Did you know that watermelon, a summertime favorite fruit, is high in the antioxidant called lycopene?

While tomatoes are  most well known to be high in lycopene, lycopene is also found in watermelon and guava.  Lycopene, a carotenoid, has potential anti-prostate cancer properties as well as being pro-fertility (sperm shape) – it has up to twice the antioxidant capacity of β-carotene.  The mean lycopene concentration of watermelon is about 40% higher than for raw tomato, and watermelon ranks 5th among the major contributors of lycopene in the U.S. diet.

Research in the past few decades show that increasing blood levels of lycopene might lower triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol levels, thus lowering cardiovascular disease risk.

Bottom line: Don’t hesitate to have watermelon this summer!