For years, medical and nutrition experts have repeated one important bit of information over and over again: "You are what you eat!" And many people--choosing the wrong kind of diet--are eating their way to some dangerous conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, cancer and arthritis. On the other hand, a well-balanced diet can lead to a healthier body and longer life and fruits are a great way to promote health without sacrificing taste. Among those fruits are cantaloupes which have recently emerged within the food ranking system as an overlooked source of vital nutrients.

Cantaloupes help protect you from eye problems, cancer, and heart disease. The Center for Science in Public Interest compiled a list of fruits by their nutritional value, in which cantaloupes came in first place, followed closely by watermelon, then oranges.

So why do we get a bonus with every bite?
One cup cubed or a six-ounce slice without skin supplies more than the recommended daily intake of vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, in addition to being rich in folic acid and potassium.

In fact, a serving of cantaloupe contains nearly 5-milligrams of beta-carotene and 68-milligrams of vitamin C. Vitamin C takes on various roles to support the human body. It helps fight infections and hemorrhage, helps with the development of bones and teeth, maintains healthy gums, helps scarification and finally helps the absorption of an essential element needed to carry oxygen in the blood. This vitamin is absorbed by the intestine, is eliminated by your body through water and is not easily stored by the body. Vitamin C deficiency can cause joint pain, energy loss, and lower blood pressure.

So, between its beta-carotene and vitamin C content, cantaloupe has all areas covered against damage from oxygen free radicals.

Cantaloupes are also beneficial in reducing some major common diseases such as the following:

Eye Problems: a study published in the June 2004 issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology indicates that the consumption of fruits and/or vegetables containing antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E; and carotenoids; was protective against the development of ARMD (age related macular degeneration). Cantaloupes being high in such nutrients proved to be a favorable and beneficial fruit.

Heart Disease: for those with heart disease, cantaloupes are beneficial since they contain an anticoagulant called adenosine.

Cancer: with their very high beta-carotene content, cantaloupes rank high as an anti carcinogenic food. The American Cancer Society recommends melons (of all types) as powerful agents in the fight against intestinal cancer and the all-too-common skin cancer, melanoma.

Blood Pressure: since they are abundant in potassium, cantaloupes may be beneficial for those with high blood pressure.

Weight Loss: Due to their high water content they serve as a diuretic. One average-sized cantaloupe contains approximately 100 calories, yet is dense in nutrients; its weight is 95% water and 5% calories. This makes melons a perfect juice for weight loss.

Cantaloupes also contain myoinositol, a lipid that helps with anxiety, insomnia and in battling hardening of the arteries, in addition to containing the greatest amount of digestive enzymes. Moreover, they are the best fruit source for the mineral Sodium, an alkaline mineral and most beneficial for elimination of excess body acids that are dominant cause of such ailments as: arthritis, hardened arteries and gall and kidney stones.