Eating melons in summer is just right! Dr. Putuo reminds us to pay attention to these situations

This week, Xiaoman is approaching, and the temperature has also climbed to over 30 degrees. Summer is beckoning to us

This week, Xiaoman is approaching, and the temperature has also climbed to over 30 degrees. Summer is beckoning to us. Speaking of summer, there are "three treasures": air conditioning, WiFi, and watermelons. Watermelons can be said to give you the taste buds in summer. The Compendium of Materia Medica records that watermelons were introduced to China from the Five Dynasties period. They originated in Africa and were said to have been introduced to China along the "Silk Road" from the Western Regions. As they came from the West, they were named "watermelons".

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Watermelon also has magical effects

The ancients believed that high-quality watermelons are "extremely sweet and fragrant with pear flowers". They are rich in nutrition, rich in glucose, fructose, citrulline, lycopene, vitamin C, sodium, iron, selenium, zinc and other trace elements. For example, citrulline can prevent arteriosclerosis, and lycopene can inhibit melanin and tumor, which are of great benefit to human health.

Watermelon contains about 90% of its water content, and its flesh has a sweet and cold taste. It has the effects of clearing heat and relieving heat, promoting saliva and thirst, and promoting diuresis and relieving thirst. Wang Mengying, a renowned scholar of warm diseases in the Qing Dynasty, praised watermelon in his "Suixi Ju Dietary Manual", saying, "Clearing the lungs and stomach, relieving heat, relieving anxiety and thirst," hence the reputation of "Born White Tiger Soup" (note: White Tiger Soup is a famous heat clearing formula in traditional Chinese medicine for treating the syndrome of excessive heat and qi).

On hot summer days, when tired and sweaty, eating a sweet and juicy watermelon is quite beneficial for clearing heat, relieving fatigue, replenishing water, and improving fever symptoms.

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Eating watermelons in a timely manner after drinking can have a certain anti alcoholic effect on mildly intoxicated individuals. The "Drinking and Eating Essentials" of the Yuan Dynasty states that "it is used to relieve thirst, treat anxiety, and detoxify alcohol." Watermelon has a strong diuretic effect and can promote the faster excretion of ethanol from the body. If a friend is severely drunk, they should seek medical attention in a timely manner.

Medical pigeon

But melons are not round, and things are not perfect!

Watermelon is fresh, sweet and delicious, but there are also some noteworthy situations.

Watermelon contains more sugar, so patients with diabetes should eat it carefully according to the doctor's advice and blood sugar control level.

Watermelon is rich in water content. Eating too much at once can cause a large amount of water to enter the stomach, dilute gastric juice, cause indigestion, and increase the burden on the heart and kidneys. Friends with heart and kidney dysfunction should not eat more.

Although watermelon is good at relieving heat, its nature is cold and cool, and it can accumulate cold and help with dampness. When the Compendium of Materia Medica mentions watermelons, it warns: "The common people think that they are enlightened and the sweet dew is sprinkled on their hearts. If they take a moment's pleasure, they do not know the harm of damaging the spleen and aiding dampness

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Friends who are usually impatient with cold and have poor digestive function often fall under the condition of "spleen stomach deficiency, cold, and dampness" in traditional Chinese medicine. Be careful not to eat too much and avoid eating chilled watermelons. You can soak the watermelon taken out of the refrigerator in cold water to avoid damaging the spleen and yang due to excessive cooling.

Wang Zengqi's words record the refreshing joy brought by soaking watermelons in cold water: "Watermelons are hung in a well with ropes. They are cut in the afternoon, and with a single cut, there is a sound of clicking, and the cool air overflows, even the eyes are cold

After cutting the watermelon, it's best to eat it in a timely manner. If you cannot finish it, you should use plastic wrap on the cut surface and store it in the refrigerator, but you should also use it in a timely manner. Yuan Mei, an elderly man from Suiyuan, is proficient in diet and believes that "watermelon is cut a bit late, but not fresh".

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Remind some friends who like to eat freshly squeezed watermelon juice that the process of making juice can damage the integrity of watermelon nutrition. From the perspective of nutrient absorption, it is better to eat watermelon directly.

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The ancients paid attention to "the order of four seasons, and those who succeed will retire". The fruit in season contains the most nutritious essence. Nowadays, shopping is convenient, and watermelon can be eaten all year round. However, from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine health preservation, natural laws should be followed and attention should be paid to protecting yang qi. Watermelon should still be consumed in the summer.

Author Introduction:

Ge Huaxun, Master of Medicine, Deputy Chief Physician of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine at Putuo District Central Hospital. Member of the first phase of the "Hospital Science Popularization Hundred Talents Plan", member of the second batch of traditional Chinese medicine science popularization tour group in Shanghai, and member of the Shanghai Famous Traditional Chinese Medicine Zhao Guoding Putuo Inheritance Studio. He is good at treating hypertension, stroke sequelae, diabetes, sleep disorders, chronic cough and other chronic diseases of the elderly. Actively participate in community traditional Chinese medicine health lectures, free clinics, etc.

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Data: Putuo District Central Hospital

Editor: Huang Mei

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