How many calories in a melon?

When you were enjoying aromatic sweet melon in summer and autumn, you probably had a question, how many calories in a melon. Many here are looking for a dirty trick, because usually the tasty is high-calorie, and therefore represents a danger to the figure. However, a melon is an easy dessert fruit that even those who struggle with excess weight can afford.

Chemical composition of melon

The juicy pulp of this fruit is the source of many useful substances and compounds.

  1. Melon contains a large amount of iron, which makes it useful to people with a low level of hemoglobin.
  2. Also, the fruits are rich in iodine, this element is found in the thyroid hormones. So lovers of melon can not be afraid of iodine deficiency and associated hypothyroidism.
  3. Melon carries potassium, calcium and magnesium - the elements without which the heart muscle can not function properly.
  4. Melon fruits contain vitamins of group B, which in our body regulate vital processes - the exchange of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. These vitamins also ensure the smooth functioning of the nervous system and lasting immunity.
  5. In addition, melon is a source of ascorbic acid, which provides a normal state of the cardiovascular system.
  6. In the melon pulp, you can also find nicotinic acid, which takes part in oxidation processes, helps to lower the level of cholesterol in the blood.
  7. Vitamin A, which you get by eating a melon, will help to keep the hair, nails and skin in perfect condition, and also support the visual function.

Benefits, harm and caloric content of melon

Useful properties of this delicious fruit are due not only to its rich chemical composition. Melon contains a large amount of fiber, which helps to soften the digestive system and remove excess liquid from the body. In addition, fiber binds in the intestine a portion of fats and removes them, helping to normalize the level of cholesterol. Therefore, nutritionists especially recommend including melon in their menus to people who have atherosclerosis. However, the benefits of melons do not end there. It is believed that in the flesh of the fruits there are enzymes that help the process of digestion.

Despite this, the melon should not be consumed with alcoholic beverages or dairy products, as this often leads to digestive disorders - flatulence , bloating, diarrhea. In general, to enjoy these fruits better after a few hours after the main meal. The melon pulp contains simple carbohydrates and starch in large quantities in comparison with other fruits, in connection with this diabetic patient it should be limited.

Fresh melon can safely be considered diet and useful, because its caloric content is quite low - in 100 grams of pulp contains about 35-50 calories (depending on the variety). Therefore, people who follow the figure, can easily afford such a light snack. But this can not be said about the calorie content of a dried melon, which is many times higher. Such candied fruits from melon have a caloric value of about 344 calories per 100 grams. Here such a dessert can inflict serious harm on a figure, therefore it is not necessary to get involved with sweet candied fruits. In addition, in the process of preparing them, the amount of simple carbohydrates increases significantly, and some necessary compounds (enzymes and vitamins) are destroyed, so dried melon is not as useful as fresh. Although those who follow a diet can occasionally afford to themselves a little candied melon instead of the usual more high-calorie sweets - chocolate, baked goods or cakes.