Summer offers people a great opportunity to replenish the body’s reserves with all kinds of berries, vegetables and fruits, which include a huge amount of vitamins and minerals.
Origin history
Watermelon is a berry, which is a melon culture of the Pumpkin family and has a large number of useful elements. They still argue about the history of the origin of this product, calling it the homeland of faraway South Africa, or India. For a long time, wondering about what vitamins in a watermelon, the culture was also grown in China, and in the XII century. It began to be cultivated in Europe. On the territory of our country, berries have been grown since the 13th century. It is believed that he came to the northern parts of the country thanks to the Tatars. Today, this melon plant is grown in almost 100 countries.
The chemical composition of the culture
The whole fruit, including the peel, seeds and pulp itself, has useful and medicinal properties. Not all know what vitamins in a watermelon and what it consists of. Approximately 90% of the water is part of the product. The largest amount of fiber and soluble sugars is found in juicy pulp - it is fructose, sucrose and glucose. Acids such as folic, nicotinic and ascorbic are present in the bones of watermelon. Also in the product there is iron, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, protein, alkaline and pectin substances, carotenoids and amino acids - tyrosine, citrulline, valine, isoleucine and so on. The chemical composition of watermelon, calorie content, vitamins, nutritional value - all this indicates that this is a real find and a wonderful berry for the human body.
Calorie content
A lot has been written about the low calorie content of this product. Calorie watermelon has a total of 30 kcal per 100 grams. This made him very popular in a variety of cleansing and fat burning diets. The fruit quenches thirst and hunger well, cleanses the body efficiently, saturating it with useful substances and water.
Useful properties and characteristics of watermelon
The plant is represented by a variety of species and forms: round, oval and oblong. The crust is usually green, but it is also light green, with spots, stripes and without them. Inside the watermelon has a standard color - red.
However, sometimes you can see pink, raspberry and even white. You can often hear the question: “What vitamins are in a watermelon?” Contrary to the opinion of many, there are enough useful substances in this wonderful berry. These are B vitamins, starting from vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, as well as A, C and P. The following details what vitamins a watermelon contains:
- B1 takes part in the work of the cardiovascular and nervous system, helps eliminate joint diseases and is actively involved in metabolic processes. The daily norm is at least 2 mg. One serving of watermelon contains an average of 0.04 mg of this vitamin.
- B2 is also responsible for the above functions, but additionally plays a vital role in the functioning of the liver. The norm throughout the day is also about 2 mg, and a watermelon portion consists of 0.06 mg of this vitamin.
- What vitamins are there in a watermelon yet? B6, which is responsible for the process of assimilation of amino acids and the processing of nicotinic acid in the body.
- B9 takes part in the functioning of blood bodies and regulates the state of the blood as a whole.
- Vitamin A is responsible for the general state of immunity, vision and skin tone. About 0.1 mg of vitamin is in the pulp of 100 grams of watermelon, with a daily norm of 2 mg.
- Vitamin PP, which is responsible for the supply of oxygen to organs and tissues, also affects the functioning of the heart. One hundred grams of watermelon contain approximately 0.2 mg (with a daily requirement of 30 mg).
- And finally, vitamin C is an indispensable element that the body needs from early childhood. He is responsible for the condition of hair, skin, teeth and nails. A slice of watermelon has about 7 mg with a daily requirement of 100 mg.
Application in traditional medicine
Many lovers of this culture know what vitamins are found in watermelon and how to use it in traditional medicine. The flesh of gourds is used to treat gout, anemia and cardiovascular disease. The treatment of liver diseases and the cleansing of the kidneys cannot do without this succulent product, which, among other things, is an excellent diuretic. To treat colic, small children are prepared with a special powder from watermelon peel. The elimination and normalization of high cholesterol in the blood contributes to fiber in the fetus. At home, various large jams, preserves, candied fruits and jam are prepared from this large berry, and oil is made from seeds.
Contraindications
Unfortunately, today more and more melon growers fill the watermelon with all kinds of nitrates and chemicals that contribute to the rapid ripening of the fetus. How useful is such a berry? What vitamins in this type of watermelon can be found? Alas, the answer to these questions is unlikely to please anyone. In most cases, the harm will greatly exceed the benefit. It should be borne in mind that using a special apparatus that measures the amount of nitrates in fruits and vegetables , you can check the quality of the watermelon and its suitability for consumption (which is especially important for children). Therefore, when choosing a watermelon, it is first of all necessary to be guided by common sense, which will tell you which vitamins in a watermelon, and how they affect health, if the berry is put on the shelves in early July (or even earlier). The right time to buy a watermelon is August, September.
Despite the fact that watermelon is a very useful berry, it still has contraindications. With caution, one should consume fruits for those who have problems with edema, urinary system and prostate gland. People with diabetes should also be careful about this product.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that the benefits of watermelon are very great, you can enjoy them without fear of spoiling the figure. The main rule of consumption of this juicy and large berry is not to abuse it and carefully approach the choice.