Diabetes is a disease caused by excess glucose in the body and that’s why someone who’s suffering from the disorder should really limit some foods that are rich in glucose. This is because it is possible that blood sugar spikes and causes problems, many dangerous problems that could even take their lives.
Some fruits should also be completely avoided by diabetics and one of the fruits that are rumored not to be consumed is watermelon. But the question still remains, is it true that it causes problems after eating it?
Like benefits of semolina, watermelon is a fruit that is in demand by many people, especially when the weather is hot, and even a fruit that always accompanies the hot summer festival in Japan.
This fruit that has a sweet taste and contains lots of fluids turns out to have many nutrients that are good for the body but somehow there’s a rumour saying that it turns out that some people are not allowed to consume watermelon.
Many people believe someone who has diabetes is prohibited from eating the fruit, just like eating something related to glucose and sweete-ness like benefits of eating dark chocolate.
Watermelon can increase blood sugar within a short period of time, making it dangerous for those of you who have problems processing glucose in the body.
However, no studies have found a specific correlation between watermelon and the problems that can occur in people with diabetes whereas some sources also say that consumption of watermelon can reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications.
So there’s a contradiction here, which leads to confusion, whether watermelon is safe or not to be consumed by diabetics unlike healthier alternatives.
One indicator that makes many people say watermelon can be dangerous for people with diabetes is the resulting glycemic index which is an important indicator used to assess how quickly sugar from food enters the bloodstream. With the higher level of glycemic index, the faster the blood sugar spike would occur.
Each food will be graded from a score of 1 to 100 for a glycemic rating, whereas the higher the number, the faster the sugar enters the bloodstream.
For watermelon, the GI number is around 76.and you should know that the normal limit of the index is 70. Therefore, people with diabetes should still be careful about consuming watermelon, not to be excessive when consuming it, even though sometimes it seems a little bit hard.
If people with diabetes still want to eat this fruit, consuming it must be accompanied by foods rich in healthy fats, fiber, and protein like benefits of red rice.
Some foods that contain these substances are nuts and seeds and with this method done regularly, people with diabetes can be full longer and reduce the bad effects caused by watermelon on blood glucose levels.
However, watermelon is still believed to carry a lot of benefits for diabetics, like :
1. Prevents Dehydration and Constipation
Watermelon is one of the fruits like benefits of beets with a very high water content and that’s why it’s not so surprising that this fruit is very popular in tropical regions and is a favorite fruit during the summer in the country of four seasons.
Thanks to the very high water content, the benefits of watermelon make a person avoid dehydration and it certainly tastes better than ordinary mineral water. Without adding additional toppings or something, watermelon is already delicious as it is.
Constipation or difficulty defecating can be caused by various things, such as a low-fiber diet, or the habit of consuming dairy products, such as cheese or eggs.
Eating fruits and vegetables that are rich in fiber can help smooth the digestive process and relieve constipation and the fruits that are high in water content, such as watermelon and cantaloupe, are also good for preventing and helping to treat this condition.
2. Controls Diabetes
When you consume watermelon, your kidneys convert one amino acid, L-citrulline, into another amino acid with a distinctive name called L-arginine. These two amino acids have many health benefits,especially to control diabetes, even though it’s a bit powerless without additional medicines.
Research shows that the benefits of watermelon can help to regulate glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity due to the content of L-arginine supplementation. While you may not be able to get as many amino acids from watermelon as in supplements, it should be noted that foods containing this compound can be very useful for diabetics..
3. Lowering Blood Pressure
According to research published in The American Journal of Hypertension, that the benefits of watermelon in extract form can reduce high blood pressure in obese people suffering from hypertension thanks to the good amount of potassium and magnesium present in watermelon is very beneficial in lowering blood pressure.
Potassium is considered a vasodilator, meaning it releases tension on blood vessels and arteries, thereby stimulating blood flow and reducing stress on the cardiovascular system, whereas carotenoids in this fruit also prevent hardening of the walls of the arteries and veins, thereby helping reduce blood pressure and possible blood clots, strokes, heart attacks and atherosclerosis.
Not only the meat, the benefits of watermelon skin can also reduce hypertension because the citrulline content is concentrated in watermelon skin. So be sure to also consume the skin as well, since it’s really watery and highly refreshing, despite it being tasteless.
4. Prevents cancer
Dr. Laura Bowers from Department of Nutrition of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA was once conducted a study about watermelon and suggests that insulin-like growth factors (IGF) or lower insulin-like growth factors are important for treating cancer. The benefits of watermelon also help lower insulin which is often a major factor in cancer worsening which is highly related to one of its content, lycopene.
Watermelon has received a lot of attention in recent years, mainly due to the levels of lycopene in watermelon, a carotenoid phytonutrient compound that is increasingly believed to have cancer-fighting properties.
Lycopene has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of prostate, breast, colon, lung, and endometrial cancer and overall, between the antioxidant potential of vitamin C, the antitumor properties of cucurbitacin E and the effects of lycopene, watermelon is a great anti-cancer fruit just like benefits of sweet potatoes.