Juicy and sweet watermelon is a must-eat fruit for people every day in midsummer. However, watermelon is not suitable for everyone, and even for those who can eat it, there are scientific ways to consume it. Some patients, or in certain situations, should avoid eating it.
I. Diabetics
Watermelon contains about 5% sugar, mainly glucose, sucrose, and some fructose, which means eating it will raise blood sugar. Healthy people can secrete insulin in a timely manner to maintain normal blood sugar and urine sugar levels. Diabetics, however, are different. Eating too much watermelon in a short time not only raises blood sugar, but those with more severe conditions may even develop metabolic acidosis, which can 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 worsening the condition.
II. 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 throughout the body. If these patients eat too much watermelon, they will consume excessive water that cannot be expelled in time, leading to an over-storage of water in the body and an increase in 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 little or no watermelon.
III. 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 a treatment method of "dispersing" should be used to expel the pathogen from the exterior. It is also believed that attacking the condition before the exterior syndrome is resolved will worsen the illness. As watermelon has the effect of clearing "internal heat," eating it at this time can worsen the cold or prolong its course.
IV. Patients with Oral Ulcers
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, oral ulcers are considered to be caused by "yin deficiency with internal heat" and "upward disturbance of deficient fire." Because watermelon has a diuretic effect, if patients with oral ulcers eat too much of it, the water needed for the ulcers to heal will be excessively excreted, thereby worsening the yin deficiency and internal heat and prolonging the condition, making it difficult to heal.
V. Postpartum Women
Postpartum women have relatively weak constitutions. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that eating too much watermelon can be excessively cold and damage the spleen and stomach.
VI. Not Suitable to Eat Before or After Meals
The large amount of water in watermelon can dilute digestive juices in the stomach, affecting the digestion and absorption of food whether eaten before or after a meal. Moreover, eating a large amount of watermelon before a meal takes up stomach volume, which significantly reduces the intake of various nutrients during the meal, especially affecting the health of children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers. However, for those trying to lose weight by dieting, eating a little watermelon before a meal is a good way to reduce food intake.
VII. Watermelon Should Not Be Eaten in Excess
Because watermelon is a "raw and cold food," eating too much of it can harm the spleen and stomach, leading to poor appetite, indigestion, and decreased gastrointestinal resistance, causing bloating and diarrhea.
VIII. 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 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. Each serving should not exceed 500 grams, and it should be eaten slowly. For those with cavities, sensitive teeth that feel pain or sourness when exposed to cold, and those with poor gastrointestinal function, it is not advisable to eat frozen watermelon.