There’s generally nothing higher than a refreshing slice of watermelon, particularly on a sizzling afternoon.
The fruit is just about ubiquitous at household meals, BBQs, and social gatherings within the summertime, and is grown worldwide. In truth, there are over 1,000 totally different forms of watermelon!
However what makes for a enjoyable, refreshing snack for most individuals can have blood sugar penalties for folks dwelling with diabetes.
This text will define the professionals and cons of consuming watermelon for folks dwelling with diabetes and the way (and if!) it is best to incorporate this fruit into your life and every day food regimen.
What are the well being advantages of consuming watermelon?
Consuming watermelon can have many advantages. Beneath are the well being advantages to commonly consuming this pink, candy fruit.
Stuffed with nutritional vitamins and minerals
Watermelon accommodates quite a lot of nutritional vitamins and minerals, together with potassium, magnesium, and nutritional vitamins A and C. It additionally has few energy for being a fruit, with solely 46 energy per cup.
It’s also extraordinarily straightforward to bolus insulin for, as a cup of watermelon solely has 11.5 carbohydrates.
The brilliant pink coloration signifies it’s a wealthy supply of antioxidants like carotenoids, lycopene, and cucurbitacin E that aren’t solely good for you, however make you are feeling good, too!
Might relieve muscle soreness and enhance train efficiency
Watermelon additionally accommodates citrulline, an amino acid that will assist enhance train efficiency in athletes. Supplementing with citrulline may assist cut back muscle soreness in individuals who train.
The way it works is that this compound helps to increase blood vessels, relieving the center of additional exertion to pump blood all through the physique, thus enhancing train efficiency and restoration.
Watermelon is nice as a result of it supplies not solely citrulline, but in addition much-needed hydration throughout train.
One examine gave three teams totally different concoctions: one with simply watermelon juice, one other with watermelon juice supplemented with further citrulline, and a management drink. Each drinks that had watermelon juice in them skilled improved muscle soreness after train and improved coronary heart charge restoration than the group that had the management drink.
Watermelon may also be good for folks with diabetes, who when exercising, could require a low blood sugar snack. Watermelon supplies simply sufficient carbohydrates to assist deal with the low blood sugar, with out overdoing it on the carbohydrates or sugar.
Plus, it’s a pure supply of power, with no added components or chemical substances.
Might enhance pores and skin well being
The nutritional vitamins present in watermelon are vital for the well being and upkeep of your pores and skin. Vitamin C, when both eaten, drank, or utilized topically, helps the physique produce collagen, a protein that retains hair robust and pores and skin youthful and supple.
One examine discovered the next consumption of Vitamin C was correlated with a decrease likelihood of growing dry pores and skin and wrinkles. Greatest but, one serving of watermelon accommodates 14% of your every day beneficial consumption of Vitamin C!
Vitamin A can be crucial for pores and skin well being, because it helps to restore broken pores and skin cells and create new ones. It additionally promotes wound therapeutic.
One serving of watermelon accommodates 5% of your every day beneficial consumption of this vitamin.
Might support in digestion
Along with its plethora of nutritional vitamins, minerals, and wholesome antioxidants, watermelon accommodates 0.6 grams of fiber per serving, which is critical for wholesome digestion.
Water and fiber assist meals transfer by the bowels extra simply, and together with loads of wholesome fruit and veggies in your food regimen can forestall diarrhea, constipation, and points with digestion.
Consuming fiber typically can preserve your bowel actions common, too.
One examine discovered that individuals who had low fluid and low fiber consumption had been extra prone to endure from constipation. All of the extra motive to incorporate watermelon in your food regimen!
One other examine discovered that consuming watermelon was correlated with weight reduction and emotions of satiety, which is a welcome signal for anybody trying to shed pounds!
The downsides of consuming watermelon
Consuming watermelon can also have some downsides, particularly when you’ve got diabetes. Beneath are a few of the causes chances are you’ll select to keep away from this fruit.
Watermelon is usually carbohydrates
Though this candy fruit supplies a supply of quite a lot of nutritional vitamins and minerals, there aren’t any different macronutrients of word: watermelon is usually carbohydrates, with no protein or fats.
This could make it a difficult meals to eat when you’ve got diabetes as a result of meals which can be solely carbohydrates are likely to spike blood sugars sooner.
In truth, watermelon has a glycemic index (GI) of 80, however as a result of the carbohydrates are fairly low for a fruit, the glycemic load is just 5.
Pairing watermelon with a fatty or protein-rich aspect may also help curb the fast rise in blood sugar that you could be see when consuming the fruit.
It’s not very filling
Watermelon is so scrumptious, however it’s not a really filling snack. This could lead folks to overeat it fairly commonly. Understand that a serving measurement of watermelon is one cup, which is equal to a one-inch-thick slice of a typical melon.
Nevertheless, folks have a tendency to return to seconds and thirds, as a result of the fruit is over 90% water!
Whereas one serving has 11 grams of carbohydrates, having 3 or extra servings can flip this deal with right into a high-carbohydrate, high-calorie dessert fairly shortly.
It could trigger cardiovascular issues
Individuals who endure from severe hyperkalemia (excessive potassium ranges) shouldn’t eat a couple of cup of watermelon per day.
Potassium is essential for sustaining electrolyte operate within the physique, maintaining muscular tissues and bones robust, and for coronary heart well being.
Nevertheless, if you have already got excessive potassium ranges, consuming watermelon could cause an overabundance of potassium within the blood, inflicting a weak pulse charge, irregular heartbeats, and different cardiovascular issues.
