This fruit is sweet, low in calories, and the best for hydration (not watermelon)

As the weather gradually gets warmer, many people will prefer fruits that are rich in water. Taking a bite of juicy fruit in hot weather is both sweet and thirst-quenching.

When it comes to fruits that are high in water content, honeydew melon is definitely one of the most popular fruits. It is also very fragrant and inexpensive. It is really affordable! In this article, we will talk about honeydew melon.

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How nutritious is honeydew melon?

Honeydew melon is what we usually call musk melon, also known as cantaloupe, which is a plant of the genus Cucurbitaceae. In terms of cultivation, it can be divided into thick-skinned melon and thin-skinned melon. Among them, thin-skinned melon is Chinese melon, oriental melon or cantaloupe, etc., which has an excellent taste.

my country is a major melon-growing country. According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the total area of ​​melon cultivation in the world reached 1.07 million square hectares in 2020, with a production of 28 million tons, of which my country's melon production accounted for about 49%, ranking first in the world. This shows how much Chinese residents love melons.

Photographed by the author

The aroma of honeydew melon is particularly captivating. Researchers have detected 258 aroma substances from different varieties of honeydew melon fruits, including esters, alcohols, aldehydes and volatile terpenes, among which esters are the characteristic aroma substances. The more mature the honeydew melon is, the stronger the aroma.

As for the nutrition of honeydew melon, the most outstanding feature is its abundant water content, which is almost above 90%, making it a veritable good helper for hydration!

Regarding the vitamin C content that everyone is concerned about, the data in the "Chinese Food Composition Table" shows that the vitamin C content of honeydew melon is only 15mg/100g, which is relatively low among fruits, only 1/2 of that of oranges. However, there are differences in the vitamin C content of different varieties of honeydew melons. Some researchers have tested the vitamin C content of 6 thick-skinned honeydew melon varieties in Xiqing District, Tianjin, including Milk Honey, Beihai No. 1, Fengjin No. 6, Xiangfei Xiaomi, Kekou Mi, and Jiuhongrui, and found that their vitamin C content is higher than 50mg/100g. Beihai No. 1 has the highest vitamin C content, which can reach 80mg/100g. Eating 100g can meet 80% of the daily vitamin C requirement of an average adult, which is still good.

Photo: 100g edible part of honeydew melon, about the size of a palm, taken by the author

The potassium content of honeydew melon is medium among fruits, mostly around 150mg/100g, and some can reach around 300mg/100g. The potassium content of the Wangwu variety of honeydew melon in Hainan is higher, at 400mg/100g. Eating 100g can meet 20% of the daily potassium requirement of an average adult, which is beneficial to maintaining blood pressure health.

In addition, the flesh of honeydew melons can be dark or light in color. Carotenoids are the main pigment that forms the orange color of honeydew melon flesh. This ingredient is very beneficial to eye health and also has an antioxidant effect. The carotenoid content of honeydew melons with different flesh colors is different, and the difference is significant. The orange-fleshed honeydew melon has the highest content, followed by the light orange-fleshed honeydew melon, and the white-fleshed honeydew melon has the lowest content.

Honeydew melon is sweet but low in calories

Honeydew melon tastes very sweet, so many people think it is high in calories. In fact, the calories in honeydew melon are mostly very low, almost no more than 40kcal/100g, which is lower than the oranges, apples, grapes, etc. we usually eat.

Data from the "Chinese Food Composition Table" shows that the calories in Hami melon are 34kcal/100g, while the calories in Lingmi melon are only 4kcal/100g. This is really friendly for those who want to lose weight!

As for why honeydew melon is so sweet, it is mainly because the sugar component of honeydew melon is composed of fructose, glucose and sucrose, among which fructose is relatively rich. Fructose has the sweetest taste among these sugars and has the characteristics of cold sweetness. When the temperature is below 40℃, the lower the temperature, the sweeter the taste.

Therefore, friends who often eat honeydew melon will find that the same honeydew melon tastes sweeter after being refrigerated compared to being stored at room temperature.

Can people with diabetes eat honeydew melon?

Many people believe that the GI value (glycemic index) of honeydew melon is relatively high, so many diabetic patients dare not eat honeydew melon.

In fact, even if your blood sugar is high, you don’t have to completely reject the deliciousness of honeydew melon. Although the GI value of honeydew melon is higher than that of apples, pears, peaches, plums, cherries, pineapples, etc., the sugar content of honeydew melon is generally low. When we look at the effect of a food on blood sugar, we cannot only look at the GI value, but also consider the GL (glycemic load). GL < 10 is a low GL food, which means it has a small impact on blood sugar.

