Melon is not accidentally called the gift of the gods. Sweet, juicy, tender, she is able to quench her thirst, restore strength and make a person happy.
In addition, pumpkin is used in folk medicine as a healing product.
The chemical composition and calorie content of melon
Melon is almost entirely (or rather, 90 percent) consists of water. Melon is an amazing product, not a vegetable, not a fruit or a berry
There is almost no fat in it at all, there is very little protein (0.6 grams), but there are quite a lot of carbohydrates: 7.4 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams of melon pulp. But the calorie content of the melon is quite low: only 35-39 kilocalories.
Carbohydrates, which are full of melon, help the body quickly relieve fatigue.
In addition, as part of a surprisingly delicious fruit, scientists have discovered many vitamins, macro- and microelements, and other useful substances:
• ascorbic acid (vitamin C);
• retinol (vitamin A);
• B vitamins;
• inositol (vitamin B8);
• tocopherol (vitamin E);
• vitamin PP;
• trace elements: zinc, iron, manganese, iodine, silicon, cobalt;
• macrocells: magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, chlorine, potassium, sulfur;
• special protein compounds - amino acids;
• beneficial organic acids;
• cellulose.
Just one small slice of melon weighing provides our body with healing vitamin C almost half the daily allowance. Due to plant fiber, the gastrointestinal tract works normally. The rarest vitamin B8 (or inosine) prevents obesity in the liver.
The uniqueness of melon is that vitamins in the melon and other substances that make up its composition are very easily absorbed by our body. True, if you eat melon desserts according to certain rules. In this case, you should not be afraid of negative consequences.
Useful properties of melon
The benefits of gourds are well known to the southern peoples cultivating these plants.
Even Avicenna - the greatest healer of antiquity - wrote about melon, the benefits and harm to the health of this fetus in its medical treatises.
It is no coincidence that today not only folk, but also official medicine uses melon flesh to heal various ailments.
What is the use of melon for the body and in what diseases can it really help?
The list includes:
• diseases of the heart and vascular system;
• colds and viral diseases;
• nervous disorders and depressive states;
• various inflammation of the genitourinary system;
• bowel problems, including constipation, hemorrhoids;
• anemia;
• gout;
• disruption of the gallbladder and kidneys;
• infection with parasites (worms, pinworms, giardia, etc.).
The simplest way to normalize the digestive tract is to use 1-2 slices of fresh, fragrant melon on an empty stomach for several days. Due to fiber and a mild laxative effect, the intestine is effectively cleansed of accumulation of feces, waste, toxins. And this, in turn, strengthens the body's immune forces.
In addition, the activation of digestive processes indirectly prevents the deposition of cholesterol. Due to this property, melon is able to prevent the development of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases.
After a difficult day, it is enough to enjoy a dessert from a melon, so that energy appears, the mood normalizes. You can stop the onset of a cold with a shock dose of vitamin C. Melon is superior to all other melons in the ascorbic acid content, which means it can help in the event of a viral attack.
The vitamin complex in melon gives it anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, tonic and soothing properties. Melon culture is unique in its effect on the human body. Melon, whose beneficial properties and contraindications have been well studied by doctors, relieves irritability, normalizes sleep, stimulates metabolic processes, improves blood quality, and has a beneficial effect on the brain.
As a prophylaxis of the formation of stones and sand in the kidneys, melon should be consumed in courses in the season, arranging a healing week. At the same time, you can adjust the work of the gallbladder and kidneys, naturally reduce weight, get rid of worms and other parasites.
Men should pay attention to melon if they experience problems with conception or suffer from a persistent decline in performance. The fact is that a high zinc content improves sperm quality, while iron and other beneficial substances improve blood quality. Melon returns strength, increases stress resistance, and therefore, indirectly affects self-esteem.
The benefits of melon for women
Special attention should be paid to the benefits and harms of melons for women's health. If you want to feel young, attractive, full of strength and sexual energy at any age, you need to eat melon, despite the large number of sugars. The fact is that for the female body, the fact that silicon is contained in the melon is of great importance.
