"Healthy by eating" series | How to eat watermelon healthily? Get these 7 must-know questions

Watermelon is the favorite fruit of most people in summer, and many people enjoy it almost every day. However, eating watermelon can also cause many minor problems, such as weight gain and increased blood sugar. Many people worry that overnight watermelon may breed bacteria, which will bring food safety risks. Here is an analysis of the knowledge you must know when eating watermelon!

Question 1: How long can watermelon be kept at room temperature?

Watermelon is a matrix suitable for the rapid proliferation of microorganisms. It has high water content, low acidity and relatively low osmotic pressure. It can be stored at room temperature in summer for less than 2 hours. It is recommended to cut off the top layer when eating.

Question 2: Can dedicated cutting boards and knives effectively prevent bacteria?

The special cutting board and knife for cutting fruit cannot prevent the proliferation of bacteria, but it can effectively prevent the pathogenic bacteria in other raw foods from contaminating the watermelon and avoid the problem of tainted flavor. In addition, do not use the knife for cutting fish or raw vegetables to cut the watermelon, so as not to accelerate the growth of bacteria.

Question 3: Is watermelon a low-sugar fruit or a high-sugar fruit?

Nowadays, the sugar content of watermelon is getting higher and higher, reaching 8%~13%. Compared with other fruits, watermelon cannot be considered a fruit with high sugar content. However, it is recommended that people who want to lose weight eat 200~350 grams of watermelon flesh every day, and no more than 1 catty at most, to avoid excessive daily calories.

Question 4: If I replace staple food with watermelon, will I not gain weight?

Regularly replacing the main meal with a large amount of watermelon will cause lack of nutrition, muscle loss, malnutrition, decreased metabolic rate, and in the long run, the body fat rate may increase, which makes it easy to gain weight. At the same time, it will also cause problems such as soft muscles, loss of appetite, fatigue and laziness.

Question 5: Can people with diabetes eat watermelon?

Diabetics can eat watermelon, but they should eat it in small amounts. Diabetics can consider eating a small amount of fruit between meals or before meals, such as eating about 100 grams of watermelon each time, and eating 200 grams of fruit intake in two times.

Question 6: Can gout patients eat watermelon?

Gout patients can eat watermelon. The potassium and vitamin C in it are beneficial to the condition. Rich potassium is conducive to the excretion of uric acid. However, watermelon contains fructose, so it is not suitable to replace meals with watermelon.

Question 7: Will eating chilled watermelon harm your health?

People who are prone to diarrhea, those with poor digestion and absorption, and those with irritable bowel syndrome are not recommended to eat cold watermelon to avoid cold stimulation that may cause excessive intestinal movement and diarrhea, or even cramping abdominal pain.

Expert: Professor Fan Zhihong, a registered dietitian in China and the School of Food Science and Engineering at China Agricultural University