Is watermelon good for the liver and can it be eaten for liver diseases
Watermelon is a favorite delicacy of many. A plant native to the Kalahari Desert. In Egypt, it was grown in the 20th century BC. Today, there are about 1200 varieties of watermelon in the world. The smallest fruit is a dwarf - only 3-4 centimeters in diameter. The largest is 159 kilograms.
There are still disputes - this sweet fruit is attributed to berries, fruits, vegetables or pumpkins, because watermelon fits several descriptions of botanical species.
Breeders have even managed to breed square and triangular watermelons. But the most remarkable quality of the plant is that it is very useful and successfully used to cleanse and health improvement... Watermelon is especially useful for the liver. However, first things first.
The content of the article
Composition
More than half (80%) of watermelon consists of water, therefore its calorie content is very small - only 27 kcal per 100 grams of product. But it is rich in useful amino acids, vitamins, trace elements. The table will tell you about the substances contained in watermelon.
Trace elements | Macronutrients | Vitamins |
Aluminum | Potassium | B vitamins |
Copper | Calcium | FROM |
Selenium | Magnesium | E |
Boron | Sulfur | RR |
Zinc | Sodium | Niacin |
Fluorine | Chlorine | |
Iodine | Phosphorus | |
Cobalt | ||
Molybdenum | ||
Nickel | ||
Chromium | ||
Rubidium | ||
Strontium | ||
Iron | ||
Lithium |
How watermelon affects the liver
For the treatment of liver diseases in traditional medicine, there are many effective remedies. Watermelon is one of them. The question of whether it is possible to eat it for liver diseases rarely arises.
The fruit has long been considered a universal means of cleansing this organ in the case of:
- poisoning;
- intoxication as a result of exposure to drugs;
- alcohol intoxication.
The melon berry has a unique property - it perfectly cleanses liver cells, removes toxins and toxins. Watermelon is often included in the diet, for example, with hepatitis A (Botkin's disease). Sweet pulp saturates the body with useful substances. Watermelon has a beneficial effect on the digestive system, which has a positive effect on the liver.
Benefit
Consider how watermelon affects the human body.
Folic acid in its composition normalizes cerebral circulation. As a result, memory improves, a person reacts less to stressful situations. The pulp of watermelon acts as a sorbent, ridding the body of harmful and toxic substances, has a positive effect on vision, immune, cardiovascular, digestive and nervous systems. The diuretic properties of the berry-vegetable contribute to the prevention and treatment of urinary and cholelithiasis.
Useful waste
Sunflower seeds and watermelon rind, usually discarded, is actually a valuable and healthy product. Healthy oil is prepared from seeds rich in carboxylic and linoleic acids... The seeds themselves are used as a hair regenerating agent. Seeds are also useful for the genitourinary system. There are as many vitamins of them as in the pulp.
The rinds are considered even healthier than the pulp. They contain fiber, proteins, pectin, amino acids, but there is much less sucrose and water than in the inner part. In folk recipes, watermelon peel is used:
- for cleansing from toxins;
- as a urinary and choleretic agent;
- to remove sputum;
- as a pain reliever.
What can harm
Watermelon can be harmful when ulcer and gastritis with tissue erosion. The pulp contains hydrochloric acid, which increases the damage to the diseased mucous membrane. Problems with kidney diseases are also possible - the diuretic effect, which is useful in many cases, can cause dehydration.
An allergic reaction can also be attributed to the harmful qualities of a melon berry.
Dangerous "filler"
For a watermelon to be healthy, it is important that it is ripe and of good quality. Often the fruits are grown using nitrates. They stimulate striped berries to ripen faster and increase their volume. If too much nitrates are used, the human body will get serious intoxication. Instead of getting better, you can end up in the hospital.
To avoid such troubles, it is advisable to buy watermelons in trusted places from a seller who has a sanitary certificate on the quality of the product. It is best to avoid buying handheld by the road.
Large yellow veins and an excessively bright color of the flesh, as well as waxiness and unnatural shine of the rind indicate about a high content of nitrates... If, after consuming watermelon, you soon feel nausea, dizziness and / or vomiting, consult a doctor immediately. Poisoning causes serious harm to the body.
Important! For children under 2-3 years old, watermelon is introduced into the diet with extreme caution, in small doses, and after consultation with a pediatrician. They carefully monitor the condition of the baby, and the product is chosen exclusively of high quality.
With liver diseases
Is watermelon good for liver diseases? The answer is clear: it is a very valuable product for the organ. First, it helps to establish the digestive tract, which has a positive effect on the liver. Secondly, it gets rid of toxins and other harmful compounds. Thirdly, it clears blockages in the bile ducts. Fourth, it prevents the development or increase of fatty deposits in the liver parenchyma.
Important! Cirrhosis, hepatitis, fatty hepatosis are serious diseases. Their treatment should be approached in a comprehensive manner. And be sure to consult with your doctor before using any, even the most harmless-looking, folk remedies.
To help with cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is a serious disease that cannot be dealt with without the help of doctors. But traditional medicine helps to significantly improve the condition. Changing your diet will also make your illness much easier. Among the permitted and recommended foods for cirrhosis, our hero is watermelon. Its vitamins and minerals will be very useful for the patient. By consuming at least 2.5 kilograms of pulp per day, you will cleanse the liver of harmful substances and improve its function.
Hepatitis will win
As an adjuvant therapy in all forms of hepatitis, cleansing the liver with watermelon has proven itself well. In the case of a mild course of hepatitis A, doctors sometimes do not even prescribe drugs.
If a person falls ill during the ripening season of watermelons, it is simply recommended to eat the berry as much as you want in combination with the diet and daily routine. Watermelon will cleanse the liver and help it heal. Due to the diuretic and cleansing effect, the disease is quickly "washed out" from the body.
