Homeland of melon is considered to be Central Asia. It was from there that fruit was brought to Russia, around the 15th and 16th century. The largest melons, up to 25 kg in weight, could grow in Tajikistan. By the way, all the main varieties of this plant are grown there. Melon is consumed raw, dried and pickled. Prepare from the pulp marmalade, jam and jam. From overripe fruits even honey is made, by boiling melon juice.
The benefits of
Melon in raw form can be attributed to dietary products, since its nutritional value per 100 grams is on average 33kilocalories. Sweet and fragrant flesh of the fruit contains a lot of fiber, which helps get rid of edema, remove excess fluid from the body. But dried melon has the opposite effect - its nutritional value is about 300 kilocalories per 100 grams of the product.
Nutritional value - proteins 0,6 grams, fats 0,3 grams, carbohydrates 7,5 grams, ashes 0,6 grams, water 90 grams( all data are per 100 grams of product).
The use of melon for human health is a significant content of such substances as:
- potassium;
- chlorine;
- sodium;
- calcium;
- magnesium;
- phosphorus;
- sulfur;
- iron.
Melon is useful for consuming antibiotics, since its active ingredients will not let you weaken your immune system.
Thanks to the high content of potassium in melon, its regular consumption of food will help lower blood pressure, which is why doctors recommend melon to hypertensive patients. Melon is also useful in the fight against cholesterol plaques in the vessels, in this case an important role is played by magnesium.
Calcium and phosphorus help strengthen the bones of the body and help prevent brittle bones, especially for older people.
Iron found in melon is useful for preventing anemia and increasing hemoglobin levels in the blood. In addition, the level of iron in melon is 10 times higher than in chicken and milk.
In addition, melon contains a lot of vitamins:
- retinol( vitamin A) is responsible for preventing the development of atherosclerotic changes on the walls of blood vessels;
- vitamins of the B group play a huge role in all metabolic processes of the body;
- tocopherol( vitamin E) prevents the formation of blood clots and helps reduce blood pressure;
- vitamin C( ascorbic acid) prevents the fragility of capillaries.
Melon is useful to women, as it normalizes the hormonal background, and for men to increase potency.
Harm
Harmful to health melon can cause a minimum, only in some cases. It is worth sticking to just a few basic rules to avoid complications.
- It is strictly forbidden to drink melon with water, alcoholic or milk drinks, otherwise digestion problems may occur( for example, diarrhea).
- You should not eat with other foods, it is better to eat melon separately, in the two-hour interval between meals( that is, 2 hours before meals, or 2 hours after it).
- Contraindicated to eat melon on an empty stomach, as it is quickly absorbed and processed by gastric juice. Such a high rate of decomposition of substances can provoke nausea and vomiting. Especially this fact is important to consider in case of stomach ulcer.
- It is advisable to refrain from eating melon fruits during the exacerbation of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, again because of the high rate of processing of substances.
- During breastfeeding women should not eat melon, in this case problems with digestion can manifest not only in women, but also in babies.
- It is recommended to monitor the measure of melon consumption in patients with diabetes mellitus. Melon fruits have a high glycemic index( 6.2), their excessive use provokes fluctuations in blood sugar levels.
How to use in the treatment of
Melon is useful whole, together with seeds and skin.
to table of contents ^Flesh
- Melon pulp will help in the treatment of depressive disorders and melancholic conditions due to the high content of serotonin.
- Face masks from the pulp will give the skin a well-groomed look, will help to get rid of pigmentation and wrinkles. To make such a mask is very simple: crush the pulp of 1-2 slices, add 1 teaspoon of milk and mix to the state of gruel. Apply on a thick face, wash off after 20 minutes.
Juice
- To increase the volume and density of hair use fresh melon juice. It is applied to freshly washed hair, hold for 15-20 minutes, then rinse off with warm water.
- You can get rid of cough and runny nose when eating melon juice 2 times a day.
- Children are recommended to drink melon juice for prevention from helminths.
- Melon has antihistamine properties, taking a bath with the addition of one glass of juice and peel in hot water will help with an aggravation of the allergic reaction.
Seeds
- For the treatment of kidney diseases, the following decoction is suitable: 100 grams of ground seeds pour a glass of hot water and press for 24 hours. Take 30 milliliters 2 times a day for 30 minutes before meals.
- From melon seeds make a healing decoction for weakened hair, which also helps to get rid of dandruff.
- Seeds will help in the treatment of impotence and diseases of the digestive system, if consumed every day for 2 grams.
- In addition, melon seeds help with some sexually transmitted diseases, for example, gonorrhea. Seeds are ground in a blender, for 1 teaspoon 300 ml of boiling water is calculated.20 minutes are kept in a water bath, then decoction is filtered through gauze. Take 15-20 days before lunch.
Rind
- For burns and bruises, melon crusts should be applied to the affected areas.
- Decoction of crusts and peels suitable for skin cleansing with acne, mild form of vitiligo and even helps to lighten freckles. Just boil the core with seeds and crust from the melon, add the vodka( in the calculation of 1 tablespoon per cup of broth), and the wash lotion is ready.
How to choose and store
- Melon should be purchased without cracks on the skin to prevent infection in the human body. In such damages, there may be pathogens of salmonellosis or botulism.
- Green spots on the peel occur in immature fruits, and brown, on the contrary, signal a rotten flesh.
- From the ripe fruit comes aroma with honey and pear notes.
- The sound of cotton on a ripe fruit should be deaf, and its tail - dry.
- If you press the crust at the base of a ripe melon, you can feel the softness.
For storing melons, a dark place, cellar or cellar is best suited. The place should be cool enough, with a temperature of up to +3 degrees and humidity not exceeding 85 percent. It's best to hang a melon in the net, so that its threads do not rub the skin. If there are several melons, make sure that they do not come into contact with each other, otherwise the decay process may begin. It is undesirable to store melons next to potatoes and apples.
In a refrigerator, a melon can be stored for up to 6 days on the bottom shelf and wrapped in paper or cloth. If the melon is already cut, its pieces can be stored in the refrigerator only for a day. But there is a way in which this term can be extended. To do this, cut the melon into strips about 4 centimeters, spread it on a flat surface( for example, a tray) and put it in the freezer. After complete freezing, the strips are put in a bag and stored in a freezer. So the shelf life can be extended to one year.