Source:
Huffingtonpost
"Sprouted" seeds are germinated and oftentimes
are higher in nutrients than their non-sprouted
versions. Sprouting removes compounds in the
food that make it difficult to absorb all of its nutrients, increases nutrient density and makes the
food easier to digest. In the case of watermelon,
the seeds are stripped of their black shells and
+ HEALTH TIPS
resemble seeds.
But any old seed this is not. Truly, these seeds
are a robust snack: They're packed with protein,
vitamin B, magnesium, and monounsaturated
fats and polyunsaturated fats, which have been
shown to reduce cholesterol levels, inflammation and risk for heart disease and stroke.
If you've ever daringly chewed on a seed while
munching on the fruit, you know they taste nothing like watermelon. Watermelon seeds are most
similar to sunflower seeds in flavor, but a little
less nutty and thick. They'd taste great topped
on salads, blended into trail mix or eaten out of
the palm of your very own hand. Most nuts and
seeds do the body good, but comparatively, watermelon seeds are nutritional superstars.
Why you should be eating
watermelon seeds
Y
ou may have once believed that swal-
lowing a watermelon seed would ignite
the growth of an enormous fruit inside
your belly. So instead of ingesting, you
diligently plucked out each individual seed before
chewing into the juicy fruit. Or you kept an arsenal
of seeds in the pocket of your cheek to use as spitting ammo against your older brother.
But these seeds will not bud fruit inside your body
and they shouldn't be tossed or shot at an annoying sibling. Instead, they should be eaten. (Here's
the catch: You shouldn't eat them straight from the
fruit. To make the most of them, the seeds need to
be sprouted and shelled.) Once sprouted, shelled
29
GH STAR MAGAZINE