Correct watermelon
Watermelon like adults and children. And not in vain - a valuable food product containing a significant amount of useful substances. This - a dietary product that is recommended in clinical nutrition. Watermelon is simply delicious and perfectly removes thirst on a hot day. But is it worth giving it to children? Of course, it is worth. Only under the condition that the watermelon ripe, whole, and not packed with nitrates. In order not to harm the child, you need to know where, how and when to buy watermelons.
Watermelon charm
Watermelon not only attracts taste. It is rich in easily digestible sugars, mainly fructose, trace elements (magnesium, potassium, etc.), pectic substances. In a lot of watermelon folic acid - 150 g of fruit is enough to meet the daily requirement of this vitamin. The distinguishing feature of the watermelon is low calorie: 100 g of edible part of the fruit contains only 27 calories. Flesh is a unique berry good thirst quencher. With the heat we lose through sweat is not only water but also a number of trace elements, so valuable that a watermelon, unlike so many drinks, reimburse our losses and fluid and micronutrient requirements, increases resistance to hot weather. Available in watermelon large number of fiber helps to correct the work of the intestine, improves digestion. The fiber in sweet watermelon, so it works very delicately. And another useful substance provides us with a watermelon. This is a lycopene - a natural antioxidant, a representative of a large group of substances, which are mainly found in products of plant origin and are known antitumor activity. A good watermelon - a valuable dietary product, which can be recommended for people of any age. It is a diuretic and choleretic tool has a curative effect for diseases of the liver, gall bladder, kidney and urinary tract. Gentle fiber and low acidity makes it possible to use watermelons for those who suffer from gastritis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach), gastroduodenitis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach and duodenum).
Where are the poor watermelons?
In recent years the relationship has changed somewhat in watermelons. Alertness this, I must say, not unreasonably. Make a watermelon can be dangerous to health and incorrect storage conditions, and violation of trade rules. Experts say that to fear should first roadside arbuznyh meltdown, which receives nekonditsionny or rejected trade and sanitary inspector goods. Under the rules, roadside trading melon crops generally prohibited, and the product of these points should be withdrawn. Just a few hours to watermelons absorbed contained in car emissions of heavy metals. Under the rules, the place of trade should be fenced, located under a canopy. Watermelons should be decomposed into commodity tray, and not pile on the ground. In carelessly scribbled watermelons through microcracks are able to penetrate dirt and pathogens. The seller must be authorized Sanitary-Epidemiological Station (SES) on trade and health book. Finally, a certificate of compliance with requirements of traded goods. After reading the certificate, you can verify the origin of the watermelon. In addition, the certificate controls the content of mineral fertilizers, the amount of radiation, heavy metals, etc. If the certificate and make copies, you should pay attention to the seal, which should be in color. If you print black - a fake certificate.
Why watermelon can be with nitrates and how it affects your health?
Watermelon, like all melons, very grateful plant. Under certain conditions, for one season can not manage to gather a crop of berries. However, "intensive farming, the desire to achieve rapid yield the maximum of large fruit, as well as violations of the rules of transportation, storage and trade make dietary product into a source of trouble. To watermelon mature fast and gaining weight, craftsmen overfeed him fertilizers, mainly nitrogen - nitrate (nitric acid salts: sodium nitrate, potassium, ammonium, calcium). The introduction of nitrates in the soil is accompanied by the accumulation of them in the flesh of the plant. Contribute to nitrate accumulation and lack of sun and plenty of moisture. Nitrates themselves a little toxic, but they are precursors of N-nitroso compounds with the ability to cause cancer and nitrites. The conversion of nitrate to nitrite occurs in the gastrointestinal tract with the participation of microflora. Even some of them enters the body as a finished product: a part of nitrate already in watermelon is converted to nitrite, which contributes to high humidity. With increasing periods of storage the content of nitrites in watermelon increases several times. Nitrites, in contrast to nitrates are toxic compounds. They violate the transport function of blood, affecting the hemoglobin - the oxygen carrier to the tissues. There hypoxia - oxygen starvation of tissues, which is particularly poorly tolerated children, as well as those who suffer from cardiovascular diseases, respiratory, and excretory systems.
Clean - the guarantee of health
Often the cause of unpleasant consequences of eating watermelons we visit ourselves. At the watermelon rind Reserved soil particles, dust, various microorganisms, so careless washed fruit may cause intestinal infection. Do not buy a watermelon rind with a damaged or already cut. Bacteria multiply rapidly at the surface of damaged sweet fruit in the presence of air (even quite small lesions), and by eating a watermelon may cause gastro-intestinal disorders. In addition, the watermelon is eaten often not immediately sliced and stored at room temperature. In these conditions, the surface of the fruit and begin to breed bacteria.
