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Watermelon is a symbol of the south and the most anticipated summer berry. The season of watermelons is short, but bright – every August, our compatriots strive to eat the pulp of these fruits for the year ahead. However, overeating has not yet brought anyone to good – and in the case of watermelons, you should know when to stop. We tell you how harmful an excessive passion for these berries is, and what benefits can be obtained from their moderate consumption.
The history of the appearance of watermelon in nutrition
It is widely believed that watermelon is the largest berry. However, botanists have not yet agreed on which type of plant it should be attributed to. Watermelon is called both a false berry and a pumpkin, since it belongs to the gourd family.
South Africa is considered the birthplace of watermelons. All species of this berry come from a single ancestor that grows in the Kalahari Desert. The predecessors of watermelons bear little resemblance to modern familiar red fruits. Watermelon originally contained very little lycopene, the pigment that colors the flesh. Wild fruits were pale pink, and only by the XNUMXth century did breeders bring out red watermelons.
Watermelons were cultivated in ancient Egypt: seeds are found in the tombs of the pharaohs, images of watermelons are found on the walls of tombs.
The Romans also willingly ate watermelons, salted them, cooked syrups. In the X century, this large berry also came to China, where it was dubbed the “melon of the West.” And in Our Country, watermelons were recognized only by the XIII-XIV century.
Watermelons are cultivated all over the world, especially China, India, Iran, Turkey succeed in this. A lot of watermelons are grown in the warm regions of Ukraine and Our Country. In some cities and countries, watermelon festivals are held. There are also monuments to this berry: in Our Country, Ukraine and even in Australia and the USA.
Fruits are valued not only for their tasty pulp. They serve as an excellent basis for carving – artistic carving on products. And the sound engineers of many films use watermelons to produce the sounds of impacts, cracking rocks, and more.
The benefits of watermelon
Watermelon is almost 90% water, which is why it quenches thirst so well. There are practically no proteins and fats in the pulp, but a lot of carbohydrates, which are quickly broken down and provide energy. This fruit is especially useful for physically active people. During a workout, a little watermelon juice or a whole slice replenishes the water supply and saturates with sugars.
Watermelon is rich in the red pigment lycopene. Lycopene is not converted into vitamin A in the body like other carotenoids. The pigment exhibits strong antioxidant properties. Numerous studies show that a large amount of lycopene in food reduces the risk of heart and vascular diseases. Some researchers even claim that the risk of prostate and colon cancer is reduced, but the sample among the subjects is too small to draw clear conclusions.
Vitamins in the pulp of watermelon are contained in low concentrations. Vitamins C and A predominate. But watermelon is rich in minerals. It contains a lot of magnesium needed by the muscles. Magnesium also helps to absorb calcium, without which the bones become brittle.
Seeds are more saturated with nutrients than the pulp. They contain a lot of folic acid and vitamin PP, as well as phosphorus and magnesium. Seeds are best eaten dried or roasted.
| Caloric value on 100 g | 30 kcal |
| Proteins | 0,6 g |
| Fats | 0,2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 7,6 g |
Watermelon harm
There is a misconception that since watermelon is almost entirely water and so low in calories, it can be eaten in unlimited quantities. But this is not true. Watermelon pulp contains a lot of simple carbohydrates, which increases the glycemic index. To remove sugar, the body is forced to spend a lot of water, so when overeating watermelon, the load on the kidneys is excessive. In addition, with such an amount of water, the necessary minerals are washed out, and not only “slags and toxins”.
– Watermelon is a good diuretic. But that is why it is not recommended to eat it for people with urolithiasis: you can provoke the passage of stones. And for pregnant women in the later stages, watermelon is also not desirable – they already run to the toilet, as a rule, quite often, there will be an extra load on the body. It is not recommended to treat small children under 3 years old with watermelon. Not because of allergenicity, but because of fertilizers, nitrates, which are used in the industrial cultivation of watermelons. And for the same reason, adults are not recommended to eat watermelon to the crust – it is in these layers that harmful substances are deposited most of all, – says nutritionist Yulia Pigareva.
The use of watermelon in medicine
In official medicine, bones are also used from watermelon. The oil extract is used for kidney diseases. Due to the diuretic effect and increased excretion of uric acid, the kidneys are cleared of sand. Such a tool can only be used as prescribed by a doctor.
A decoction and compresses from watermelon peels and pulp are used to accelerate the healing of wounds on the skin. The seeds are brewed like tea leaves.
The use of watermelon in cooking
In most countries, watermelon is eaten simply fresh, unchanged. But, besides this, watermelon is cooked in the most unexpected ways: fried, pickled, salted, boiled jam from peels and syrup from juice. Many peoples like to eat watermelon with salty foods in a bite.
Watermelon and cheese salad
Refreshing summer salad with an unexpected combination of flavors. All ingredients should be cold, salad should be served immediately. In this form, the pigment lycopene from watermelon is much better absorbed along with fats, since it is fat soluble.
| watermelon pulp | 150 g |
| Salted cheese (brynza, feta) | 150 g |
| Olive oil | 1 Art. a spoon |
| lime (or lemon) | half |
| Fresh mint | sprig |
| Ground black pepper | to taste |
Remove the seeds from the pulp of the watermelon, cut into large cubes. Cheese cut into large cubes. In a bowl, mix watermelon, cheese, pour over oil, squeeze lime juice. Season with pepper and chopped mint.
Watermelon cocktail
The drink is great for summer refreshment.. If there are few seeds in the fruit, you can cut the watermelon in half, remove the visible seeds and make a drink right in the watermelon half. To do this, you need to immerse the blender and kill the pulp, add the rest of the ingredients and pour into glasses with a ladle.
| Watermelon | 500 g |
| Lime | half |
| Orange | half |
| Mint, ice, syrups | to taste |
Squeeze juice from orange and lime. Grind the pulp of watermelon with a blender, after removing the seeds. Mix juices and watermelon puree, and pour into glasses. In each add ice and additives to taste – fruit syrups, sparkling water, mint leaves. Experiment with additives as you wish.
How to choose and store watermelon
The watermelon season starts in August. Before this time, fruit ripening is accelerated by fertilizers, so such a purchase can be dangerous.
On melons where watermelons are grown, nitrogen fertilizers are used almost everywhere. The plant processes them and removes them, and the excess remains in the form of nitrates. A small dose of them is not at all dangerous, but in unripe fruits, nitrates may not have time to be excreted. Therefore, there is no unripe watermelon.
Often, poisoning when eating watermelons is not associated with nitrates at all. Many people do not wash the fruit too thoroughly, and when cut, the bacteria get inside the pulp and cause poisoning. Watermelons grow directly on the ground, so they need to be thoroughly rinsed.
The rind of the watermelon should be shiny and deep green. There is usually a spot on one of the sides – in this place the watermelon was in contact with the ground. It is good if the spot is yellow or brownish, not white.
The tail of a ripe watermelon is dry, and there may be dry thread-like strips on the surface of the peel. When struck, the sound is voiced, not deaf.
Uncut watermelon can be stored at room temperature for a couple of weeks. In a cool dark place, suspended from the ceiling, the fruit is stored for several months. Although it loses some of the useful properties.
After opening the fruit, the pulp should be covered with a bag or film from weathering. In this form, the watermelon will lie in the refrigerator for up to four days.