Eating watermelon seeds is good for health, 1. Low calorie

One ounce of watermelon seed kernels contains approximately 158 caloriesTrusted Source. That’s not much lower than an ounce of Lay’s Potato Chips (160 calories), but let’s take a look at what constitutes an ounce.

A large handful of watermelon seeds weighs about 4 grams and contains about just 23 calories. Far less than a bag of potato chips, 2. Magnesium

One of several minerals found in watermelon seeds is magnesium. In a 4-gram serving, you’ll get 21 mg of magnesium, which is 5 percent of the daily value.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends adults get 420 mg of this mineral daily. Magnesium is essential for many of the body’s metabolic functions. It’s also required to maintain nerve and muscle function, as well as immune, heart, and bone health, 3. Iron

A handful of watermelon seeds contains about 0.29 mg of iron, or about 1.6 percent of the daily value. It might not seem like much, but the NIH only recommends adults get 18 mg in their day.

Iron is an important component of hemoglobin — carrying oxygen through the body. It also helps your body convert calories into energy.

However, watermelon seeds contain phytate, which decreases the absorption of iron and reduces their nutritional value, 4. “Good” fatsWatermelon seeds also provide a good source of both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids — one large handful (4 grams) provides 0.3 and 1.1 grams, respectively.

According to the American Heart Association, these fats are useful in protecting against heart attack and stroke, and lowering levels of “bad” cholesterol in the blood, 5. Zinc

Watermelon seeds are also good source of zinc. They provide about 26 percent of the daily value in one ounce, or 4 percent DV in one large handful (4 grams).

Zinc is an important nutrient, essential to the immune system. It’s also necessary for:

the body’s digestive and nervous systems

cell regrowth and division

your senses of taste and smell

However, just like with iron, phytates reduce the absorption of zinc.