Horned melon, which is scientifically known as ‘African Cucumber‘ and has other informal names as the “Cucumis Metuliferus”, “Spiky Melon”, “Kiwano Melon” is most commonly called “African Horned Melon”. This horned cucumber when ripe tastes like an offspring of banana, cucumber and lime, three of these mixed together!
This traditional fruit plant of Central and South Africa is mostly seen growing in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana. It is said that a single vine of this fruit can produce about 100 fruits. The edible parts of this fruit are its green flesh, the root and also the leaves of its plants.
Kiwano, cutely titled ‘Jelly melon’ or ‘blowfish fruit’ requires warm and highly humid conditions to grow happily. 4 months’ time is all you need to see them grow from seeds into fruits on your plate.
It is found naturally in sub-Saharan and tropical parts of Africa. Now mostly grown in California, Mississippi, Chile, Australia, and New Zealand, where Kiwano has been renamed. This thick, antioxidant fruit is a sign of health, reproduction and everlasting life in Africa. The fruit has been treasured. Its genus is Cucumis Metuliferus. The Horn melon is called by several different vernacular names, including the African cuckoo, the Bitter Wild Cucumber, the English tomato, the Hedged Melon, Jelly, Kiwano, Melano, Thorn and Thorny pears.
It’s a golden orange fruit with a rough exterior layer with dysfunctional horn-like spikes that do not make you acquainted with Horned Melon and it’s thus named Horned Melon. It is edible just meat and seeds within. Numerous studies have proven that they help your body tremendously and can decrease the risk of many kinds of sickness.
Behold the African Delight’s flexing…!
Who doesn’t like to savor tons of minerals and vitamins in just one bowl of melon-licious fruits?
These scary-looking but super healthy melons swank 21% of the daily recommended intake (RDI- Reference Daily Intake) of magnesium, 18% RDI of Vitamin C, 13% RDI of Iron, also boasting other vitamins and minerals in just one full bowl. There’s plenty of water in this fruit, and 16% of the calories in horned melons come from the proteins present in them. It makes Kiwano a unique super-fruit deserving to be in our fruit baskets.
Heart diseases, cancer, and other health diseases are given an uplift by free radicals (these are your body’s enemies that are just molecules that are produced in your body when food is broken down, or due to tobacco or smoke or radiation). Antioxidants fight these free radicals and help you reduce the risk of diseases. And ta-da! Kiwano Melon are a great source of antioxidants.
Wanna hear another great flex about Kiwano? It has a low glycemic-index, which means your sugar levels don’t hit the ceiling after you eat this delectable delight! So, savour as much as you can.
The Horned Melon History
The melon was initially produced for ornamental reasons and invented in New Zealand in 1930. It was simply termed “Kiwano” like the flesh of New Zealand has a small likeness to the kiwi fruit labelled after national bird states and was sold for almost 80 years with remarkable success. It was only accessible lately in both North American and European markets.
The size of the horn varies from 8 cm to 10 cm (4 in) and 4 -5 cm (1.5 – 2 in) in diameter. The size varies according to the size. Research has shown a mean weight of 209 grammes for a Horned Melon. In the summer, horned melons are accessible. Horns are usually sweet and mild, however, the taste is likened to that of the cucumber and banana combo. A cup of 233 grammes of Horned Melon carries 103 kilogrammes of calories. The most important nutrients in the USAD are Iron (32.88%), Magnesium (22.14%), Vitamin C (13.67%), Phosphorus (12.29%) and Vitamin B6 (11.31 per cent).
You may eat Kiwano by itself or add sweets, smoothies or salsa in fruit salads. It is not accessible in every store. The horny melon may provide protein, magnesium, vitamin C and iron as a nutritious supplement to your diet. The growing popularity of horned melon in the field of health is because of the abundant health advantages it has. Kiwano melon may slow down the ageing stage and even neutralise the free stroke in your system, from enhancing the cognitive function to being utilised as a healing aid for heatstroke.
Kiwano seeds aren’t just tasty, they are also incredibly good for the heart. The basic nutrients, minerals and organic components in the fruits have made horny melons a vital fruit in the battle against disease and malnutrition known to the World Health Organization.
Amazing Health Benefits of Kiwano Melon
It Boosts your metabolism
When viruses and bacteria invade your body, your immune system fights them. The zinc present in Horned melon boosts the metabolic process in your body. Also, the genetic material in your body, DNA and protein, need zinc to be made by your bodies. Zinc helps in that process too! This boosts your immune system and metabolism.
Keeps your Body Super Hydrated
Kiwano melon is made up of 88.76% water. This is very hydrating to your body and is the perfect summer staple. This juicy melon also happens to contain 16 grams of carbs and electrolytes that are useful to help with your hydration.
