Why is watermelon tea so popular? I guess you would have to try it to understand. Watermelon is refreshing. Tea is refreshing as well. Combing them the right way creates a fruity nonalcoholic drink refreshing summer beverage. Add in some green tea and you have yourself a nonalcoholic mojito. We’ve even got something to make that watermelon sweeter and you won’t believe what it is.
The benefits of watermelon
Watermelon is full of healthy benefits. Watermelon is approximately 92% water. While it does not have a lot of fiber that water content alone is great for a hot summer day or night.
One cup of watermelon is
- 46 calories
- 11.6 grams of carbohydrates
- 0.2 grams of fat
- 0.9 grams of protein
For those watching glycemic levels, watermelon has an average of a 3% glycemic index.
Watermelon contains:
- Antioxidants
- Amino Acids
- Lycopene
Vitamins: A
- B
- B6
- C
Hydrate – Watermelon contains up to 92% water. Adding a few slices of watermelon to your diet will increase your hydration. That will not only help the inside of your body but your skin as well.
Kidneys – One of the biggest benefits is the water content. Eating watermelon has been known to help clean out and detox the kidneys.
Diabetes – Lycopene again to the rescue. Helps fight against the rising and lowering of blood glucose levels.
UV Ray Protection – One of the nutrients in watermelon is lycopene. Lycopene is known to protect the body from harmful UV Rays.
Blood Circulation – Watermelon contains an amino acid named citrulline. This helps the body move the blood. It can also help to lower blood pressure.
Oxidized Stress – The amino acids help the body fight against stress. The stress levels can enter our systems without us even knowing.
Blood pressure – A study has shown that the amino acid L-Citrulline has positive reactions from people with high blood pressure.
Weight loss – I’m not a fan of telling people that a certain product will help them lose weight. But what these products do is speed up your fat-burning with an amino acid called lycopene. Suggestions say 1 cup a day will do the trick.
Skin and Eye Health – all that water, remember 92% makes for healthy skin. Vitamin A helps the skin as well as the eyes to help keep them healthy longer.
Eye Protection – Lycopene helps fight against vision degeneration. The vision decreasing effects from macular degenerative disease.
Absorbing iron – that’s the job of Vitamin C. This helps the body absorb iron and keep the body healthy.
Immune system – The vitamins in watermelon help support your immune system. They help to fight off germs and attacks on your immune.
Is there really watermelon in that tea?
Recipes to make your own watermelon tea at home. Did you know that adding lemon or lime makes watermelon taste a bit sweeter? The acid base of the lemons and limes seems to do just that.
Want to spice it up a bit more, sprinkle some pepper and salt and give those flavors a try.
Try this spicy watermelon lime zinger tea from Celestial Seasonings:
Watermelon Green Tea
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups green tea, brewed and chilled
- 4 cups watermelon, cubed and seeded, chilled
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (use lime if you’d prefer)
- some lemon slices for garnish (or lime, if you’d prefer)
Instructions
- A few hours in advance (or even the day before), steep a green tea bag in some boiled water. Set it aside to cool to room temperature and then stick it in the fridge to chill (adding a few ice cubes always helps!).
- Once your green tea is chilled, add 1 1/2 cups of it to your blender. Add the chilled watermelon cubes and lemon juice.
- Blend on high speed for 45 seconds to 1 minute, or until the mixture is completely blended.
- Pour into glasses and serve with a slice of lemon!
If you are busy and you want an easy way to make a cold brew tea:
Cold Brewed Watermelon Tea
Ingredients
- 4 tsp Broken Orange Pekoe Tea/ Oolong
- 4 cups water, room temperature
- 4-5 Mint leaves
- 2 cups Watermelon pureed and strained
- Simple syrup or Honey to taste Simple syrup – combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and let the sugar dissolve in the water.
- 1-2 tbsp Lemon juice Optional
- Mint for garnish
- Frozen scoops of watermelon balls for garnish Optional
Instructions
- Stir the tea in the water. Add the mint leaves. Refrigerate for 8 hours up to a maximum of 12 hours.
- Strain the tea, and discard the mint leaves. Mix in the fresh watermelon puree. Add honey or simple syrup to taste. Stir in some lemon juice if you like.
- Garnish with mint and some frozen watermelon balls. Serve chilled. Enjoy!
Chunks of watermelon mean a real fresh fruit flavor.
Watermelon and Green Tea
Ingredients
- 1 cup watermelon cubes, frozen
- 2 cups green tea, homemade or store-bought
- Honey (to taste)
- Mint leaves, optional
- Ice
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into a pitcher and stir. Multiply the recipe as needed for a larger pitcher.
And my all-time favorite is mixing watermelon with oolong tea
OR
We need to clear up a few things about watermelon tea
Of all the fruit-infused teas I research, only watermelon tea has been asked the most curious questions. While watermelon tea can be served hot or iced. I prefer iced. You can add watermelon to green tea and even watermelon boba tea. This creates our first area to clear up:
Can you drink watermelon and milk?
The short answer is yes, sort of. Of course, there is watermelon boba which incorporates watermelon and milk. Some Watermelon boba does not incorporate milk. But in Ayurveda watermelon and milk are opposites. Milk is considered to be sweet and watermelon acidic. Together they do not mix well and may cause indigestion. You may hear people say that watermelon and milk are poisonous, this is a bit of an exaggeration of the truth.
Have you heard that watermelon can help your sexuality?
While there are not enough scientific studies done on this subject, on University has. Texas A&M has stated that watermelon may help libido. Affecting the blood vessels and creating a viagra-like effect.
Were watermelons found on Mars?
An unfortunate joke that was posted and quickly removed by the New York Times. About fields of watermelons on Mars. The new agency was not fast enough in deleting the article. Many on the internet started to share various memes and posts about the article. Truth is, it was a backend error. While testing out some new features that accidentally got featured as a top news story. It was only a test, not a truth.
What happens to those watermelon seeds you swallow?
No, a watermelon will not start to grow in your stomach. It will not harm you. Watermelon seeds have little flavor. Eating them with a mouth full of watermelon will not harm you.
This iced tea captures the essence of summer with the natural, fresh sweetness of sun-ripened watermelon finished with a touch of cool peppermint.
Health risks
Lycopene/Potassium – These are good things to add to your body. Too much of a good thing can cause nausea, diarrhea, upset stomach, and diarrhea. Suggested is no more than 30 grams a day.
Sugar – Watermelon contains 17 grams of sugar in a medium-size wedge. So you may be tempted to eat a lot of watermelons but it is not suggested for a couple of reasons. High fructose content is one of them.
Gas – eating too much watermelon may give your digestive system a run for its money, literally :-). The natural fructose in watermelon can upset your digestive system and may give you gas.
Conclusion
Now we understand the popularity of watermelon tea. Refreshing for sure. There is more to watermelon than a fun fruity way to make tea. Watermelon has many health benefits including its incredible water content.
Making watermelon green tea just adds to the benefits and taste of watermelon. Don’t forget to add the lemon or lime for a sweet surprise.
