Recipes · Health Shot
Watermelon Lime Hydration Shot
Reader ratingsPale-pink, cold and very refreshing: strained watermelon juice made with a little of the rind, a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt — a lightly sweet shot the whole family will drink.
Watermelon juice is the base of Mexican aguas frescas and many Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian summer drinks, and the rind is eaten in pickles, stir-fries and preserves in many cuisines.
Safety
- Fresh, unpasteurized juice carries a small risk of food poisoning if bacteria on the skin reach the flesh. Scrub the melon, use clean tools, and drink the juice within 2 days. If you are pregnant, immunocompromised, elderly or giving it to a young child, drink it the day it is made.
- Melon can cause an itchy mouth or throat in people allergic to ragweed or grass pollen (oral allergy syndrome). Stop if you notice itching, hives or swelling.
- A shot has about a teaspoon of natural sugar, so count it if you manage diabetes, and rinse your mouth after sweet, acidic drinks. If you are on a potassium limit for kidney disease, ask your care team.
- Citrulline can lower blood pressure in large amounts, so if you take nitrates, erectile-dysfunction medicines or blood-pressure medicines, ask your prescriber before you rely on citrulline supplements. One shot holds only a small amount, and is not a substitute for a meal.
Why it’s good for you
Watermelon is about 92% water and brings potassium, lycopene and L-citrulline, which is reported to be more concentrated in the pale rind; lime and a pinch of salt make it a refreshing, lightly sweet fluid.
Evidence
Limited evidence
Mostly small, early, or laboratory studies.
Watermelon is unusually rich in L-citrulline, an amino acid the body turns into arginine and nitric oxide. In a small crossover study of seven athletes, 500 mL of watermelon juice (about 1.2 g of citrulline) lowered recovery heart rate and muscle soreness 24 hours after a hard cycling test, and a meta-analysis of 13 trials (206 people) found citrulline supplements, mostly 8 g of citrulline malate taken shortly before exercise, modestly reduced perceived exertion and soreness at 24 hours but not blood lactate. In a 13-person crossover trial, six weeks of a citrulline-rich watermelon supplement lowered blood pressure in obese hypertensive adults. A 2 oz shot supplies only about one-eighth of the juice-trial citrulline and far less than the supplement trials, so it is best seen as a pleasant, lightly sweet fluid rather than a performance aid.
General information from research and traditional use — not medical advice, and not a treatment for any condition. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition, check with your clinician first, and seek care for symptoms that are severe or do not improve.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Scrub the whole melon under cold running water before you cut it, so that nothing on the skin is carried into the flesh by the knife.
- Cut off a thick slice, scoop or cube 2 cups of pink flesh, and slice away the dark green skin from the rind. Chop 1/2 cup of the pale rind, removing any green and any pink from it.
- Blend the flesh, rind, lime juice and salt on high for 30–45 seconds, until no flecks of rind remain.
- Pour through a fine sieve set over a bowl and press the pulp lightly. You should have about 1 1/2 cups (12 oz) of juice.
- Taste and add a little more lime if it is too sweet. Pour into a sealed glass bottle and chill.
- Shake and drink one 2 oz shot at a time, very cold, any time you want a refreshing sip.
Tips
- Keeps 2 days in a sealed glass bottle in the fridge, because fresh watermelon juice turns fizzy and sour quickly. For longer, freeze it in ice-cube trays or popsicle molds.
- We leave the juice unheated because in a cell-culture study, unpasteurized watermelon juice delivered citrulline into cells better than heated juice. That is a lab result, not a human trial, so drink it fresh if food safety is a worry.
- The rind tastes mild and a little like cucumber, and is reported to hold more citrulline per gram than the flesh. If you would rather skip it, use 2 1/2 cups of flesh instead.
- Add a few ice cubes and a splash of sparkling water for a spritzer, or pair a shot with a handful of nuts, since a little fat helps you absorb watermelon’s lycopene.
Reader ratings & reviews
– out of 5
Loading ratings…
Rating breakdown
- 5 stars 0
- 4 stars 0
- 3 stars 0
- 2 stars 0
- 1 star 0
Made this? Please rate it.
Check your email
We sent a sign-in link to . Click it and you’ll come straight back here, signed in. It expires in 15 minutes; check your spam folder if it doesn’t show up. Thank you for helping the community!
Your review
Reviews are personal experiences. Every review is read by our team before it appears.
More health shots
Fresh Ginger Lemon Shot
A bright, warming shot of fresh ginger and lemon softened with a little honey — the classic for an unsettled stomach.
Moderate evidence
Golden Turmeric & Black Pepper Shot
Fresh turmeric with a generous crack of black pepper and sweet orange juice — a sunny, earthy shot built around how curcumin is absorbed.
Limited evidence
Apple Cider Vinegar, Honey & Cayenne Shot
A tangy, gently spicy shot of diluted apple cider vinegar, honey and a pinch of cayenne — the old-fashioned pre-meal tonic.
Limited evidence
Lemon, Ginger & Cayenne Fire Shot
A hot, sour, sharp shot that wakes you up — plenty of ginger, a good squeeze of lemon and a pinch of cayenne for the burn.
Traditional use
Have a recipe of your own? Share it with us. We read every one before it goes on the site.