Good health to your eyes
A Kiwano melon consists of numerous vitamins. It happens to have Vitamin A as well which helps with the eye protection and retaining of sight. Vitamin A helps in maintaining a clear cornea, the outer covering of your eyes. Rhodopsin is a protein in your eyes that helps you read that book even at night, it helps you’re your low-light vision. Vitamin A is a component of rhodopsin. Hail, Kiwano!
Vitamin A has a well-known and confirmed influence on eye health and eyesight. Vitamin A micronutrient is a kind of carotenoid with antioxidant characteristics. Kiwano seems to have an excess of vitamin A, which helps remove free radicals which can lead to degenerative macular substances. Kiwano consumption can reduce the beginning of several eye disorders, such as eye discomfort and cataracts.
One of the best weight loss fruit-friends
We know a lot about how fruit-friends are a great way to deal with our hunger pangs during our dieting seasons. Kiwano melon is a fruit which is filled more than 80% with water. And is very nutritious for your diet plans (Don’t forget to include this one in your upcoming diet plan!) It can help greatly as a substitute to satisfy your hunger pangs when you are trying to lose weight. It’s a perfect super fruit for diets because although it happens to be low in fats, the nutrients that it contains keep your body healthy, and keeps you feeling fuller for longer
Consists Truckloads of Antioxidants
It is found that Kiwano melon is packed with a rich number of antioxidants and alpha tocopherols that are crucial for good heart health, blood vessels, muscles, skin and nerves as well!
Kiwano melon is indeed healthy but also has numerous powerful Antioxidants, many of the nutrients. Antioxidants are chemicals present in some meals which help defend your body from cell damage triggered by oxidative stress. While oxidative reactions are a natural aspect of human metabolism, over time, too much oxidant strain can cause cellula inflammation and impairment. By giving your body an appropriate amount of antioxidant-rich foods such as Kiwano melon, you can reduce this possible harm.
Vitamin C, vitamin A, zinc and lutein are the major antioxidants in Kiwano melon. Together, they contribute to inflammation reduction and severe disease prevention like diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer (1 Trusted Source, 2 Trusted Source, 3 Trusted Source, 4). In addition, the edible seeds contained in the fruit pulp contain vitamin E – another antioxidant ingredient.
Helps you relax
Many researchers have concluded that the properties of Kiwano melon tend to ease our minds and it is suggested that it helps with reducing stress or even some other chronic diseases like anxiety. Eating a kiwano can quickly ease your mind and get your body back to a calm and relaxed state.
Helps you Age Slower than you Actually are
Antioxidants can protect against cellular damage. The nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins present in a Kiwano melon are well known to help defy the skin aging process.
Gives strength to your bones
It is found that Kiwano melon consists of many nutrients that help in remodeling the bone structure and increasing the strength in your bones.
Helps the growth and progress of your bones. the rich mineral contents of the fruit, like zinc, calcium etc. The ability of the fruit to store calcium helps to cure and avoid bone-related problems like osteoporosis. The fruits also aid repair bones since they are packed with several nutrients.
It improves digestion
As mentioned above a Kiwano is filled with fibres, nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants. Dietary fibre helps to stimulate peristaltic motion and clear out the gastrointestinal tract. This is useful against constipation, bloating and many other Gastrointestinal problems.
The nutritional fibre content of horny melon helps with digestion. Dietary fibre helps digestion and keeps the digestive tract healthy. The fibre is used to regulate bowel motions, and the gelatinous quality of the fruit helps to decrease constipation and inflammation. It also helps in the treatment of severe diseases including gastric ulcers and colorectal cancer.
Encourages Healthy Production of Red Blood Cells
Kiwano melon is a rich iron source and offers around 13% of your basic needs. Red blood cells are stored for transportation by your body of an iron-containing protein called haemoglobin. Sufficient nutritional iron is therefore needed to generate your organism sufficiently healthy blood cells to properly oxygenate. Sources of plants of iron, such as Kiwano melon, have a mineral shape called non-heme iron. The iron from animal products is not absorbed very efficiently. The combination of non-heme iron with vitamin C increases its absorption rate.
Improves Blood Sugar
Kiwano melon also has a low index of glycemia, which means that blood sugar does not increase substantially after you consume it. It is also a high source of magnesium — a mineral that has a direct role in glucose (sugar) and insulin metabolism. Modest research revealed a substantial reduction in blood sugar in diabetic mice in Kiwano melon juice though not in animals with regular blood sugar levels. More study is ultimately required to find out if Kiwano melon impacts human blood glucose.
May Improve Mood
Magnesium and zinc are in Kiwano melon—two minerals strongly connected to mental health and maintaining a healthy brain performance In neurotransmitters that affect moods and are associated with certain mood disorders like depression and stress, both magnesium and Zinc are implicated. The usage of magnesium in 126 individuals was assessed in one research to treat moderate depression and answers.
Magnesium patients reported substantial relief in their symptoms. In general, additional study is necessary to better comprehend the function of magnesium and zinc in boosting mood or detecting and managing depression. But it surely cannot hurt to consume lots of mineral-rich foods such as Kiwano melons.
