India Health & Wellness blog

Happy Monday July 6, 09: MELON extract and health

6th July, 2009 - Posted by admin -

Hello and Happy Monday!
I hope you had a great weekend and we celebrated our Independence here in the United States. Wishing you a wonderful week wherever you may be in the world.

For the nutrition tip, I always recommend having 5-7 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables and now there is more evidence to support it.
Researchers in France found that an extract found in different types of Melon may actually PREVENT obesity. The extract is a powerful antioxidant which may provide a whole host of benefits.

The melon-extract is a rich source of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD). Dubbed ‘the enzyme of life’ when first discovered in 1968, it is the first antioxidant mobilised by the cell for defence. It is thought to be more powerful than antioxidant vitamins as it activates the body’s production of its own antioxidants, including catalase and glutathione peroxidase.

“To summarize, Extramel prevented obesity in high fat-fed hamsters by decreasing body abdominal and liver fat and by preventing adipokine imbalance,” wrote the researchers.

So continue to eat a healthy diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables and include some healthy Melon as part of your program.
Wishing you the best of health!
Luigi

Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Published online ahead of print, 25 June 2009, doi: 10.1021/jf900504g
“Preventive Effect of a Melon Extract Rich in Superoxide Scavenging Activity on Abdominal and Liver Fat and Adipokine Imbalance in High-Fat-Fed Hamsters”
Authors: K. Décordé, A. Agne, D. Lacan, J. Ramos, G. Fouret, E. Ventura, C. Feillet-Coudray, J.-P. Cristol, J.-M. Rouanet