Watermelon is one of the most common fruits in the summer, and eating it in hot weather is one of the most refreshing ways to quench your thirst. But do you know what the benefits and effects of watermelon are? Here, let's summarize the benefits and taboos of watermelon for you, don't miss it.
What are the nutritional values of watermelon?
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the rind is called "Xigua Cuiyi" and has effects of clearing heat and relieving summer heat, purging fire and eliminating vexation, and lowering blood pressure. It also has certain therapeutic effects for anemia, dry throat, chapped lips, and patients with cystitis, hepatic ascites, and nephritis. In addition, because watermelon rind is rich in vitamins C and E, rubbing it on the skin or mashing it into a paste and applying it to the skin, leaving it for 10-15 minutes and then washing it off with water, has the effect of nourishing, softening, beautifying the skin, and preventing and treating prickly heat.
Modern medical research shows that the sugar, salt, acid, and other substances in watermelon have the effect of treating nephritis and lowering blood pressure. This is because the appropriate amount of sugar can induce diuresis; the appropriate amount of potassium salt can eliminate kidney inflammation; the enzymes in it can convert insoluble protein into soluble protein to increase the nutrition of nephritis patients; and the glycosides in the melon can lower blood pressure.
So, what are the taboos you must know about eating watermelon?
Watermelon should not be eaten in excess. Because watermelon is a "raw and cold food", eating too much of it will damage the spleen and stomach, leading to poor appetite, indigestion, and decreased gastrointestinal resistance, causing bloating and diarrhea.
It's best not to eat it in the early stages of a cold. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, a cold is divided into two types: wind-cold and wind-heat. In the early stages of a cold, before you know which type you have, eating too much watermelon can likely worsen the cold and worsen the condition. If you have already confirmed it's a wind-heat cold and have symptoms of high fever, thirst, and other internal heat, you can eat a small amount of watermelon at this time to help clear heat and detoxify.
Eat less iced watermelon. Although eating iced watermelon is very effective for relieving summer heat, it is very irritating to the stomach and can easily cause damage to the spleen and stomach, so you should pay attention to controlling the temperature and amount. It is best to place the watermelon in the bottom layer of the refrigerator, where the temperature is about 8-10°C, which is also the best temperature for taste. Do not eat more than 500 grams at a time, and eat it slowly. For people with cavities, tooth sensitivity that feels sore and painful when exposed to cold, and those with poor gastrointestinal function, it is not advisable to eat iced watermelon.
Don't eat it immediately before or after a meal. Before a meal, many families prepare some fruits for everyone to eat; and when eating at a restaurant, you can always enjoy a large plate of watermelon after the meal. In fact, neither of these times is the best time to eat watermelon. Because the large amount of water in watermelon will dilute the gastric juice, eating it immediately before or after a meal will affect the digestion and absorption of food. Therefore, it is best to eat watermelon two hours after a meal to ensure that the nutrients consumed are fully absorbed. Eating fruit immediately after a meal, the slowly digested starch, protein, and fat will affect the quickly digested fruit, causing the fruit to stagnate in the stomach, easily leading to bloating and stomach pain. It is especially not advisable to eat too much after dinner, as it is easy to cause gastrointestinal bloating.
Patients with oral ulcers cannot eat it. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, oral ulcers are considered to be caused by yin deficiency and internal heat, and deficiency fire disturbing the upper body. Because watermelon has a diuretic effect. If a person with oral ulcers eats too much watermelon, the water needed for the ulcer to heal will be excessively excreted, thus worsening the yin deficiency and internal heat, prolonging the course of the disease and making it difficult to heal.
Watermelon is not a weight loss holy grail. Once summer arrives, watermelon becomes a weight-loss magic weapon for many beauty-conscious girls. In terms of its own effects, it can speed up metabolism, help expel excess water from the body, and play a role in detoxifying and beautifying the skin. Many girls are attracted to this point and eat watermelon for three meals a day. But in fact, watermelon itself has a high sugar content, and eating a lot of it will bring more calories. Some experts even pointed out that eating half a watermelon is equivalent to three bowls of rice. Therefore, many people who only eat watermelon not only fail to lose weight but actually gain more weight. Moreover, the practice of eating watermelon for three meals a day will not only have a negative impact on the stomach but also lead to unbalanced nutrient absorption due to the monotony of food intake, leading to malnutrition.
When eating watermelon in the summer, don't forget the above taboos.