Loss of Aids
The fruit is 80% water and thus you are consumed without the risk of acquiring weight. The fruit is also low in fat, and your body will obtain the energy necessary on your path into weight loss from the exotic fruit. And the fruit does not acquire weight from carbs. All of these characteristics make Kiwano a key component of your diet.
Slows Down Early Ageing
The concentration of vitamin C in the fruit reduces the symptoms of early ageing. The fruit enables your body to produce collagen and heal the tissues and skin of the organ that have been injured. Age marks and wrinkles are reduced by antioxidants together with organic substances and vitamin A. Kiwano defends your cell against wastes, damage or poisons that can cause certain illnesses of ageing.
Enhances Cardiovascular Health
The Kiwano seeds include linoleic acid that helps the cardiac muscles to become stronger. The fruit includes unsaturated 6 fatty acids, which are good for those with cardiovascular problems. The low quantity of cholesterol and oleic acid in the fruit enhances your heart health.
Horned Melon – How to Eat
Many people buy this fruit due to its unusual appearance, and yet become perplexed by the way it is consumed. There is no specific consumption technique. The tasty section is certainly the inner gelatinous section. All you have to do is generally slice the fruit upwards and remove the interior meat out, which can be swallowed. You may add a little salt or even sugar to enhance your taste. The fruit is generally sliced in half (vertically) by various means, and sliced more to produce long streaks to eat the Kiwano horned melon.
Such sorts of bands can be ingested like cantaloupes or even watermelon bands are consumed. You may consume this jelly with vanilla ice cream or even yoghurt. The seeds can also be eaten like cucumber seeds are. You can even throw it out. It will probably be difficult to remove seeds via the jelly, but you can spread the seeds during consumption. You will hunt for many recipes using that fruit if you are interested in finding new alternatives to eat a horned melon. Pick those with orange coloured rinds that are firm if you want to purchase this fruit.
Horned Melon Uses
African Ripe Horned Melon, cucumbers use their amazing taste and fragrance for many delightful reasons. The flesh is green-like jelly and scraped out of the coat of prickly fruit with a slight sugar. Sometimes they are cut into pieces and involve exotic fruit salads. In a blender for a revitalising drink, the puree and seeds of these Fruits are mixed. This fruit pulp is spooned over a single taste with sorbets, ice creams, and yoghurts. They can be used in salad dressings as a substitute for vinegar.
The fruits could also be used with their interesting look for ornamental reasons. They offer a lot of advantages, as they are an excellent source of various nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, dietary fibres, phytonutrients and polyphenols, etc. Kiwano is great for us and offers a variety of advantages, but it is recommended to maintain it. That’s because too many things are wrong and for Kiwano the very same applies. Excessive consumption of Kiwano is harmful to us.
High Fibre is Bad for the Stomach
Dietary fibres are quite useful to our gut health, but they may be harder than good by consumption. Some typical adverse consequences of fibre overloads are poor nutrition absorption, indigestion, stomach discomfort, intestinal gas, obstruction of the intestines, etc. In moderation, it is helpful since diarrhoea risk is reduced but exhaustion and constipation can occur when ingesting excess dietary fibres without the intake of sufficient water.
Too Many Antioxidants – Bad for Health
Too many antioxidants might do more damage than help to our system. Antioxidants begin to attack healthy cells surrounding them in insufficient quantities Which leads to oxidative deterioration and raises the chances of several malignancies. The National Cancer Institute identified the more likely development of lung cancer in people who smoke who have taken beta-carotene supplements at significant dosages.
Allergic Reactions
Kiwanis is a family of cucumbers, and you are probably allergic to know if you are sensitive to the cucumber. Hair rash, itching, swells in the mouth, tongue, lips and face, etc. are frequent allergic responses induced by the coronoid melons. Some people have been discovered to be allergic to Kiwanis and therefore should avoid using them at all costs.
Cause Hypertension
Kiwano is useful for high blood pressure regulation but should be eaten moderately. Potassium in the Kiwano may cause an abnormally low amount of blood pressure to decrease. Moreover, it gets much more vital to look at your intake of horny melons if you are currently using medications.
Risk Of Hypoglycemia
Kiwanis are helpful for diabetes people however moderate intake is suggested. Unusually low consumption of Kiwano might reduce our blood sugar, causing hypoglycemia. Even if you’re a diabetic patient who is taking drugs already, too much Kiwano intake might interact with and make the condition worse.
Avoid Eating While Pregnant
Kiwano is an outstanding source of several nutrients including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fibre, etc. Throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding, the existence of these chemicals makes them highly positive. These chemicals help to ensure that the women who are pregnant and the foetus develop properly and so help to keep their pregnancy healthy.
Conclusion
Even though Kinawo is not quite a ‘fruit’ it flexes a bunch of boons that you just can’t resist listing it in your diet!
Turns out that this paradise exotic melon has made its position in my super-fruits list. How about you?
