Cough is one of the leading reasons people seek health care.
If the National Library of Medicine (NIH) stats are anything to go by, coughs account for approximately 30 million clinical visits annually.
These numbers don’t point to occasional coughs (which are healthy and normal) but those that persist for weeks.
Prolonged coughing is uncomfortable, inconvenient and may irritate the lungs leading to even more of it.
When you are caught in the coughing web, your only concern is how to get rid of it.
Here, you’ll have some options. You can grab a cough med such as an analgesic, antihistamine, or decongestant or go the home remedy way.
The latter option is great for people looking for natural and harmless strategies rather than filling their bodies with inorganic stuff.
One such substance claimed to help with coughing is watermelon.
The red yummy fruit isn’t just delectable but can treat a cough or at least make it better.
But how true is this statement?
Let’s find out.
Watermelons are beloved fruits across the continent. They are juicy, delicious, easy to eat, and available in most places.
Apparently, they also contain amazing benefits for people battling coughs. This is why:
Hydration
Watermelon is composed of 92% water. When you eat it, you increase your water intake substantially.
When you have a cough, hydration is key.
According to Healthline, one of the ways of combating coughs is staying hydrated.
When you are dehydrated, you allow a mucus build-up which eventually triggers a cough.
Water loosens it thus making it easy to exit the body.
It also replaces lost fluids from the body thus keeping the body organs in tiptop function.
When you have a cough, you may lose moisture through the release of mucus.
Thus, you need to replace them. Taking plenty of watermelons can go a long way in hydrating your body.
Watermelons Have Anti-Oxidants
Besides introducing water to your body, watermelons also contain a powerful antioxidant called lycopene.
It is a great substance for boosting the immune system, preventing cancer, and treating inflammations.
The natural anti-oxidant is great in combating an array of illnesses such as colds and coughs, respiratory inflammation, and preventing infection.
Lycopene also helps fight disease by destroying free radicals – damaging molecules affecting normal cell function.
These have a tendency to attach to your cells and disturb your immune system from doing what it’s meant to do.
Watermelons contain this all-important anti-oxidant which can ease cough symptoms a great deal.
Vitamins and Minerals
Watermelons aren’t only made of water. They also contain vitamins and other minerals the body needs to fight diseases.
For one, it comprises vitamin A which is beneficial for normal vision growth and development, reproduction, and boosting of the immune system.
When you are down with a cough, your immune system needs a helping hand to fight the illness.
The fruit also has vitamin C, which is directly linked to the working of your immune system.
Watermelons also have magnesium which may help relax the airways and reduce inflammation.
When you have had a long coughing bout, you know how irritated and uncomfortable your chest can be.
A soothing effect makes all the difference.
Other minerals include potassium, calcium, folate, and beta-carotene—each of which contributes to the immune system’s function in one way or another.
Watermelon for Cold
Is watermelon good for cold?
Yes. Watermelons are great for treating colds.
For starters, they are watery fruits (being 92% water). They contain water that your body desperately needs when fighting the disease.
Colds are notorious for depriving the body of water through sneezing, coughing, and fevers.
The water needs to be replaced fast to allow the body to resume normal function.
Water also loosens mucus in your airways thus preventing coughing and giving relief from irritations.
Melons are also loaded with vitamins A and C—both of which are great for boosting your immune system.
A cold causes the immune system to work overtime to get rid of the flu virus.
As such, it needs as much help as it can get to protect the body.
Lastly, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-viral properties of lycopene will also help fight infections, soothe a sore throat, boost the immune system, and relieve congestion.
These are plenty of benefits for a person overwhelmed with a cold and flu.
Parting Thoughts
When you are thirsty, a serving of a cold watermelon slice will take care of you.
The water-loaded fruit also has plenty of benefits for people suffering from colds and coughs.
It hydrates the body, loosens mucus, soothes the airways, boosts the immune system, and introduces amazing minerals to the body.
If your body can handle the fruit (some people have sensitive guts that cannot digest it), by all means, take it when you get a cold or cough.