GL = available carbohydrates in food (g) × GI ÷ 100

Take Hami melon, which is commonly eaten by everyone, for example. The GI value of Hami melon is as high as 70, which is considered a high GI fruit, but its carbohydrate content is only 7.9g/100g, and its insoluble dietary fiber is 0.2g/100g. After calculation, the GL of eating 100g of Hami melon is only 5.39, which is a low GL fruit. In other words, eating 100g of Hami melon will not cause a big fluctuation in blood sugar for diabetic patients.

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Selection of honeydew melon

Now is the time to eat honeydew melon, and many friends are eager to try it. How to choose honeydew melon is of utmost importance.

There are many varieties of honeydew melons. If you want to buy delicious ones, it is crucial to choose the right variety. Xiangfei Xiaomi, Beihai No. 1, Jinlong, Yangjiao Mi, Xizhou Mi, these varieties taste sweeter. Generally speaking, Xinjiang has long sunshine hours in summer, large temperature difference between day and night, and little rainfall, so the honeydew melons grown there taste good.

In addition, the flesh of Xizhou honey melon is orange-red, the flesh of Hongxincui and Yellow River honey melon is orange-red, the flesh of Zhongtian, Beihai No. 1, Milk Honey and Jinxiangyu honey melon is white, the flesh of Fengjin No. 6 and Xiangfei Xiaomiami is yellow, and the flesh of Yangjiao Mi and Koukou Mi is green. We can give priority to those with dark flesh color.

Honeydew melon is a respiratory climacteric fruit. If it is not fully ripe when you buy it, you can ripen it together with other ripe fruits, such as bananas and apples.

Even if you don’t eat the skin, you still have to wash it!

Most people eat honeydew melons without washing them. They just cut them and eat them. This poses a risk of food poisoning. Honeydew melons may carry Listeria, commonly known as the "refrigerator killer." Listeria is a very harmful bacterium that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, fever, muscle aches, and in severe cases, coma, shock, and death.

According to relevant reports, some Hami melons produced by a farm in Australia were contaminated with Listeria, which caused illness and death. This is mainly because the surface of Hami melons is rough and wrinkled, and Listeria is a common bacteria in the soil, so Hami melons are very easy to be infected.

The Hong Kong Food Safety Center reminds: Before eating Hami melon, you need to scrub the entire surface of the Hami melon with a clean brush under running water, then cut it and eat it, and it is recommended to eat it as soon as possible.

So, to be on the safe side, remember to wash the honeydew melon thoroughly before eating it!

Summarize:

The temperature is getting hotter and hotter, so hurry up and prepare the honeydew melon that is as sweet as honey and full of water! It replenishes water, vitamin C, potassium, and carotene, which is really refreshing! Remember to refrigerate it before eating it for a sweeter taste!

References

[1] Qi Runnan, Zhang Zewei, Li Jingshu, Tong Yuqi, Zhao Liqiang, Li Chaojun, Wang Guoze, Jia Jin. Research progress on the formation mechanism and influencing factors of melon fruit aroma[J]. Vegetables, 2022(12):31-35

[2] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[3] Ding Yongxin, Wang Shiyi, Zhang Yue, Liu Yihan, Guo Xiaoou. Comprehensive quality evaluation of six thick-skinned melon varieties in Xiqing District, Tianjin[J]. Southern Agriculture, 2022, 16(19): 72-7681

[4] Wei Ying, Kang Rui, Ye Naihao, Yu Huanhuan, Liu Dongni, Zhou Yuling, Tang Zhuhua. Comparative analysis of nutritional components of different melon varieties in Hainan [J]. Chinese Food and Nutrition, 2023, 29(7): 36-42

[5] Zaituna Maimaiti, Xu Jian, Geng Xinli, Zhang Cuihuan, Zheng Heyun. Study on the relationship between melon flesh color change and carotenoids[J]. Hubei Agricultural Sciences, 2022, 61(20): 74-78171

[6] Gunas Yerken, Wei Zheng, Wang Haojie, Zhu Jingrong, Hua Zhenyu, Sun Tao, Chen Jie, Wang Cheng. Comparative analysis of nutritional components of five melon varieties cultivated in Xinjiang[J]. Food Research and Development, 2019, 40(6): 115-119125

[7] Centre for Food Safety, Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/multimedia/multimedia_pub/multimedia_pub_fsf_141_03.html?continueFlag=a62df2743e84be762c56e10f74ddc812

Author: Xue Qingxin, registered nutritionist

Review丨Zhang Yu, researcher/PhD, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, national health science expert