Can you get healthy by eating a lot of watermelon. Explained by a nutritionist

founder of the International Institute of Integrative Nutritionology

Is it possible to get fat if you eat a lot of watermelon?

August is the season of delicious and juicy watermelons in Central Russia. This berry has beneficial properties and is often included in mono-diet diets. We do not recommend such diets, and here’s why.

What can be dangerous watermelon and who should not eat it

This insidious berry, at first glance, consists of water and contains only 30 kcal per 100 g. However, due to the large amount of carbohydrates can cause unpleasant symptoms:

• bowel distension;
• pain and bloating;
• digestive problems.

Watermelon is a high-carbohydrate berry with an abundance of sucrose and fructose. This sweet dessert can dramatically increase blood glucose levels. It is also not recommended for people with disorders of carbohydrate metabolism and kidney function, because it has a strong diuretic effect.

Another disadvantage of watermelon is that we often do not notice how we eat half of the fruit in one sitting – not at all limited to the norm of two or three pieces. Any mono-diet has a negative impact on health, but watermelon also does not give the expected effect. If you try to replace all food with this berry, you risk gaining weight rather than losing it.

It’s all about the high glycemic index and the abundance of simple sugars. If you eat watermelon in large quantities and do not exercise, the glucose that enters the body will begin to be processed into fat and settle on the sides and abdomen. Excess fructose (more than 15 g per day) can lead to liver obesity.

It turns out that because of the large amount of simple carbohydrates watermelon can not be recommended as the basis of a diet for weight loss.

WHO recommends eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, of which no more than two should be fruits, including watermelon. It should be eaten only after the main meal.

Read more about what can happen to the body if you eat watermelon every day in the article at the link.

Why you should not completely abandon watermelon

Water balance support. Watermelon is 92% water, so it will easily help to replenish the daily norm of fluid (it is calculated according to the formula “30 ml of water per 1 kg of body weight”). It is very important to drink enough water – it affects the proper functioning of organs, the supply of vitamins and trace elements to the cells, regulates body temperature and many other processes.

Oncology prevention. Lycopene, which is contained in watermelon, reduces the risk of some cancers. Also in the berry contains a substance cucurbitacin E, which suppresses the growth of malignant formations.

Strengthening of the heart and blood vessels. Also lycopene reduces cholesterol and normalizes blood pressure, and the amino acid citrulline helps to dilate blood vessels.

Inflammation-fighting. Studies have proven that the combination of vitamin C and lycopene in watermelon helps fight inflammation.

Eye protection. Scientists have found that lycopene helps fight age-related vision changes.

To make the berry bring only benefits and not upset you with extra pounds, remember the measure. How to choose a tasty and healthy watermelon, told in the previous material at the link.