Trouble on watermelon
Unfortunately, today no one can guarantee the purity of watermelon at 100 percent, except when you personally it raised. Since the effects of eating low-quality product are quite serious, do not offer it to children under 2 years of age. The younger the child, the less protected his body from the adverse impacts - microbes, nitrates, toxins, the harder it may be consequences. Older children watermelon is desirable to offer during its natural maturation - the end of August, in the autumn. By that time already ripe watermelons without fertilizers, and even taste them in this period is much higher. For baby 2-3 years is sufficient 80-100 g of watermelon, for a child 3-6 years - 100-150 PM Incompetent watermelon can cause disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. The time of their occurrence varies from 1-2 hours to 1-2 days after eating the product. The smaller the child's age, the sooner they can occur. Appearance disorders: weakness, fatigue, headache, fever, paroxysmal abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, upset his chair, which can lead to dehydration. Depending on the amount of body encountering a harmful agent, the age and stability of individual disease can occur in various forms. In mild form observed weakness, lethargy, nausea, 1-2-fold vomiting and (or) 1-2-fold diluted chair. Severe disturbances in the organs and systems are accompanied by a pronounced weakness, headache, high fever, repeated vomiting and thin stools, leading to dehydration. Before coming to the doctor the child should be helped. The main goal - to give your child as much water and thus reduce the manifestations of the disease. Must often fractional drink. Vomiting Child unsolder a teaspoon or even a pipette. In the drink is better to add REGIDRON, tours, enterodes - specialized formulations for recovery of losses not only fluid, but also salts. Using drugs that can attract the harmful substances and remove them from the body (sorbents) - smectite, Enterosgel, POLIFEPAM. When abdominal pain should be given the means relieves spasms of the intestine - NO silos, papaverine, but not in any way painkillers (analgesics), such as, analgine. It should be remembered that under the guise of poisoning can often lurk surgical pathology, for example appendicitis - inflammation of the appendix. Receiving analgesics can mask the symptoms of appendicitis, with the pathological process will develop gradually. Untimely diagnosis threatens to severe complications and can be costly for the health of the child. Pediatrician qualified after examination will appoint the necessary treatment. In severe cases, the child may need systematic medical supervision and assistance in the hospital.
How to eat watermelon?
Well? You have not ceased to love watermelons? Well, right. And to avoid trouble caused by their use, listen to the advice of a specialist.
1. Before you cut the watermelon, do not forget to wash with warm water and soap.
2. Sliced watermelon stored in the refrigerator.
3. In different parts of the plant nitrate accumulate unevenly. Research shows that watermelons most poisonous flesh from the rind thickness of about 3 cm, so the child is better to offer a part that is closer to the core.
4. Enjoying a favorite product, says the measure. Proportionate number of watermelon and age of the child.
Watermelon - a valuable and delicious product that can deliver a real pleasure. But only if it is properly grown, properly stored, sold correctly and properly consumed.
How to Store Watermelon
Watermelons can be stored for a long time in fresh. If properly stored it can not only decorate the table at New Year, but even on 8 March. To do this, buy the fall watermelon weighing not more than 4 kg of dry tail. It is desirable that the yellow stain on the side was as small as possible. Wash, dry, put a watermelon in the net and hang in a cool dark place better in the cellar at a temperature no higher than +5 ° C so that it is nowhere touched. You can certainly get by with a dark closet in the apartment, but in this case watermelon could be kept only until the end of the year.
How to choose a watermelon. Learn to choose a watermelon!
1. To watermelon brought joy and pleasure, we must remember: the best time to buy watermelon in Russia - is the end of summer and autumn.
2. Watermelon must be purchased in designated areas of trade, shops, rather than natural markets.
3. Because watermelons one class and one party is better to choose a watermelon big, but not gigantic. The larger and thus easier to watermelon, so it is ripe. When selecting watermelons can not be too small and too large.
4. Dry tail - a sign of maturity. Matured, watermelon first "off" from the melon - he dries up the tail. Then stop being produced already useless to him pigment chlorophyll that catches the sunlight and provides breathing and development of plants, and under the influence of light appear bright spots. This is a sure sign that the melon is ripe.
5. Bright spot on his side, who rested a watermelon, it should be as yellow, even orange.
6. Striped crust should be maximum contrast.
7. A ripe watermelon necessarily covered with solid shiny crust that is difficult to pierce with a fingernail, and all because, "rupture" with the melon, watermelon is no longer able to absorb the moisture and its crust solidified. But if the nail is easily pierces watermelon skin - it means the fruit raw, unripe. You can even rub the crust and smell: the smell of fresh cut grass, too, speaks of substandard.
8. A ripe watermelon always springs back under the blow, and sometimes resonates with the pat. If it knock, heard not deaf, but a pure, ringing sound.
9. You can make a watermelon to the ear and struggled to squeeze his hands. At the ripe fruit peel a little sag and creak.
10. . To check on the ripeness of a watermelon, it is thrown into the water, pops up - so ripe.
11. Watermelon - bisexual berry. In "male" specimen bottom berries convex, and pat her little boy. We "girls" a flat bottom, and a wide circle. "Girls" are considered tastier: seeds in them less and more sugar.
Signals SOS. Nitrate watermelon.
If a watermelon "perekormlen, nitrates, he told us himself about this signal, demonstrating the following signs:
* Intensely red pulp with a small purple hue;
Fiber *, which go from the core to the crust is not white, as expected, but with all shades of yellow;
* A "wrong" watermelon cut surface is smooth, glossy, and the "right" watermelon, she sparkles grains;
* Pound piece of watermelon flesh in a glass of water. If the watermelon is good, the water simply pomutneet. If the watermelon "harmful", the water turns red or pink.
In the early products of nitrate usually contains more than in late summer or autumn. Although it depends not only on the season, but also from irrigation and the growing conditions. Permissible rate of nitrates in the water-melons - 60 mg per 1 kg.
