The watermelon was “prescribed as a diuretic and as a way to treat children with heatstroke by placing the cool, wet rind on their heads.” In modern times, watermelons have been found to have “more lycopene than any other fresh fruit or vegetable … Lycopene is an antioxidant linked to decreased risk of cancer, heart disease, and age-related eye disorders,” according to the Mayo Clinic Health System. Watermelon seeds are, however, harvested, processed, and sold as a nut snack in the Philippines (butong pakwan).Īncient Greek physicians, including Hippocrates, praised the watermelon for its many healing powers. In the United States, nearly 85 percent of total watermelon sales were of the seedless variety, as early as 2014. It is reported that China produced about two-thirds of the world’s total supply of watermelons in 2017 and most probably for the years after. European colonists and African slaves introduced the watermelon in the New World, and it quickly spread throughout the Americas, including in the Pacific islands. By the early 7th century, watermelons were being cultivated in India, and in China by the 10th century. “n addition to trade and bartering, the watermelon’s territorial expansion was aided by its unique role as a natural canteen for fresh water on long voyages,” speculates horticulturist Harry Paris. From Africa, watermelons were brought to and spread in Europe. Paintings of watermelons also appear in Egyptian tombs built more than 4,000 years ago, including in the famed tomb of King Tutankhamun. Wild watermelon seeds were discovered in a 5,000-year-old prehistoric settlement in Libya.
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