Everyone, without exception, loves a delicious melon. This melon crop is incredibly healthy. Find out about its beneficial properties and other interesting facts from our article! Melon belongs to the melon culture, and the plant itself belongs to the Pumpkin family. The homeland is considered to be Central and Asia Minor. One plant can have from two to eight fruits, it all depends on the place of cultivation and the selected variety. Their mass is 1.5–10 kg. Pumpkin - the fruit of a melon - has a cylindrical or spherical shape. It is characterized by white with green stripes, brown, yellow or green color. Currently, wild melon, alas, is not found.
The cultivation of this vegetable began around North India, long before our era. Over time, it began to spread eastward, all the way to China. Europeans learned about this only in the Middle Ages, and Russia (Lower Volga region) - in the XV-XVI centuries. thanks to traders from Central Asia.
Interesting Melon Facts:
- In Austria, in 2009, they managed to grow the largest - giant melon, weighing about 500 kilograms. The world learned about this natural miracle thanks to the Styrian owner Christoph Schieder who raised it. At the international competition in Styria (the town of Hartberg), it turned out to be 1 kilogram heavier than a melon from Slovenia. It is known that the winner then received a prize of 1.3 thousand euros.
- The first mention of melon can be found in the Bible (in Numbers 11: 5).
- For the Turkmen, every second Sunday in August is considered the "Day of the Turkmen melon", at this time in the Russian Orthodox churches of Turkmenistan it is customary to carry out prayers for the consecration of all melons of the new harvest.
Basically, the fruit is eaten raw, cut into slices and the outer rind removed. It is also tasty in a dried, dried form, melon honey and jam are even made from it, and the peel is suitable for cooking slightly bitter candied fruits.
Ingredients: calories, vitamins and minerals
From 100 g of fruit - 88.5 g is water; 0.6 g - proteins; 7, 4 g - carbohydrates, as well as a small amount of pectins, dietary fiber (fiber), organic acids and ash.
Of the vitamins most of all "ascorbic acid" (vitamin C) - up to 20 mg. Moreover, its fluctuations will depend on varietal characteristics, growing conditions, place and year of reproduction. For example, growing melon on dry land will increase the sugar content, as well as the content of vitamin C by 2-4 mg%.
There is a lot of folic acid in fruits (6 μg).
The same content (0.4 mg each) of vitamin A, niacin (vitamin PP or B3), thiamine and riboflavin (B1 and B2) is noted. The least amount of tocopherol (vitamin E) is 0.1 mg.
Of the macronutrients - the most important is the content of potassium (118 mg), then sodium (32 mg), as well as phosphorus, calcium, magnesium (from 12 to 16 mg). The fruits are saturated with zinc (90 mcg), copper (47 mcg), manganese (35 mcg), a small percentage of iron, iodine and cobalt.
Some melons turn out to be sweeter, and this, first of all, depends on the sucrose content (from 0, 67 to 12, 9% per 100 g of mass). Soil conditions have a huge impact on sugar content. So, if a melon is grown on black soil, then it will be one and a half to two times sweeter than the one grown on sandy loam and chestnut soils.
Calorie melon
per 100 g - 33 kcal:
- Proteins - 0.6 g
- Fat - 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates - 7, 4 g
The calorie content of dried melon per 100 g is 344 kcal. However, you cannot eat it in large quantities. Dried melon is good as a healthy dessert, but you shouldn't abuse it when losing weight.
Beneficial features
Fragrant, delicate melon is appreciated not only for its unsurpassed taste. It is useful in dietary nutrition for diseases of the cardiovascular system, constipation, anemia, kidney disease, liver disease, gout, rheumatism, hemorrhoids, urolithiasis and cholelithiasis. As we saw above, melon has a unique chemical composition, therefore it is considered one of the best healthy products:
- The pulp contains substances that contribute to the production of the "happiness hormone" - serotonin. Hence the popular belief about the ability of melon to eliminate nervous stress and depression. So, don't be sad, eat a couple of pieces of these delicious fruits and everything will be in order!
- Silicon has a positive effect on the regulation of physiological processes. It affects the structure of hair and skin, the vital activity of the cerebral cortex, it is necessary for the full activity of the nervous system, internal organs and the gastrointestinal tract (gastrointestinal tract).
- Melon, in comparison with other melons and gourds, has great benefits - after all, it is a champion in the amount of vitamin C. "Ascorbinka" has a beneficial effect on the intestinal flora, helps the rapid elimination of cholesterol from the human body, improves the digestive process, and also makes our body invulnerable during the period winter cold.
- For women: folic acid, which breaks down during cooking, is retained in the melon as we eat it fresh. It is extremely important for its beneficial properties for women during menopause and pregnancy.
- For men: It has long been believed that melon seeds are a powerful aphrodisiac. They are capable of improving masculine strength. They are consumed fresh, preferably together with honey (but not more than 2 g per day, in order to avoid problems with the spleen).
- Melon benefits from its high fiber content, which is why it is used in modern medicine to cleanse the intestines. Melon fibers help to eliminate radioactive substances, heavy metal salts from the body, but in some cases they can be harmful (see below).
In cosmetology, it has found wide application: it is used to prepare masks for the skin of the face and body, and hair. In methods of losing weight, one of the most popular diets is "melon". In the East, there is a belief that melon gives youth to the whole body, makes men strong, and women beautiful.
Video about the benefits of melon:
How to choose:
- Finding a good melon in the market or store is simple: first of all, look at the diameter of the stem, which should be thick. Press on the crust on the other side of the stem - if the fruit is not ripe, the crust will be hard and will not give in to pressure.
- Smell also plays a big role: feel free to sniff the melon. Ripe should exude a subtle, delicate and sweet melon aroma with hints of honey, vanilla and even pear and pineapple. The warmer the room where it is sold, the stronger this smell will be. If it doesn't smell, a lot of hormones were used during the cultivation, which will only be harmful to health. But if the fruit is overripe, it will give off decay.
- Unlike a watermelon, its rind is not so dense, so integrity is an important criterion here: no cracks, spots or dents. Indeed, on damaged vegetables, pathogenic bacteria very quickly spread, penetrating inside through a thin peel. Therefore, be careful not to subsequently face botulism or salmonellosis.
- Due to the high percentage of sugars, cut fruits become an ideal breeding ground for pathogens. Melons are also wrapped in plastic wrap (in the supermarket), which ultimately diminishes their health benefits. Who can guarantee the cleanliness of the seller's knife and hands?
- With regard to the definition of varieties, the "Kolkhoznitsa" has a smooth surface, "Torpedo" - rough, with grooves, it also looks more elongated and large in comparison with the round and rich yellow melons of the "Kolkhoznitsa" variety.
- When is melons season? Good quality vegetables, as a rule, are sold from August 15 to September 20. Although Central Asian fruits may appear earlier. It is believed that later ripening times are best when vegetables are not grown with film coatings and no pesticides are used.
Video how to choose the right melon, tips:
Harm and contraindications
Unfortunately, not every person can use this wonderful gift of nature without restrictions. So, in large quantities, melon harms people with peptic ulcer disease, diabetes mellitus and various infectious and parasitic diseases. For them, it is even contraindicated.
Breastfeeding mothers should not abuse this product either. Not everyone knows that melon is not compatible with other food, and therefore it can be consumed 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal. This must be followed to prevent fermentation and gas formation in the stomach!
Those who want to lose weight should strictly limit themselves to the use of dried melon. Although it is tasty and healthy, it still hurts the figure!
