The benefits and harms of watermelon, how to grow watermelon in a greenhouse and open field?

Watermelon is a plant that belongs to the gourd family. Its fruits are suitable for food – the largest berries known to mankind. The plant comes from South Africa, where it still grows in the wild, without any cultivation.

Watermelon has been known to people for a long time, the first mention of it is in the Bible. This suggests that the berry has been used as a food for more than 1500 BC. The plant came to European countries from China. Widely grown watermelon in Europe began in the seventh century. In Russia, it began to be cultivated later – in the eighth century, but in order to become a popular berry among Russians, watermelon had to “wait” until the 17th century. Until that time, it was grown and eaten only in certain areas.

Interestingly, before it was not eaten raw, as is customary to do it now. Previously, the pulp of the fruit was soaked in a soda solution, and then molasses was prepared from it, adding pepper and spices. It is possible that it was precisely such a strange way of preparing the berry, which does not need additional processing, that was the reason that it did not take root in Russia for so long.

The shape of the watermelon is oval, spherical. The bark varies in color and can be white, yellow, dark green with spots, stripes, netting, or no pattern at all. Under the bark is a juicy pulp of raspberry, red or pink hue, although depending on the plant variety it can be white and yellow. Seeds are located in the pulp of the fruit in large quantities, they have a flat shape, different colors.

Watermelon blooms in summer. The flowers are boat-shaped. The stems of the plant are long, can be four meters or more. The leaves of the plant are large, can reach a length of 22 cm, and a width of 18 cm.

Composition and calorie content

The beneficial properties of watermelon are primarily due to the chemical composition of the fruit. Sugars found in the pulp in large quantities (from 5,5 to 13%) are easily digestible by the body. If you take fresh watermelon, then sugars such as fructose and glucose will prevail in it. In the case when the fetus was stored for some time, sucrose begins to accumulate in it. At the same time, watermelon is not a very high-calorie fruit, no more than 100 kcal per 30 g.

Other important connections:

• Phytosterols — 2 mg (3,6% of RDI)

• Purine — 8 mg (6,7% of RDI)

Useful properties of watermelon

The health benefits of watermelon are as follows:

• Diuretic effect. It is especially important to consume the fruit for people with kidney disease. This allows you to remove sand from them, preventing the development of urolithiasis. Thanks to watermelon, you can get rid of edema.

• Due to the high content of fiber, lycopene and other antioxidants, watermelon can lower blood cholesterol levels, which is the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

• Watermelon helps lower blood pressure, which is important for people with arterial hypertension. The pulp of the fruit contains a substance such as citrulline, which is transformed into arginine in the body. This acid, in turn, takes an active part in regulating blood pressure levels. In addition, substances such as potassium and magnesium allow you to support the work of the heart and blood vessels. Therefore, regular consumption of watermelon is the prevention of heart attacks and strokes.

• Those people who often include watermelon in their diet are not at risk of heat stroke due to overheating of the body. Indeed, the pulp of the fruit contains a large amount of water, which allows the body to regulate body temperature.

• Watermelon can be consumed in small quantities by people with diabetes. The fruit does not contain cholesterol and fats, but it contains many useful vitamins and minerals. Therefore, if you eat it in small portions, the level of sugar in the body will not increase.

• Maintaining the health of the organs of vision. Regular consumption of watermelon in food is the prevention of age-related changes in the structures of the eye, prevents the development of macular degeneration, glaucoma, damage to the optic nerves. This is possible due to the content of lycopene, beta-carotene, ascorbic acid, lutein, zeaxanthin in the berry.

• Watermelon is especially useful for men, as it helps to increase sexual desire. After all, the fetus is a natural source of arginine, which affects the quality of erection.

• It is good to eat watermelon for people with bronchial asthma, as it contains substances that can alleviate attacks of the disease. These are antioxidants that bind to free radicals that contribute to airway spasm.

• Watermelon is a source of lycopene, which prevents the development of prostate cancer in men. This fact has been proven by numerous studies. In addition, it is useful to include this giant berry in the menu for people at risk of developing lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer.

• The delicate fiber of the fetus and its low acidity makes it possible to eat watermelon for people with diseases of the digestive tract, for example, patients with gastritis, gastroduodenitis.

• Watermelon helps prevent the development of age spots, as it contains beta-carotene, which improves the barrier functions of the skin.

• Watermelon helps the immune system fight infectious diseases by supporting its normal functioning due to the glutathione and antioxidants contained in the fruit.

• Watermelon can help you lose weight if consumed in moderation. For example, 100-200 grams of watermelon can be a great snack option for a dieter. However, people with extra pounds should not get too carried away with watermelons, since the pulp of the fruit has a high glycemic index and will contribute to the rapid onset of hunger.

So, the beneficial properties of watermelon: providing a choleretic and diuretic effect, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effect, laxative, restorative, antitumor effect, increased intestinal motility.

A person uses not only the pulp of watermelon, but also watermelon seeds, which contain fatty oil rich in linoleic and palmitic acids. This oil has the beneficial properties of almond oil and tastes like olive oil.

Harmful properties of watermelon

Do not offer watermelon for food to children under two years of age, if it is not grown on their own plot. The consequences of eating a low-quality fruit rich in nitrates can be very serious. The younger the child, the weaker his protection from the effects of harmful substances – toxins, microbes, nitrates, which can be found in large quantities in watermelons. Therefore, in order to protect yourself and your child from poisoning as much as possible, you should eat watermelon only at the end of August and in the fall.