Fatty hepatosis
In obese liver, diet is the first and perhaps the most important step in treatment. Diet and medicines help to alleviate the condition of a diseased liver, gradually restore its structure. Watermelon also contributes to health.
For patients, foods containing pantogamic acid, which are abundant in this berry, are useful. As we already said, watermelon gently cleanses the liver and has a low calorie content. Vegetable fiber and the nutrients that make up it help to establish the proper functioning of the organ and the digestive system as a whole.
How much to use and how
In most cases, experts recommend including watermelons in the diet for liver diseases. It is best to do this in season, at the end of August, when products of higher quality arrive on the markets, not oversaturated with nitrates, and therefore useful.
Even if your doctor has allowed you to consume the watermelon, do not add to it right away. Start taking one or two lobules and monitor the body's response. Gradually, you can bring the consumption up to 2.5 kilograms in the absence of contraindications.
Attention! This is exactly how it is advised to start cleaning with watermelons - taking a small amount for five to seven days before proceeding directly to cleaning. If you feel pain, see a specialist.
Cleansing the liver with watermelon
To cleanse the liver successfully, you need to prepare in advance. If you have not followed any diet before, it is advisable to give up fried, fatty, salty smoked and pickled foods, muffins, sweets, meat for a week... Lean food is preferred.
The consumption rate of the cleansing berry is calculated individually. 10 kg of body weight accounts for 1 kg of watermelon pulp per day.
Why clean
Liver health is very important. The liver is the “chemical plant” of our body. It neutralizes toxic substances, the results of the vital activity of microorganisms. In addition, the organ is involved in the synthesis of many substances, serves as a "storehouse" of a number of vitamins.
A polluted environment, stress, drugs, alcohol and overeating affect the health of our liver. Even a healthy person is susceptible to one or more destructive factors, and his liver suffers. What then to say about an organ that is already ill? But we can cleanse the liver of toxins and toxins accumulated in it. Watermelon is the first mate here.
How to clean
The course of watermelon cleansing lasts 7 days. During this time, you can only eat watermelon (how to calculate the consumption rate - described above) plus 2-3 slices of black rye bread. The watermelon rate is divided into 3-5 receptions, as it is convenient for anyone. You can drink water, but with caution, because melon berries already contain a lot of liquid.
Finishing the cleaning correctly
It is important not only to carry out watermelon cleaning correctly, but also to complete it. On the seventh day, you will have to get up at night (at three o'clock) and take a bath, having drunk two capsules of "No-shpy". Warm water will help to relax and open the bile ducts, which will facilitate the speedy evacuation of sand, toxins, or stagnant bile.
After the bath, do the cleansing exercise: stand on tiptoes and abruptly lower your entire foot. Repeat the movement 10 times. Instead of exercise, you can jump a little. If there is pain in the right hypochondrium, it is still necessary to take "No-shpa" and lie down in the bath again.
You need to get out of cleaning gradually. You can't immediately pounce on sweets or meat - this can ruin the whole effect. Introduce foods gradually over the course of a week. Do not overload the digestive tract and liver.
Caution does not hurt
There are few contraindications for watermelon. Diarrhea and some chronic diseases, especially in the acute stage, are a reason to refuse or significantly reduce the consumption of the product. Such diseases include:
- gastrointestinal diseases;
- pathology of the genitourinary system;
- pancreatitis;
- diabetes;
- large stones in the gallbladder.
For such diseases, you should consult with your doctor about the benefits and risks of taking watermelon or medicinal recipes based on it. With diabetes mellitus, the use of striped berries is allowed in small quantities, but only after consulting a doctor. He will also help you choose the right dose depending on the course of the disease.
Do no harm! If you have a tendency to form gallstones, be especially careful. If you don't know the size of the stones, instead of relieving the condition, you will get an aggravation. Large stones can move and block the ducts.
Why does the liver hurt from watermelon?
With correctly selected doses and following the recommendations of the attending physician, no pain should arise, except after a cleansing bath. But why does the watermelon hurt in the right side? Pain can appear in diseases when watermelon is contraindicated. Sometimes a person does not know about them until the beginning of the cleaning.
Pain also occurs with kidney pathologies, stones in them or in the gallbladder. Sometimes renal pain radiates to the right side, and the patient mistakes it for hepatic pain. Brushing with a nitrate-laden watermelon can also cause pain. This may be followed by nausea, vomiting, indigestion. This is a reason to urgently see a doctor.
Choosing a watermelon correctly
In order for a watermelon to bring maximum benefit, you need to not only follow the recommendations for its use, but also choose the right one. It is better to buy the fruits in August, when they ripen naturally. Before using watermelon, wash it with warm water and soap.
Do not take fruits with damage or a cut off piece. If the peel was dirty, germs could get inside, and instead of benefit, there is a risk of ending up in a hospital bed.
Several tips for choosing ripe, quality fruit:
- the tail of a watermelon ripe in the garden is dry, you will not see traces of the cut on it;
- stripes on the peel should be clear, bright, the peel itself should be elastic;
- the more yellow the color of the characteristic light spot on the watermelon, the more ripe it is (the spot appears where it lay during growth);
- if you knock on a ripe watermelon, you hear a ringing, booming sound; a dull sound makes an under- or overripe fruit.
Conclusion
Watermelon is a sweet and healthy treat that can be enjoyed in more ways than one. Cleansing and healing are the beneficial functions of the striped berry. Especially if you choose it correctly, take into account contraindications and doctor's recommendations.
The liver, free from toxins and toxins, will work better after cleansing with watermelon. The result will not be long in coming. Your mood will improve, vigor, lightness will appear, the condition of your skin and hair will also please. Perhaps annoying diseases will recede. Many have felt the healing power of watermelon, everyone can do it.