There is probably no vegetable, fruit or berry in the world that overweight people don't try to use for weight loss purposes. Watermelon is no exception. Many websites say it helps with weight loss, detoxifies the body, provides vitamins, minerals and other useful substances. Is this fact, or fiction? Let's reflect on this topic.
Watermelon characteristics
Watermelon is a storehouse of vitamins and minerals that provide tremendous benefits to your body. Have you ever come across such phrases while surfing the Internet? Probably yes. But in reality, a watermelon is not a treasure. Rather a small puddle of water. There are few vitamins and minerals in it. To get at least some of them in a daily dose, watermelon will have to be absorbed in kilograms.
Watermelon has a pronounced diuretic effect. Surely, those who love this product know that you can enjoy a delicious watermelon only when you are not far from the toilet. Some sources believe that due to its diuretic effect, watermelon "tonics kidney and yang" and reduces the possibility of urolithiasis. Forced to let you down - this is unlikely.
The shoots are regularly "washed" without watermelon. There is a small chance that with its help you can actually reduce your risk of developing urolithiasis. But first, to believe this from personal experience, you would have to eat a watermelon every day for several years. Second, no one knows for sure if watermelon prevents urolithiasis, as this information can only be obtained during clinical studies that have not been conducted by anyone.
Benefits of watermelon for weight loss
Watermelon is a food product. It has little nutritional value. It contains carbohydrates, although not many of them. So it would be foolish to say that watermelon contributes to weight loss. No, you can also get better from it, just like any other food. If you eat watermelon in kilograms, you will not see a slim figure.
Of course, watermelon does not burn fat. The more you eat, the rounder your belly will be. But if you consider watermelon not as a means to lose weight, but as a dietary product, you can find a number of 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, less than most fruits or berries. The nutritional value of watermelon is lower than that of some vegetables. Eat a kilogram of watermelon, you will certainly not feel hungry, but at the same time only 300 kcal into the body.
- High water content.Why is this good? First, water provides a large amount of watermelon. When you eat it, you feel that there is something in your stomach. So he satisfied his hunger, albeit for a short time. Second, a person trying to lose weight needs to drink a lot of water, but they often forget about it. Lack of fluids in the body will reduce the effectiveness of the diet. Along with a watermelon, a person receives a sufficient amount of water.
Cons of watermelon for weight loss
As mentioned above, watermelon has a very low calorific value, so we have reason to call it a dietary product. But remember that most of the calories that go into the body are carbohydrates. Moreover, they are easily digestible simple sugars and are the biggest threat to your physique.
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 the highest glycemic index of all fruits and berries. This is his biggest weakness. And this is the only reason why watermelon should not be consumed in excessive quantities.
Among the minuses, we also note the low content of insoluble fiber. Watermelon cannot satisfy hunger for long. It only fills the stomach for a short time, as it consists mainly of water, which quickly enters the intestines and then into the bloodstream. There is very little fiber in watermelon, which can create the necessary mass and retain fluid in the digestive tract.
Watermelon can be a snack that helps you kill cravings quickly. The simple sugars contained in its composition almost immediately enter the circulatory system, interact with vascular receptors and a dull feeling of hunger. But the feeling of fullness quickly passes, as blood glucose levels quickly return to normal.
Output
With the help of watermelon, you can lose weight, but only if you use it instead of other, more calorie-rich foods. You should not abuse watermelon, because it contains simple sugars and has a high glycemic index. It has low nutritional value, but consuming watermelon in large quantities can cause you to consume a lot of calories. Moreover, these calories will enter the body along with simple carbohydrates - the most dangerous nutrient for the body.