Symptoms of poisoning are expressed primarily in gastrointestinal upset with diarrhea and vomiting. Signs of poisoning may appear after an hour or even 2 days after eating a low-quality fruit. However, not only nitrates that were introduced by a person when growing a fetus are dangerous, but also those that accumulate in it during storage, if the fetus is stored incorrectly for a long time. The first signs of poisoning are headaches, nausea, weakness and fatigue, diarrhea. Subsequently, high body temperature, aching joints, convulsions, general intoxication of the body may join.

Excess consumption of watermelon, especially if it occurs systemically, can cause flatulence, nausea, and diarrhea. So, the harmful properties of watermelon can be manifested by overeating it or by eating overripe or nitrate fruits.

Who can eat watermelon?

As has been emphasized more than once, watermelon is a healthy product. Of course, as with any other product, it is necessary to observe the measure.

Can diabetics eat watermelon? Watermelon can be included in the diet of people suffering from diabetes. The berry contains a small dose of carbohydrates – even less than an apple, orange and green peas. Sugar and glucose, the consumption of which should be especially taken into account by patients with diabetes, are also found in the composition of watermelon in a minimal amount. The incredible sweetness of watermelon is given by fructose, which in certain quantities (no more than 40 grams per day) is acceptable for diabetics, since its absorption occurs without the cost of insulin. One kilogram of watermelon contains exactly this dose of fructose – 40 grams.

Diabetics in the season of watermelons (provided that they include them in the diet) are advised to significantly limit the consumption of other carbohydrate foods.

People with type 200 diabetes are advised to limit watermelon consumption to 300-XNUMX grams per day.

Can pregnant women drink watermelon? Pregnancy is a special time in every woman’s life. Of course, given the normal course of pregnancy, the expectant mother wants sweet, salty, sour, etc. However, there is a wide list of products whose consumption is highly undesirable for pregnant women. Watermelon is not included in this list. In reasonable quantities, the berry has a positive effect on the body of women.

This unique delicacy serves to quickly and effectively quench your thirst and at the same time has an excellent diuretic effect. Only here it is strictly not recommended to get involved in eating watermelon: it is permissible to consume no more than 150-200 grams of pulp once or twice a day.

How to choose the right watermelon?

Every lover of this sweet berry should know how to choose the right watermelon. Doctors warn Russians that buying early gourds can be dangerous to health. Often they are overfed with nitrates and growth stimulants, which leads to poisoning.

It is early watermelons that contain a high concentration of nitric acid salts, which are fed by their sellers in an effort to get more benefits. Once in the body, nitrates will provoke irritation of the mucous membranes of the intestines and stomach, lead to the accumulation of heavy metals in the liver, and prevent useful substances from being absorbed normally. The nitrites contained in early watermelons, in turn, have a negative effect on hemoglobin, turning it into methemoglobin. This transformation is no longer able to transport oxygen, thereby provoking oxygen starvation of organs and tissues.

Therefore, it is important to adhere to the following recommendations of doctors:

• Do not buy watermelons along highways, as they quickly absorb heavy metals, which are abundant in exhaust gases.

• Do not buy early fruits. The watermelon season does not begin until August, so until this time you should be especially picky in choosing a fruit.

• Require the seller to provide documentation confirming that the watermelons sold by him are safe.

• To check watermelon for nitrates, you should use a nitrate meter, which can be purchased for personal use. The maximum allowable concentration of nitrates in watermelon should not exceed 60 mg per kilogram of weight.

However, watermelon is valued not only for its safety, but also for its taste.

The following tips will help you choose not only healthy, but also tasty, juicy and ripe fruit:

• It is worth choosing a large, but not too heavy fruit.

• Watermelon needs to be checked for ripeness. To do this, press on it with your hands from both sides, but not too hard. At the same time, a characteristic crunch should be heard.

• The surface of the fruit should be shiny, without a matte tint. The crust is difficult to pierce with a fingernail, it should be hard and dense.

• If you knock on the crust, you should hear a dull sound.

• There should be no damage on the fruit itself: cracks, cuts, scratches.

• The stem of the watermelon should be dry.

• A medium-sized yellow spot should be located on the side of the fetus. This is the so-called earthen spot, which is formed during the ripening of watermelon.

• If a variety of watermelon suggests the presence of a pattern, then it should be clearly expressed.

As for the fruit release point, there must be a canopy above it, and the watermelons themselves must be stored on a pallet with a height of at least 20 cm from the floor. Before you start butchering the fruit, you should thoroughly wash the watermelon with a brush and wipe it with a clean cloth.

You should not eat watermelon to the very crust, you should leave a distance of at least 2 cm. The fact is that the maximum concentration of nitrates accumulates precisely at the bark of the berry.

There is another tip that allows you to check the watermelon for harmful substances after it has already been butchered. It is necessary to pour a piece of pulp into a glass of water and lower a piece of pulp there. If after stirring the liquid becomes pink, then such a fruit should not be eaten. Also, do not eat those fruits, the flesh of which has a purple hue and an abundance of yellow veins.

If you still have doubts about the quality of watermelon, you can drink green tea and eat two tablets of ascorbic acid before drinking it. This will neutralize the nitrates that have entered the body.