This substance has a miraculous effect.:
• strengthens hair and nails;
• improves skin condition;
• increases working capacity and mental activity;
• improves digestion and metabolic processes;
• normalizes mood on critical days.
In a difficult period for the female body, the period of bearing a child through the use of melon can alleviate unpleasant specific conditions. The intestines will work like clockwork, swelling will not appear, toxicosis will be easier to tolerate. And all thanks to the vitamin and amino acid composition, diuretic and laxative effect.
In addition, the most important substance for the body of a pregnant woman is folic acid. She is prescribed in the early stages and in the second trimester of pregnancy for the correct formation of the nervous system of the unborn baby and the normal formation of the placenta.
How is melon useful for a woman’s body?
Folic acid contained in melon flesh can beneficially affect the condition of not only the expectant mother, but also the woman during menopause:
• support hormonal levels;
• mitigate mood swings;
• strengthen immunity;
• will fight against memory loss.
However, it is important to understand that for all the benefits of a wonderful fruit, melon can be harmful and even dangerous, especially during pregnancy. The worst thing that can happen is poisoning with a poor-quality product. Therefore, you can only have that melon for which the seller was able to present a certificate. Fruits of dubious origin may contain nitrates, as gourds accumulate them quite easily.
In addition, when breastfeeding, it is important to remember the danger of an allergic reaction in a child. Therefore, before four months, it is better for a nursing mother not to eat melon flesh. This can interfere with the normal maturation of the baby's intestinal system.
Can Melon Be Diabetic?
Another issue requiring careful study is the acceptability of melon for diabetes. Critical indications are the number of sugars, carbohydrates, glycemic index, and the number of bread units.
If you analyze these values, you get the following picture. The calorie content of the melon is low (as discussed above), which is good news for diabetics. However, the glycemic index (GI) of this product is quite high: 65 percent. Melon consists almost entirely of carbohydrates, and this is a dangerous signal, since together these two factors lead to an increase in blood sugar.
If we consider the quality and quantity of sugars, the positive point is as follows: melon pulp contains mainly disaccharides, that is, fructose and sucrose. They are processed by the body almost completely (unlike glucose, which has the ability to accumulate in tissues). Fructose in melon contains 2.5 percent, sucrose 6 percent, glucose 1.2 percent.
We summarize. If you have type 1 diabetes, then the question of the admissibility of the inclusion of certain products in the diet is decided only by the attending physician, since the dose of insulin in this case is strictly individual.
The use of melon in type 2 diabetes should be extremely limited, since even a small piece of melon pulp causes a sharp jump in sugar. Of course, low calorie content is good, but high GI is bad. The permissible norm (average value) is no more than two hundred grams per day. All recommendations, as in the case of type 1 diabetes, should be given by the attending physician.
It is important not only the quantity, but also the correct use of the product. Melon is digested by the digestive system rather hard. In addition, it causes fermentation processes. Therefore, there is a melon on an empty stomach, and after a hearty feast is not worth it. It is ideal to consume small 50-gram pieces of melon 2-3 hours after eating.
Possible harm to melons
The beneficial properties and contraindications of melon are largely due to the high content of carbohydrates.
A lot of fruit is definitely impossible even for healthy people: overeating in any case will cause discomfort. Meanwhile, there are no strict prohibitions if the health is in excellent condition.
You can not eat melon in the following cases:
• revealed an acute disease of the genitourinary organs, gall bladder, accompanied by the active movement of sand and stones along the ducts;
• diagnosed with acute inflammation of the pancreas;
• peptic ulcer, gastritis worsened, infection in the digestive tract developed, the rectum is inflamed;
• the state of prediabetes has been identified (the doctor should control the diet).
Wonderful aromatic melon has healing properties, but you should not exceed the permissible norm. Caution should be used gourds for diabetes and acute diseases of the internal organs.
