This annual plant with creeping and pubescent leaves produces large fruits with rough skin and incredibly juicy pulp, excellent thirst quencher. Watermelons appeared on earth more than 4 thousand years ago and during this time they have become loved by many people. It is not surprising, because in addition to their bright appearance and pleasant taste, they are also very useful.
What is watermelon?
Despite the rather large size of watermelons, botanists attribute them not to fruits, but to berries. This is explained quite simply - the presence of juicy pulp with a lot of seeds. And to be absolutely precise, the watermelon belongs to the variety of berries called pumpkin. Representatives of this variety have a fairly dense skin, more juicy and fleshy pulp, and a much larger number of seeds.
Today there are many varieties of this berry. In Russia, for example, the most common are Astrakhan, Melitopol, Atlant, Knyazhich, Rosa of the Yugo-Vostoka and others.
The history of cultivation and distribution of watermelon
It is believed that the watermelon appeared in the South African deserts - there it still grows in the wild, and it was cultivated more than 4000 years ago in Ancient Egypt. In the X century, this berry came to Central Asia, from where, a couple of centuries later, the knights-crusaders brought it to Europe. Watermelon also came to Russia in the 12th century, when caravans with various goods went through modern Astrakhan from Persia. However, this berry became more famous in our country since 1560, when Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ordered to deliver it to the royal court.
Useful properties of watermelon
Watermelon contains a large amount of trace elements and vitamins necessary for normal human well-being. It enriches the body with potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, iron and magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin A, E, PP, ascorbic and folic acid. It is especially useful to eat it in hot weather, as it helps not only to quench thirst, but also to replenish all the listed substances, some of which are excreted from the body during perspiration.
Having a diuretic effect on the body, watermelon helps to remove accumulated toxins and toxins. It helps cleanse the kidneys, urinary tract and gallbladder. And the low acidity of the juice of this berry allows you to use it even for those who suffer from chronic gastritis or gastroduodenitis. But, of course, only not during the period of exacerbation of these diseases.
It is not recommended to eat watermelon late at night or in combination with salty foods, as this can lead to edema and salt deposition in the body.
The low calorie content of watermelon (27 kcal per 100 g) allows those who follow their figure to calmly enjoy this berry. And the fructose contained in watermelon is perfectly absorbed by the body, and its content in it is extremely small.
