How watermelon can help you take less painful steps in the summer

When gout flares up, even taking a single step can feel like walking on knives. As summer heat arrives, watermelon – a summer staple – turns out to be a helpful dietary aid for gout patients. Here's the proper way to eat watermelon, along with important precautions.

Dr. Chen Wei, Deputy Director of the Clinical Nutrition Department at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, points out that watermelon is virtually free of purines and has excellent diuretic properties, effectively promoting uric acid excretion. Additionally, watermelon helps lower blood lipids, soften blood vessels, and protect cardiovascular health, making it very suitable for gout patients, especially during acute flares or those with concurrent hypertension.

Chen adds that fresh watermelon rind also has diuretic effects and can help moisturize the skin. He recommends a daily intake of about 200 grams. However, he cautions against eating excessive amounts at once, as watermelon's high water content can dilute gastric juices, leading to indigestion and reduced gastrointestinal resistance.

4 Groups Who Should Be Cautious: Overeating Can Be Dangerous

Although watermelon offers many benefits, Chen warns that 4 groups must strictly control their intake:

1. Patients with heart failure or poor kidney function: Should eat sparingly to reduce fluid burden on the heart and kidneys.
2. Those with high blood sugar or diabetes: Should avoid overeating to prevent blood sugar spikes.
3. People with weak, cold digestion (spleen-stomach deficiency cold) or those in the early stages of a cold (whether wind-cold or wind-heat type): Should also avoid excessive consumption.
4. Cut watermelon left out for too long: Should be discarded to prevent spoilage and bacterial growth, which can cause food poisoning.

Traditional Folk Uses of Watermelon Rind

Beyond eating the flesh, watermelon rind has therapeutic folk uses. For example, boiling 100 grams of fresh watermelon rind in water can help relieve edema caused by heart or kidney problems. Additionally, drying and grinding watermelon rind (exposed to sun and dew) into a powder, mixed with a little borneol powder, can be applied topically as a folk remedy for wind-fire toothache.

Dietary Pairing Guidelines: Avoid Watermelon with Lamb

Watermelon has specific compatible and incompatible food pairings:

• Excellent Pairing: Watermelon + Green Tea: Beneficial for hypertension and cardiovascular/cerebral health.
• Refreshing Pairing: Watermelon + Mint: Freshens breath, reduces stress, and lifts mood.
• Cooling Pairing: Watermelon + Perilla: Excellent for clearing heat and detoxifying.
• Laxative Pairing: Watermelon Rind + Rock Sugar: Helps cool blood and promote bowel movements.
• NEVER Pair: Watermelon + Lamb: One is hot-natured, the other cold-natured – extremely incompatible. Eating them together can easily cause bloating and diarrhea. Definitely avoid!

Source: Health 2.0

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