Watermelon is one of the favorite treats that the end of summer gives us. It is juicy and sweet. You always want to eat a lot of it. It is this fact that makes you wonder how useful it is for the figure.
Watermelon has long earned its popularity due to its bright, truly summer look and juiciness. Everyone loves its taste, but few people know how many calories it contains. This berry is 91% water, so its calorie content is quite low: about 30 kcal per 100 g of product. 1 cup chopped watermelon, which is about 154 g, contains 46 calories. One slice of watermelon, which is 1/16 of the part, which is about 286 g, contains only 86 kcal. Thus, we can say that this representative of melons belongs to one of the most affordable food products for people adhering to a low-calorie diet.
Don't throw away the watermelon seeds. Dried or roasted, they are used in food in many countries around the world. They are beneficial thanks to the B vitamins and minerals that make up them. But: they are contraindicated in pregnancy.
The nutritional value
Watermelon is free of cholesterol and saturated fat. This classifies it as a healthy food. Watermelon is rich in vitamins, especially A and C. 150 g of pulp contains 18% and 21% of the daily value, respectively. It contains vitamins B1 and B6, which are responsible for the supply of energy in our body, as well as folic acid. It is also a source of minerals such as calcium and iron. But the amount of carbohydrates in it is quite high, and only a small part of them is dietary fiber, the rest is sugar, which is associated with diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Therefore, it is not recommended to consume watermelon in large portions, 150 g per day is enough. Daily consumption of 1 kg of watermelon pulp can cause kidney damage.
If you are allergic to latex, celery, cucumber, or carrots, be careful: watermelon can also cause allergies. Symptoms include hives, swelling, diarrhea, or anaphylactic shock.
Is it possible to lose weight with the watermelon diet
Of course, the diuretic effect of the watermelon diet can make it look like real weight loss. But this feeling is deceiving. Firstly, due to the high sugar content, this product cannot be recommended as the basis of a mono-diet. In addition, the watermelon diet has a lot of contraindications due to the increased load on the kidneys. It is also worth remembering the glycemic index. It is a measure of how food affects blood sugar and insulin levels. An index in the range of 50-70 is considered moderate, and numbers from 70 to 100 indicate a high glycemic index. For a watermelon, this figure will vary between 72-80, which means that eating watermelon leads to the production of the hormone insulin by the cells of the pancreas. This can lead to an increase in blood sugar levels several hours after consuming this product.
