Contents
The melon is a fragrant, deliciously delicious fruit that has been cultivated by humans as an agricultural crop for thousands of years. This gift of nature is valued not only for its gastronomic qualities, but also for its beneficial and dietary properties. What are the benefits and harms of melon for human health and what is it: a berry, a fruit or still a vegetable, as well as how to eat this fruit for people with health problems – is described in detail in the article.
Melon is a berry, vegetable or fruit
In search of an answer to this question, botanists are still fiercely arguing and cannot come to a consensus.
Melon has a pronounced sweet taste, which is why it is often added to fruit salads and vitamin juices. However, it is known that it grows on melons, like a pumpkin or cucumber, while fruits ripen on the branches of trees or shrubs. Therefore, it is not entirely correct to attribute this fruit to fruits.
The assumption that a melon is a berry also has the right to life. Under the thin and soft skin contains juicy and sweet pulp, as well as a mass of seeds, which is typical for berries. In favor of this version, one can add that the melon ripens on the ground, which is characteristic of many berry crops. However, in botany, melon fruits are not considered berries in the full sense of the word. More often they are called pumpkins or false berries.
In favor of the version that the melon is a vegetable, there are also a lot of facts. After all, the fruits growing on the stems of herbaceous plants are vegetables. And the melon, in addition to being a member of the Pumpkin family and related to cucumber and zucchini, grows on a long grassy stem.
Precisely due to the fact that this fruit simultaneously has the characteristics of a fruit, a vegetable, and a berry, the final answer has not yet been found. And for an ordinary person who enjoys the taste of the fruit without delving into the wilds of botany, it is not as important to know this as what is the benefit of this gift of nature and how best to use it for health.
Composition and nutritional value
The composition of the melon includes a lot of necessary trace elements and minerals for the normal functioning of all body systems – copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium, calcium, zinc, iron, iodine, phosphorus, sulfur and sodium. The beneficial properties of melon are indispensable for the prevention of colds, urolithiasis, and the use of this fruit well stimulates the immune system.
In addition, melon contains folic acid, which has a positive effect on the functioning of hematopoietic organs, and also reduces the level of “bad” cholesterol in the blood. Another positive quality is that melon improves mood, as it helps to release the hormone of happiness. Anti-stress properties help to cope with insomnia, anxiety and causeless anxiety.
How many calories in melon
The calorie content of melon directly depends on the variety and growing conditions of the crop. Melons with a high sugar content are more nutritious. On average, 100 grams contains 33 – 35 kcal. There are dietary varieties, for example, Kassaba – 28 kcal. And there are also dessert varieties, such as Honey Dew or Cantaloupe: from 38 to 51 kcal per 100 grams of product.
The content of vitamins in melon
This fruit is famous for its rich set of healthy vitamins, such as A, C, E, H, PP, and group B. In addition, it contains beta-carotene, which has a beneficial effect on skin and hair. Moreover, there is even more of this substance in the melon than in carrots, which is considered the leader in the content of carotene.
Contents of BJU
The ratio of BJU (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) per 100 g:
- proteins – 0.6 g;
- fats – 0.3 g;
- carbohydrates – 7.4g.
In the energy ratio, it looks like 7%, 8%, 85% of the daily requirement, or 2 kcal, 3 kcal and 30 kcal, respectively. In total, this is 35 kcal, and, moreover, 30 kcal account for carbohydrates in a melon, and only 5 for fats and proteins.
What is useful melon for the human body
Melon has a lot of useful properties:
- strengthens blood vessels, increasing their elasticity;
- fights with nervous disorders;
- increases immunity;
- stimulates brain activity;
- normalizes the work of the liver and kidneys;
- has a diuretic and diaphoretic property;
- has an antitoxic effect;
- lowers high blood pressure.
This gift of nature is useful for absolutely everyone: for men and women (pregnant women in particular), and for children (even the smallest ones).
The benefits of melon for the human body lies not only in the rich mineral and vitamin composition, but also in fiber. Pectin fibers improve the functioning of the entire gastrointestinal tract, remove toxins and harmful substances from the body, and also quickly saturate.
What is useful melon for a woman’s body
Melon is useful for women because it has anti-aging properties and maintains healthy nails, skin and hair. She will relieve insomnia and depression, which favorably affects the appearance of any representative of the weaker sex.
Melon is useful for pregnant women and ladies in menopause, due to the high content of vitamin B9 (folic acid). And its antidepressant properties will help to cope with the bad mood and mild nervous breakdown that accompany every woman at these stages of life.
The benefits of melon during pregnancy
Melon during pregnancy is very useful, since folic acid deficiency is observed in every second woman. With its deficiency, the body of both the expectant mother and the unformed fetus suffers. With a lack of folic acid in the body of a pregnant woman, there is a considerable risk that the child will suffer from various nervous disorders in the future and may even lag behind in mental development.
What is useful melon for men
The beneficial properties of melon also apply to men. It is famous for its high content of a trace element such as zinc, which improves the quality and quantity of sperm. In addition, this fragrant fruit is a natural aphrodisiac that cleanses the blood and increases potency.
At what age can melon children
A baby who is not 12 months old should not be given this fruit, despite all its benefits. Firstly, the child’s intestines are not yet able to cope with such a load, and secondly, melon does not go well with milk, which is the basis of the diet of a small person.
How to eat melon
The pulp of the fruit contains a lot of fiber, so it should be eaten between main meals. It is ideal to take either 2 hours before a meal or two hours later. Otherwise, you may experience a feeling of overeating and heaviness in the stomach.
This sweet fruit cannot be used as a snack when drinking alcoholic beverages – it is fraught with loosening of the stool. For the same reason, you should not include melon in milkshakes or drink it with water.
