There is probably no vegetable, fruit or berry in the world that overweight people would not try to use to lose weight. Watermelon is no exception. Many sites say that it helps to lose weight, cleanses the body of toxins, nourishes it with vitamins, minerals and other useful substances. Is this true or is it fiction? Let's think about this.
watermelon properties
Watermelon is a treasure trove of vitamins and minerals that bring tremendous benefits to your body. Have you ever come across such expressions while surfing the internet? Probably yes. But actually the watermelon is not a treasure. Rather, it's a small puddle. It contains very few vitamins and minerals. To get at least some of them in daily doses, the watermelon will need to be absorbed in kilograms.
Watermelon has a pronounced diuretic effect. Of course, those who love this product know that you can enjoy a good watermelon only when you are not far from the toilet. Some sources claim that due to its diuretic effect, watermelon "cleanses the kidneys" and reduces the likelihood of urolithiasis. I had to disappoint you - it is unlikely.
Buds are regularly "washed" without watermelon. There is a small chance that with its help you can really reduce the risk of developing urolithiasis. But, first of all, to be convinced of this, based on your own experience, you need to eat a watermelon every day for several years. Secondly, no one knows for sure whether watermelon prevents urolithiasis, since this information can only be obtained during clinical studies, which no one has yet done.
Benefits of watermelon for weight loss
Watermelon is a food product. It has very little nutritional value. It contains carbohydrates, although not a lot. Therefore, it would be foolish to say that watermelon contributes to weight loss. No, you can get better from it as with any other food. If you eat a watermelon in kilograms, you will not see a slim figure.
Of course, watermelon does not burn fat. The more you eat, the rounder your tummy will become. But if you consider watermelon not as a means for losing weight, but as a dietary product, you can find some undeniable advantages.
- Low calorie content.Obviously, the fewer calories a food contains, the more attractive it is to obese people. Even a sweet watermelon contains less than 30 kcal per 100 g. This is less than most fruits or berries. The nutritional value of watermelon is lower than some vegetables. After eating a kilogram of watermelon, you probably will not feel hungry, but at the same time, only 300 kcal will enter your body.
- High water content.Why is this good? First, water provides a large amount of watermelon. When you eat it, you feel something in the stomach. Thus, it satisfies his hunger, albeit for a short time. Secondly, a person trying to lose weight needs to drink a lot of water, but often forgets about it. Lack of fluid in the body causes a decrease in the effectiveness of the diet. Together with a watermelon, a person receives a sufficient amount of water.
Disadvantages of watermelon for weight loss
As mentioned above, watermelon has a very low energy value, causing us to call it a dietary product. But it should be remembered that most of the calories enter the body with carbohydrates. What's more, they are simple sugars that are easy to digest and pose the greatest threat to your body.
Watermelon contains glucose, fructose, sucrose. All these carbohydrates are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and stimulate the release of insulin, which converts glucose into fat. Watermelon has one of the highest glycemic indexes of all fruits and berries. This is his biggest flaw. And this is the only reason why watermelon is not consumed too much.
Among the disadvantages, we also note the low content of insoluble dietary fiber. Watermelon cannot satisfy hunger for a long time. It fills the stomach only for a short time because it mostly consists of water that quickly enters the intestines and then enters the blood. There is very little fiber in watermelon that can create the necessary bulk and retain fluid in the digestive tract.
Watermelon can be a quick snack to whet your appetite. Simple sugars contained in its composition almost instantly enter the systemic circulation, interact with vascular receptors and dull hunger. However, since the glucose concentration in the blood quickly returns to normal, the feeling of satiety passes quickly.
Output
You can lose weight with the help of watermelon, but only if you use it instead of other, higher-calorie foods. You should not abuse watermelon, as it contains simple sugars and has a high glycemic index. It is low in nutrients, but consuming large amounts of watermelon can provide you with a lot of calories. Moreover, these calories will enter the body with simple carbohydrates - the most dangerous nutrients for the figure.