, in taste is really striking. Both watermelons and melons are larger in size and significantly sweeter and juicier in Ukraine. It’s like heaven and earth! And I won’t even mention the price.

To be fair, it should be noted that many other fruits and vegetables here in England are no worse than in Ukraine — not all of them, of course, but many. You can find good peaches, nectarines, pears, and apples here. But when it comes to melons and gourds, the situation in our country is clearly much more favourable — as I mentioned in one of my previous articles, even pumpkins in Ukraine are much fleshier and juicier.

But let’s not get distracted and take a look at the benefits that these fragrant and juicy melons and watermelons bring to our bodies.

Watermelon is 90% water, with the remaining components being sugars, pectin, micro- and macroelements, and vitamins. This melon contains particularly high levels of vitamin A, which is a powerful antioxidant necessary for maintaining reproductive function, bone growth, and especially vision. In addition, it has an excellent regenerative effect on the entire body and improves the condition of our skin and hair. Vitamin C, as we all know, strengthens the immune system, and the B vitamins and vitamin E contained in watermelon are also vital for our body. The abundance of fibre in this juicy ‘striped fruit’ has a positive effect on the digestive system, thereby promoting weight loss, and thanks to its excellent diuretic properties, watermelon promotes the rapid cleansing of our kidneys, which in turn has a positive effect on the condition of the entire body.

Melon contains almost as much water as watermelon — about 90% or slightly less — and another important aspect is that it is better not to combine it with any other foods, but to eat it as a separate meal. And if you ask why it has this privilege, I will answer you — because, unlike other foods, melon is not fermented in the stomach at all (only in the small intestine), which makes it incompatible with any other foods.

But this unusual and unfamiliar property does not make this fragrant yellow-sided beauty any less useful than its striped counterpart. It contains an abundance of one of the most powerful natural antioxidants, beta-carotene, which halts chronic inflammatory processes in the body and slows down the ageing process. It also contains cobalt, which normalises metabolism and regulates the main processes of our nervous system.

Melon improves the condition of our nails, hair, and skin, calms the nerves, eliminates mood swings, increases libido, normalises hormonal balance, and strengthens the body’s resistance to various stresses. In short, it’s nothing but good for you — and it’s delicious too!

So that’s what these fragrant melons are like. Buy them whenever you can, eat them, and enjoy them — not only for their taste and aroma, but also for their positive effects!