A clear sign that summer is moving towards the end is the appearance of striped handsome watermelons in retail outlets. Rarely does anyone dislike their cool, juicy and sweet flesh. This article addresses the issue of whether watermelon can be consumed by people with cholecystitis and pancreatitis.

Chemical composition and calorie content

Watermelon is a very popular fruit. Not only because of the refreshing taste, but also because of the nutritional and healing properties. Watermelon is a juicy low-calorie product, therefore it is used in the treatment of cholecystitis, pancreatitis and is used in diet for weight loss.The chemical composition of watermelon. The fruit pulp consists of more than 90% water, so it not only refreshes effectively, but is also a valuable ingredient in the diet of people who lose weight or want to maintain a constant body weight. 100 g of watermelon contains only 30 kcal.

Did you know? A huge watermelon weighing about 80 kg was grown in the Krasnodar Territory of the Russian Federation. This striped giant was included in the Book of Records of Europe, as the largest representative of this melon culture.

Useful properties of watermelon:

1. The properties of this fruit are due to its high lycopene content., a red pigment from the carotenoid family, which has a positive effect on human health. It is a very strong antioxidant that can effectively remove free radicals from the body and protect cells from their harmful effects. Lycopene also helps to regenerate other valuable antioxidants, such as lutein and zeaxanthin. Lycopene is recognized as a substance with a protective anti-cancer effect, it plays a special role in the proper functioning of the prostate gland and helps to reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer in men. It can also inhibit the growth of cancer cells in the colon.
2. The color that gives the color of the pulp of watermelon has a positive effect on the circulatory system, reducing the level of "bad" cholesterol, and the appearance of the skin. The juice of this fruit has astringent and cleansing properties, helps in the treatment of inflammatory processes or diseases of internal organs.
3. The nutritional value of watermelon is very high due to the citrulline contained in it. - an organic chemical compound from the group of amino acids that stimulates the body's immunity and increases the level of arginine in the blood. Thanks to these substances, the product increases the strength and endurance of a person, and also accelerates muscle recovery after great efforts, such as sports loads.
4. Watermelon seeds are removed before eating, but they also have many nutritional properties.. They contain valuable amino acids: arginine (regulates the work of the heart, reduces blood pressure, increases the ability to exercise) and tryptophan, which is used to produce important hormones, serotonin and melatonin. Seeds also contain a lot of potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron, B vitamins and unsaturated fatty acids, especially linoleic acid.

Properties of watermelon with cholecystitis

With inflammation of the gallbladder in the human body, stagnation of bile occurs. In order for the digestive tract to resume its functions, stagnant bile must be made liquid and removed from the body. Cholecystitis cannot be healed on its own, without the help of doctors, so delays in treatment and poor diet only complicate the patient’s condition and inevitably lead to complications.

The most dangerous consequence of cholecystitis is the appearance in the gallbladder of stones or holes of different diameters. To make bile liquid and remove it from the body, doctors recommend therapy using drugs and diet food. In the case of cholecystitis, the patient is assigned a diet No. 5, intended for patients diagnosed with cholecystitis, pancreatitis, liver pathology or cholelithiasis.

Did you know? There are watermelon crumbs that do not exceed the size of an average orange. Usually these are representatives of wild gourds, tasteless and unfit for food.

Cholecystitis develops in humans for various reasons, but most often its occurrence provokes an incorrect diet. Improper nutrition does not give the body the necessary dietary fiber. This is the stimulation of malfunctions in the functioning of the gallbladder. That is why in diet No. 5 there are many plant foods with a high composition of dietary fiber. One of the main places in this diet is watermelon.

Useful

Watermelon has an antibacterial effect and prevents the formation of blood clots. Due to its high water content, the fruit has a diuretic and choleretic effect, and also cleanses the body of toxins. It is also effective in treating edema caused by impaired heart and kidney function.

In addition, watermelon is characterized by a high glycemic index (75), so after eating there is a fairly rapid increase in blood glucose and a feeling of satiety. Recently, another indicator is often taken into account - the glycemic load of the body, which allows you to determine the actual effect of the amount of carbohydrates consumed on blood sugar.

In the case of watermelon - this is 4 (120 g of fruit gives 4 g of carbohydrates), which is a rather low value, safe for health or body. Watermelon pulp is, first of all, water, carbohydrates and dietary fiber. It contains: beta-carotene (vitamin A), folic acid, vitamin C, pantothenic acid and B vitamins: B1, B2, B3 and B6.

