Can I eat watermelon when I have a summer cold?
Feb 17, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Ren Yi
Introduction
Under normal circumstances, people with a summer cold can eat watermelon. Watermelon contains abundant carbohydrates, vitamins, and sugars, which can supply the body's needed energy and nutrients. It helps accelerate metabolism and is beneficial for recovery from illness. At the same time, watermelon is a cooling fruit that has the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying, and can help relieve a sore throat caused by a cold.
Generally speaking, people can eat watermelon when they have a summer cold. The detailed explanation is as follows:
Watermelon contains abundant carbohydrates, vitamins, and sugars, which can supply the body with necessary energy and nutrients. It helps accelerate metabolism and is beneficial for recovery from illness. Additionally, watermelon is a cooling fruit that has the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying the body, thus helping to relieve a sore throat caused by a cold. It is rich in vitamin C, which helps enhance the body's immunity and promotes recovery from a cold. Watermelon also contains a large amount of water, which helps replenish fluids lost by the body, promotes excretion and urination, and helps remove internal heat and toxins.
Although watermelon is nutritionally rich, excessive consumption may harm the gastrointestinal tract, leading to poor appetite, indigestion, and a decline in gastrointestinal immunity. Therefore, it is recommended to consume it in moderation and avoid excessive intake at one time. Moreover, chilled watermelon is overly cold and may irritate the gastrointestinal tract, worsening cold symptoms. It is advisable to consume watermelon at room temperature or slightly chilled.
If someone has a heat-type cold (wind-heat感冒), eating watermelon is beneficial. However, if it is a cold-type cold (wind-cold感冒), eating watermelon may worsen the condition. This is because patients with wind-cold感冒 often exhibit symptoms such as chills and clear nasal discharge, and the cold nature of watermelon may exacerbate the cold pathogen in the body.
