The Health Benefits of Cantaloupe
There is no doubt about it - I love me some cantaloupe 
There is nothing better than digging into a nice juicy cantaloupe that is perfectly ripe. In fact, I was just eating some! Which brings me to this post. I know cantaloupe is good for me, but I didn’t realize how good until I did a little research. First of all, I had no idea that the cantaloupe is also called a muskmelon, mostly because of the musky aroma that it gives off when it is ripe. I’m not sure that I ever smelled a cantaloupe and thought - wow, that’s musky! But to each his own I guess.
It belongs to the “Cucurbitaceae” family with popular veggies as cucumbers, pumpkins and gourds. It is a very sweet fruit that when ripe is very soft and full of flavor. It is in season now and lasts through the beginning of September. I picked up a whole bunch at the farmer’s market this weekend and OMG are they good! Here is what I found out in regards to how healthy they are:
It is extremely nutrient rich and yet has almost no calories at just 50 for the entire cantaloupe which is pretty hard to eat in one sitting. The average portion is about half a cantaloupe so about 25 calories. It is highly concentrated with optimal levels of beta-carotene, folic acid, potassium, dietary fiber and of course vitamin C. It is also one of the only fruits that has a high level of vitamin B complex made up of thiamine, niacin, pantothenic acid and pyridoxine which are for the more common folk like myself B1, B3, B5, and B6 respectively. It is also rich in antioxidants that can prevent heart disease and cancer.
Cantaloupe, besides being an antioxidant, is also an anti-coagulant which helps to decrease the viscosity of the blood which in turn prevents the abnormal formation of blood clots in the cardiovascular system. If you consume vitamin C on a regular basis which again is found in cantaloupe you also can reduce the development of the hardening of arteries. It has cancer prevention properties also because of the high vitamin C content. Also, the vitamin A found in the beta-carotene can lower the risk of cataracts and helps improve your overall vision. It helps fight the oxidative stress that is the main component in oxidizing the cholesterol levels in the blood so eating a lot of cantaloupe helps to lower cholesterol. In regards to high blood pressure, the potassium helps to excrete the sodium which brings down high blood pressure - especially those with hypertension. It naturally helps to build a good immune system, and can even help relieve nerves and calm anxiety which can be a huge help for an insomniac like myself.
Some things I didn’t realize about cantaloupe is that it helps reduce heavy blood flow and clots during your period and can help prevent neural tube defects in infants for women who are pregnant, and it even helps with water retention either during your period or while you are pregnant. This is because of the high content of folic acid. For everyone it helps prevent muscle cramps after working out because of the potassium. The big thing that I don’t think anyone realized about cantaloupe is that it helps a body recover from nicotine withdrawal if you are quitting smoking. Honestly, who knew? It also helps to replace the vitamin A that is lost when you quit smoking. So instead of chewing gum, you can just eat cantaloupe if you are trying to quit smoking.
So, there you have it - the many health benefits and reasons that you should either be eating cantaloupe of in some cases, drinking cantaloupe for those of you who like to juice. Either way, try to have at least 2 to 3 cantaloupe per week to make sure you get the most health benefits, but some recommend that you eat it everyday… not so hard for me to do 
