Sweet and juicy watermelon is a must-eat fruit for people every day in the height of summer. However, watermelon is not for everyone, and even for those who can eat it, there are scientific ways to consume it. There are some patients or situations where it is best not to eat it.
1. Diabetics
Watermelon contains about 5% sugar, mainly glucose, sucrose, and some fructose, which means eating it will raise blood sugar levels. Healthy people can secrete insulin in a timely manner to maintain normal blood sugar and urine sugar levels. Diabetics are different. Eating too much watermelon in a short time not only raises blood sugar, but in more severe cases, it can lead to metabolic acidosis and even be life-threatening. The amount of carbohydrates (sugars) that diabetics eat each day needs to be strictly controlled. Therefore, if watermelon is eaten multiple times in a day, the amount of rice and noodle products (carbohydrates) should be reduced accordingly to avoid aggravating the condition.
2. Patients with Kidney Insufficiency
Patients with kidney insufficiency have a greatly reduced ability to expel water from the body, so they often experience edema in the lower limbs or the whole body. If these patients eat too much watermelon, they will intake too much water that cannot be expelled in time, causing excessive water retention in the body and increased blood volume. This not only worsens the edema but can also easily trigger acute heart failure. Therefore, it is better for patients with kidney insufficiency to eat less or no watermelon.
3. Early Stage of a Cold
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that whether it is a cold due to wind-cold or wind-heat, the early stage belongs to the "exterior syndrome" and should be treated with a dispersing method that expels the pathogenic factors from the exterior. It is also believed that attacking the condition before the exterior syndrome is resolved will worsen the illness. Watermelon has the effect of clearing internal heat, so eating it at this time can worsen the cold or prolong its duration.
4. Patients with Oral Ulcers
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, oral ulcers are considered to be caused by internal heat due to yin deficiency and upward disturbance of deficient fire. Since watermelon has a diuretic effect, patients with oral ulcers who eat too much watermelon will expel too much of the moisture needed for the ulcers to heal, thus worsening the yin deficiency and internal heat and prolonging the healing process.
5. Postpartum Women
The physical constitution of postpartum women is relatively weak. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that eating too much watermelon can be too cold and damage the spleen and stomach.
6. Not Suitable to Eat Before or After Meals
Because the large amount of water in watermelon will dilute the digestive juices in the stomach, eating it before or after meals will affect the digestion and absorption of food. Moreover, eating a large amount of watermelon before a meal will take up stomach space, significantly reducing the intake of various nutrients during the meal, which has a greater impact on the health of children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers. For those who want to lose weight by dieting, eating some watermelon before a meal is a good way to reduce food intake.
7. Watermelon Should Not Be Eaten in Excess
Because watermelon is a "raw and cold food," eating too much of it can damage the spleen and stomach, leading to poor appetite, indigestion, and decreased gastrointestinal resistance, causing bloating and diarrhea.
8. Eat Less Frozen Watermelon
Although eating frozen 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. Therefore, attention should be paid to the temperature and amount consumed. It is best to place the watermelon in the bottom compartment of the refrigerator, where the temperature is about 8-10°C, which is also the best temperature for taste. The amount eaten at a time should not exceed 500 grams, and it should be eaten slowly. For those with cavities or tooth sensitivity that feels sour or painful when exposed to cold, as well as those with poor gastrointestinal function, it is not advisable to eat frozen watermelon.