Lower high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Reduce the risk of heart disease.

Reduce the risk of cancer Prevent cataracts.

Pretend for a moment you're on a game show.

The show is called: Meal of Fortune.

The question: "For $10,000 and a brand-new car, name the difference between a cantaloupe and a muskmelon."

You smile and hit the buzzer.

"Nothing," you say.

Then you jump up and down because you know what the other contestants don't.

A cantaloupe is a type of muskmelon.

And you also know that either, or, whichever you prefer, is filled with healing substances that can help control blood pressure, lower cholesterol, keep the blood running smoothly, and protect against cancer.

In fact, this is one of the few fruits or vegetables rich in both vitamin C and beta-carotene.

Both of these antioxidant compounds have been shown to protect against cancer, heart disease, and other age-related health conditions, such as cataracts.

When you think of cantaloupe, you probably imagine a shimmering wedge of pale orange fruit next to a bowl of cereal.

But if your blood pressure is rising, you may find yourself wanting this super fruit away from the breakfast table, too.

Potassium Protection

This super fruit is a great source of potassium, a mineral that can help lower blood pressure.

Half of one contains 825 milligrams of potassium, or 24 per­cent of the Daily Value (DV).

You'll get more potassium by eating half a cantaloupe than you do by eating an entire banana.

Your body uses potassium to help eliminate excess sodium, which in large amounts can cause blood pressure to rise.

So, the more potassium you eat, the more sodium you lose and the lower your blood pressure is likely to be.

This is particularly true in people who are sensitive to salt.

In a large international study of more than 10,000 people, re-searchers found that those with the highest levels of potassium had the lowest blood pressures.

Those with the least potassium, on the other hand, were more likely to have higher blood pressures.

In addition, studies show that potassium may help keep the body's low ­density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the dangerous kind, from undergoing chemical changes that cause it to stick to artery walls.

There's also some evidence that a high-potassium diet tends to lower LDL cholesterol and raise "good" HDL (high­ density lipoprotein) cholesterol and could thwart hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) and the formation of blood clots that can trigger heart attack and stroke.

In The Kitchen

Few foods are as sweetly aromatic as a perfectly ripe cantaloupe (which may explain its nickname, muskmelon).

On the other hand, one that hasn't reached its peak of freshness will leave you underwhelmed.

To pick the best, here's what you need to do.

Trust your nose.

While thumping melons is the traditional way of testing for ripeness, your sense of smell is a superior judge.

A ripe cantaloupe should have a strong, sweet fragrance.

If you can't smell it, don't dwell on it.

Answered by Romi , an ibibo Master, at 8:05 PM on October 09, 2008

The cantaloupe is a rough-skinned fruit, with a fairly soft, yet somewhat firm, flesh. This flesh is a pale orange color, and is one of the less-sweet melons, although still distinctly sugary. Some cantaloupe may appear to have a more yellow-colored fruit, but in general the flavor of this variety is less flavorful, and therefore less sought after.The cantaloupe is a rough-skinned fruit, with a fairly soft, yet somewhat firm, flesh. This flesh is a pale orange color, and is one of the less-sweet melons, although still distinctly sugary. Some cantaloupe may appear to have a more yellow-colored fruit, but in general the flavor of this variety is less flavorful, and therefore less sought after.

The North American cantaloupe, common in the United States and in some parts of Canada, is Cucumis melo reticulatus (or sometimes C. melo melo var. cantalupensis), a different member of the same muskmelon species. It is named reticulatus due to its net-like (or reticulated) skin covering. In Australia and New Zealand, it is called rockmelon due to the rock-like appearance of the skin of the fruit. It is called a spanspek or sweet melon in South Africa, where it is harvested during the summer months October through February. It is a round melon with firm, orange, moderately-sweet flesh and a thin reticulated light-brown rind. Varieties with redder and yellower flesh exist but are not common, and they are not considered as flavorsome as the more common variety.

