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 it helps in weight loss, cleanses the body of toxins, supplies it with vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances. Is this real, or fiction? Let us reflect on this topic.
Properties of watermelon
Watermelon is a treasure trove of vitamins and minerals that offer tremendous benefits to your body. Have you ever come across such phrases while surfing the internet? Maybe yes. But in fact, a watermelon is not a treasure. Rather, a small pond. It has few vitamins and minerals in it. To get at least some of them in daily doses, watermelon will need to be absorbed in kilograms.
Watermelon has a pronounced diuretic effect. Surely, the fans of this product know that you can enjoy a good watermelon only if you are not far from the toilet. Some sources claim that due to its diuretic effect, watermelon "rinses the kidneys" and reduces the likelihood of urolithiasis. Forced to disappoint you - this is unlikely.
The buds are "washed" regularly without watermelon. There is a small chance that with its help you can reduce the risk of developing urolithiasis. But first, to be convinced of this from your experience, you will need to eat a watermelon every day for several years. Second, no one knows for sure whether watermelon prevents urolithiasis, as this information can only be obtained in the course of clinical trials, which no one has yet done.
Benefits of watermelon for weight loss
Watermelon is a food product. It has little nutritional value. It contains carbohydrates, although there are not many of them. Therefore, it would be foolish to say that watermelon contributes to weight loss. No, you too can improve from it, as from 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 more rounded your belly will become. But if you consider watermelon not as a means to lose weight, but as a dietary product, you can find some undeniable advantages.
- Low calorie content.Of course, the fewer calories a food contains, the more appealing 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 that of some vegetables. Once you have eaten a kilo of watermelon, you will certainly 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 volume of watermelon. When you eat it, you feel that there is something in your stomach. Thus, he satisfies hunger, albeit for a short time. Second, a person trying to lose weight should drink plenty of water, but often he forgets it. Lack of fluid in the body causes a decrease in the effectiveness of the diet. Along with a watermelon, a person gets a sufficient amount of water.
Disadvantages of watermelon for weight loss
As mentioned above, watermelon has a very low energy value, which gives us reason to call it a dietary product. But it must be remembered that most of the calories enter the body with carbohydrates. Moreover, they are simple sugars that are easily digested and pose the greatest threat to your figure.
Watermelon contains glucose, fructose, sucrose. All of 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 among all fruits and berries. This is his biggest flaw. And this is the only reason why watermelon should not be consumed in very large quantities.
Among the disadvantages, we also note the low content of indigestible dietary fiber. Watermelon can not satisfy hunger for a long time. It fills the stomach only for a short time, as it consists mainly of water, which quickly enters the intestines and then the blood. There is very little fiber in watermelon, which can create the necessary volume and retain fluid in the digestive tract.
Watermelon can be a quick snack to kill your appetite. The simple sugars contained in its composition enter the systemic circulation almost immediately, interacting with vascular receptors and dull urine. But the feeling of satiety passes quickly, as the concentration of glucose in the blood quickly returns to normal.
Produce
With the help of watermelon you can lose weight, but only if you use it instead of other foods more calories. Watermelon should not be abused, as it contains simple sugars and has a high glycemic index. It has a low nutritional value, but consuming watermelon in large quantities can bring you a lot of calories. Moreover, these calories will enter the body with simple carbohydrates - the most dangerous nutrients for the figure.