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Summer is the season for eating watermelon. People love to eat watermelon not only to savor its delicious taste, but also because it can cool and quench thirst, relieve summer heat, and make people feel relaxed. However, eating watermelon also has its unavoidable taboos.
Watermelon is a cold food, and eating too much of it can easily hurt the spleen and stomach. Therefore, those with weak spleen and stomach, poor digestion, and loose stools should eat less. Overeating may cause abdominal distension, diarrhea, decreased appetite, and may even lead to the accumulation of cold and dampness, resulting in illness. Eating a large amount of watermelon at once can dilute stomach acid, leading to indigestion and reduced gastrointestinal resistance.
Do not eat watermelon in the early stages of a cold, as it may exacerbate the cold or prolong the recovery time. Whether it is a cold due to wind-cold or wind-heat, the early stage is considered an exterior syndrome, and should be treated by dispersing the pathogen from the exterior. According to traditional Chinese medicine, if the exterior pathogen is not resolved, it should not be aggressively attacked internally, as this may cause the pathogen to penetrate deeper, worsening the condition. In the early stages of a cold, when the pathogen is on the surface, eating watermelon is equivalent to taking a drug that clears internal heat, which can exacerbate the cold or prolong the recovery time. However, when the cold worsens and symptoms of fever, thirst, sore throat, and dark urine appear, watermelon can be consumed alongside normal medication, which can aid in recovery.
In high temperatures, watermelon that has been open for too long is prone to spoilage and bacterial growth, which can lead to gastrointestinal infections. Therefore, when consuming watermelon, it is important to select ripe, fresh watermelon.
Consuming a large amount of watermelon in a short period of time increases the body's water content beyond its physiological capacity. However, for individuals with impaired kidney function, the kidneys' ability to regulate water is significantly reduced. Excessive water intake cannot be properly regulated or excreted from the body, leading to a rapid increase in blood volume and potentially resulting in death due to acute heart failure.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, the main cause of oral ulcers is internal heat due to yin deficiency, which burns the blood vessels and flesh. Watermelon has a diuretic effect, and if consumed in large quantities by those with oral ulcers, it can excrete some of the body's necessary fluids through its diuretic action, exacerbating the state of yin deficiency. Yin deficiency leads to internal heat, worsening oral ulcers.
Watermelon contains about 5% sugar, primarily glucose, sucrose, and some fructose, meaning that consuming watermelon can increase blood sugar levels. In normal individuals, the pancreas secretes insulin promptly to maintain blood sugar and urine sugar at normal levels. However, for diabetics, eating too much watermelon in a short period of time can not only elevate blood sugar, but in more severe cases, it can lead to metabolic disturbances and even acidosis, potentially endangering their lives. The daily carbohydrate (sugar) intake for diabetics must be strictly controlled. Therefore, if consuming watermelon multiple times in a day, the amount of rice and flour-based products (carbohydrates) should be reduced accordingly to avoid exacerbating the condition. Consuming 25-50 grams of watermelon at a time has little impact on diabetics, so they should pay attention to moderate consumption when eating watermelon.
Postpartum women generally have a weak constitution, and traditional Chinese medicine believes that consuming a lot of watermelon can excessively chill the body and damage the spleen and stomach. It is not advisable to eat watermelon before or after meals because the large amount of water in watermelon can dilute the digestive juices in the stomach, affecting the digestion and absorption of food. Eating a large amount of watermelon before meals can occupy the stomach's capacity, reducing the intake of various nutrients, especially affecting the health of children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers. For those who want to lose weight by dieting, eating a little watermelon before meals is a good way to reduce food intake.
Although eating ice-cold watermelon on hot days has a good cooling effect, it can cause significant stimulation to the stomach and may lead to damage to the spleen and stomach. Therefore, it is important to control the temperature and quantity of consumption. It is best to store watermelon in the coldest part of the refrigerator, where the temperature is approximately 8-10°C, which is the most suitable temperature. The amount eaten each time should not exceed 500 grams, and it should be eaten slowly. Those with cavities (caries) and sensitive teeth that feel sour and painful after exposure to cold, as well as those with poor gastrointestinal function, should avoid eating ice-cold watermelon.
The part of the watermelon with the highest sugar content in the middle can be eaten less, while the red and white portions of the watermelon rind can be eaten. It is also not advisable to eat watermelon after 9 p.m., as it can lead to the accumulation of abdominal fat. In summer, watermelon rind can even be used for cooking, such as making a salad with watermelon rind: take the watermelon rind with a slightly red flesh, remove the outermost hard skin, cut it into small pieces, and add sugar, salt, and various seasonings according to your taste. This dish is not only refreshing but also contributes to beauty and weight loss.
Watermelon should be washed and cut with a clean knife before eating. It is important not to cut open unwashed watermelon with an unwashed knife, and the parts of the watermelon that have been crawled or stung by mosquitoes and flies should not be eaten, to prevent diseases from entering through the mouth.