Answered by jaivir , an ibibo Master, at 8:06 AM on October 08, 2008

Cantaloupes, like other vining crops such as cucumbers, pumpkins, squash and watermelons, require pollination for fruit set. This means pollen must be transferred from the male blooms to the female blooms. Although cantaloupes are different than other vining crops because they have flowers which contain male and female parts as well as those which contain only male parts, pollination by bees is still necessary. High temperatures or high fertility can cause the cantaloupe to produce only male blooms which results in poor fruit set. Nematodes can also cause small plants, profusion of blooms and no fruit. Root knot is a species of nematode which causes galls or swellings on plant roots. It restricts the uptake of nutrients from the root system to the foliage, resulting in a yellow and stunted plant. Root knot lives in the soil and can survive on a number of weed and vegetable crops. It is best controlled by planting a solid stand (close enough for root systems to overlap) of marigolds three months before the last killing frost of fall and/or planting cereal rye (Elbon) for a winter cover crop. Cereal rye should be shredded and tilled into the soil 30 days before planting a spring crop.

Answered by Jitendra , an ibibo Master, at 9:07 PM on October 07, 2008

There are actually two fruits commonly known as cantaloupe. Both are melons of the species Cucumis melo, but the two sub-species are actually different. One, the European variety Cucumis melo cantalupensis can be distinguished by its greenish skin — more the color of a honeydew melon than a North American cantaloupe. The North American variety, Cucumis melo melo, is also sometimes referred to as rock melon because of its rocky, reticulated rind, usually a pale tan color. For our purposes we will discuss the North American variety, as this is what is most frequently meant when one speaks of cantaloupe.

The cantaloupe is a rough-skinned fruit, with a fairly soft, yet somewhat firm, flesh. This flesh is a pale orange color, and is one of the less-sweet melons, although still distinctly sugary. Some cantaloupe may appear to have a more yellow-colored fruit, but in general the flavor of this variety is less flavorful, and therefore less sought after.

Picking out a ripe, tasty cantaloupe is rather easy. Rather than knocking on the fruit, or shaking it vigorously, the easiest way to determine ripeness is simply to smell the fruit. A ripe, sweet cantaloupe will have a deep, sweet smell emanating from its rind, most especially up near where the stem was broken.

Cantaloupe is one of the most popular breakfast sides in the United States, due to its availability, affordability, relative sweetness, and health benefits. Cantaloupe contains a number of chemicals known to help bolster the immune system, as well as some which help reduce the risk of heart attacks. Also, while melons such as watermelon, and even honeydew, may seem excessively sweet and “dessert-like” to many people, cantaloupe is sweet enough to be desirable, while still feeling like a healthy food.

The cantaloupe has a fairly long history, having made a famous trek to the New World with Columbus on his second voyage. A number of Popes are also associated with the cantaloupe — Pope Innocent XIII reportedly enjoyed drinking his Port from a carved out cantaloupe. Indeed, the name itself comes from the name of the town where the Papacy kept one of its summer residences — Cantalupo in Sabina.

Answered by Gyan Singh , an ibibo Master, at 8:40 PM on October 07, 2008

The cantaloupe is a rough-skinned fruit, with a fairly soft, yet somewhat firm, flesh. This flesh is a pale orange color, and is one of the less-sweet melons, although still distinctly sugary. Some cantaloupe may appear to have a more yellow-colored fruit, but in general the flavor of this variety is less flavorful, and therefore less sought after.

source www.wisegeek.co

Answered by Deepthi , an ibibo Master, at 11:49 AM on October 07, 2008

well;
The cantaloupe or rockmelon is named after the town of Cantalupo near Rome, where the usually orange-fleshed fruit are supposed to have been first grown in Europe. They are among the most fragrant of melons, typically small, with a rough light-brown skin marked into segments. The soft flesh is a good thirst quencher and both are often sold ready-to-eat by street vendors.

The cantaloupe belongs to the same family as the cucumber, squash and pumpkin and is rich in vitamins A and C and potassium.

Answered by Kishore , an ibibo Master, at 9:15 AM on October 07, 2008