Harmful properties and possible contraindications

Chronic patients diagnosed with “cholecystitis” can and should eat watermelon, but not too much, taking into account the recommendations of doctors. It must be remembered that any disease imposes some restrictions on the patient, and possibly contraindications, and this largely depends on the stage of the disease and the severity of its course.

Important! Patients with a diagnosis of gallstone disease are not recommended to overeat watermelon pulp, since at the same time as the bile is removed from the body, painful biliary colic can result. The abuse of watermelon can also contribute to blockage of the bile duct with stones.

Rules for choosing a watermelon when buying

To get the undoubted benefit from a watermelon, when buying it, you need to pay attention to some nuances.

Selection Rules:

1. The most useful gourds appear in the season characteristic of their ripening. Fruits bought in winter or early spring are likely to be crammed with chemicals that are responsible for the rapid ripening, sweetness and red pulp pigment.
2. When choosing a fruit, you need to carefully inspect it to identify soft areas, rot, mechanical damage.
3. A well-ripened watermelon will have a bright yellow spot on one side and a shanked peduncle tail.
4. Ripe fruit, with a slight squeezing, emits a barely audible crack, a knock on its peel will be sonorous and clear.

Features of the use of watermelon with cholecystitis

People with cholecystitis should eat watermelon. But it is important to eat it precisely in the harvest season of this crop, which begins from the first of August and lasts until about September 15–20. During this period, the fruits of gourds appear on the shelves, grown without stimulation by chemical means, which means that they are pure from nitrates and other chemicals.

Juicy watermelon pulp for patients with chronic gallbladder inflammation can be consumed at any stage of the disease (during remission and in the acute phase).

This is especially important during an exacerbation, because the main part of the diet during this period consists of fresh, juicy plant foods (vegetables, fruits, and berries). But do not forget that the portions of patients with cholecystitis should be small (fractional). If you want to eat, you should eat more often. Patients should not use a large amount of juicy watermelon pulp at one time.

In acute cholecystitis

With all the benefits and positive qualities, watermelon should not be used uncontrollably. Patients with a diagnosis of cholecystitis should not eat more than 1.5 kg of watermelon pulp per day. The maximum portion of this product at one time is 300 g. It is also undesirable to resort to cleansing the body with melons, making the daily menu only from watermelon pulp, vegetable salads and bread.

To optimally adapt the diet to a specific patient, you need to consult your doctor, who will make up a watermelon diet. Inflammation of the gallbladder requires frequent and small meals. A sick person should eat 5 or 6 times a day, absorbing about 200-300 g of food at a time.

With chronic cholecystitis

Patients with such a diagnosis are also useful striped melon fruit, but they need to additionally adhere to the regime of water absorption. On a day, patients need to drink at least 1.5 liters of clean drinking water. The amount of water drunk does not depend on how much compote, tea or watermelon pulp the patient consumed per day. With cholecystitis, vegetable oil should also be present in the human diet.

Did you know? Oil is obtained from the seeds of watermelon, which is an excellent cosmetic product that perfectly moisturizes, strengthens and nourishes the skin. Due to its high content of antioxidants, the oil has anti-aging properties.

Storage methods

Fresh watermelon is not stored for too long. If the fetus is not broken, there is no mechanical damage or decay, then it can be stored in a room with a temperature not exceeding + 15 ° C for about 30 days. After the watermelon has been sliced, it needs to be eaten within 3-5 hours, because in summer the fruit pulp can sour. In the refrigerator, watermelon slices can be stored for 2-3 days, but at the same time they must be covered with cling film. Shelter will prevent the drying of the pulp and the loss of fruit juiciness.You can also preserve the fruits of gourds by freezing them in the freezer. To do this, the watermelon pulp is separated from the crust, cut into slices, placed in airtight food containers and frozen. Freezing allows you to save most of the beneficial properties of watermelon. Consumers need to remember that after a freeze, the fruit cannot be thawed and frozen again.

Thawed fruit slices lose their elasticity, because their tissues were torn by frozen juice. Patients with gallbladder inflammation are very useful watermelon, which has diuretic and choleretic properties. But you need to use it with caution, without overeating, and only after agreeing on a fruit diet with your doctor.