When asked whether it is possible to eat melon on an empty stomach, nutritionists give advice to avoid such situations. Still, melon is considered a heavy product, because there is a risk of overeating, which will cause disruption of the digestive tract, the appearance of flatulence and intestinal upset.
With gastritis
The possibility of eating melon with gastritis depends on the degree of the disease. If gastritis occurs in an acute form, this fetus will have to be discarded. The stomach with inflamed walls begins to intensively produce acid to digest this product, which aggravates the disease, and, in addition, calls for fermentation in the intestines.
If gastritis is in a calm form of leakage, this fruit can be consumed, but in small portions, and only fresh.
With pancreatitis
As in the previous case, the introduction of melon into the diet for pancreatitis depends on the phase of the disease. If in the acute phase, you can’t eat melon, since it stimulates the release of hydrochloric acid, which, in turn, leads to the activation of pancreatic secretion.
After the inflammation of the pancreatic tissue subsides and the disease enters the stage of stable remission, you can gradually try to introduce it into the diet.
With diabetes mellitus
Melon has a glycemic index of 65, which increases blood sugar levels dramatically.
Therefore, in type II diabetes, melon can be included in the diet, however, in small quantities (100 – 200 g), subject to the complete exclusion of other carbohydrates. With insulin-dependent type of diabetes, the product can be eaten in reasonable quantities, while strictly controlling blood sugar levels by increasing the dose of insulin.
With a stomach ulcer
The presence of melon with a stomach ulcer is undesirable in the diet, since fiber is hard to digest and has a negative effect on the mucosa of the organ. Causing strong jumps in acidity, this product, getting into the stomach, exacerbates the course of the disease, and can also cause strong fermentation.
Is it possible to have a melon after gallbladder removal
After removal of the gallbladder, melon can be introduced into the diet immediately after surgery. Firstly, this unusually useful fruit, due to its choleretic action, will flush the bile ducts. Secondly, the presence of vitamin B15 in its composition serves to prevent the formation of stones (stones) in the ducts.
Melon weakens or strengthens
Melon has a mild laxative effect. The plant fibers contained in the pulp make the intestines work more actively, improving its peristalsis, therefore this fruit is also useful for people suffering from systematic constipation.
Is it possible to eat melon while losing weight
Due to the low calorie content, the product can be eaten even by people struggling with excess weight, despite its sweetness. Melon for weight loss is useful due to its properties:
- due to the high content of fiber to have a laxative effect;
- due to diuretic properties, remove water from the body;
- with the help of adenosine (a biologically active substance present in the fetus), contribute to the normalization of metabolism;
- give a long feeling of satiety, which is facilitated by plant fibers.
However, do not forget that the melon has a rather high glycemic index, which helps to increase appetite, so losing weight people are not recommended to eat more than 300 g per day.
Is it possible to eat melon at night
The myth that melons make you fat because it is sweet has absolutely no basis. You can get better only if you eat it in immoderate amounts or combine it with the main meal. If you use the fruit correctly, it is simply impossible to get fat.
It has been proven that a slice of melon is useful to eat at night. Antioxidants improve the quality of sleep, and fiber, in addition to eliminating the temptation to have a snack before bedtime, absorbs harmful substances in the morning and gently removes them from the body.
The only caveat is not to forget about the diuretic effect of melon. Therefore, you should not eat more than one slice at night.
Melon diet for weight loss
Nutritionists recommend eating melon during a diet in this way: completely replace one of the meals with this product, while eating no more than 300 g. After 7 days, 3-4 kg of excess weight will go away.
In addition, the product is well suited for mono-diets and fasting days. However, no more than two days of such a diet are allowed, since the body will begin to experience a deficiency of fats and proteins. With a mono-diet, 1500 g of melon should be eaten per day, divided into 6 doses and drinking between them up to 1,5 – 2,0 liters of water or green tea.
If you spend such fasting days at least once a week for a month, up to 6 kg of weight will irretrievably go away.
Benefits of melon juice
Melon juice is deservedly considered one of the most useful. It perfectly quenches thirst due to the high content of pure water. In addition, it contains adenosine, which is actively involved in many metabolic processes in the body and improves protein digestibility.
Benefits of melon juice:
- in cleansing the body of slagging;
- help with inflammation in the renal pelvis;
- removal of excess water from the body;
- strengthening the heart muscle and preventive action against heart attacks;
- elimination of anemia – due to the high content of iron;
- cancer prevention;
- restoration of violations in the work of the liver and kidneys.
In addition, the juice of this unusually useful gift of nature is widely used in cosmetology. People who have problem skin with acne are recommended to wipe the problem areas with warm juice before going to bed. In a week, there will be no trace of acne.
Due to the high content of potassium and silicon, the juice is used as a remedy for hair loss, brittleness and dryness. After each hair wash, the juice is rubbed into the scalp and left for 15 minutes, after which it is washed off with clean water. After several procedures, the condition of the hair will improve significantly.
Limitations and contraindications
In addition to useful properties, melon can in some cases cause harm. With extreme caution, it should be eaten:
- people with various problems with the gastrointestinal tract;
- suffering from diabetes;
- lactating mothers;
- children under the age of one year.
In other cases, this fragrant and sweet fruit brings only health benefits.
It is worth remembering that the abuse of even very healthy products can cause irreparable harm to health.
Conclusion
From the foregoing, we can conclude that the health benefits and harms of melon depend on its proper use. It is important to understand that vitamins do not have the ability to accumulate, and therefore there is no need to overeat melon in the summer, trying to stock up on useful substances for the winter. Two hundred to three hundred grams a day will go to the benefit of health, a larger amount can cause long-term intestinal upset.
