Watermelon is a favorite melon culture of both adults and children. Many people know about its benefits, but few people suspected that not only the flesh, but also the crust was useful in it. It is used to treat various ailments, as well as a cosmetic product. More about this in our article.

Chemical and vitamin composition of watermelon peels

The main component of a watermelon is water. Its content in it is at least 90%. It is present not only in the pulp of this berry, but also in the peel.

In addition to water, watermelon peel contains many useful substances:

• alimentary fiber;
• organic acids;
• lycopene;
• pectins;
• saccharides;
• cellulose;
• chlorophyll;
• amino acids;
• vitamins: A, C, E, PP, group B;
• potassium;
• magnesium;
• calcium;
• sodium;
• phosphorus;
• silicon;
• zinc;
• iron.

Features of watermelon peels

Such a diverse composition, together with a significant amount of water, can also affect the body in different ways. This is manifested both in the beneficial effect of the product and in minor harm to the human body.

Benefit

• Find out what is the use of watermelon peel:
• relieves edema caused by heart and kidney problems;
• normalizes the water-salt balance;
• lowers blood pressure;
• helps in the fight against extra pounds, with the manifestations of cellulite;
• improves the general condition with gout;
• accelerates the recovery process of the body after a prolonged illness or aggressive treatment;
• removes harmful substances from the body;
• inhibits the inflammatory processes that occur in the digestive system;
• helps to remove stones from the kidneys, bladder, and also reduces the likelihood of their re-formation;
• eliminates problems with bowel movements.

Harm and contraindications

The skin of a watermelon, like any fruit, is capable of accumulating harmful substances that agronomists often use to combat crop diseases, pests and weeds. Therefore, only an environmentally friendly product can benefit. But with him you need to be careful for those who may have an individual intolerance to watermelon. Otherwise, there are no contraindications to the use of watermelon peel.

Important! When using watermelon peels, you need to remember that they are a strong diuretic and, due to this, wash potassium out of the body. Therefore, in the diet, it is necessary to include products containing this element.

How to properly prepare watermelon peels

Harvesting watermelon peels in various ways. The most popular is drying. To get a quality product, raw materials need to be prepared. First, the peel should be separated from the pulp, then cut off the upper painted layer from it. After this, the skin must be cut into thin strips and laid out in one layer on a baking sheet.

You can dry the crust in the sun, in an electric dryer or in the oven. If drying is not carried out in the sun, then on average this process takes 1.5 hours. Initially, you should set the temperature +30 ... + 50 ° С. When the bulk of the moisture evaporates, the temperature must be increased to +65 ... + 70 ° C. The finished product will be brittle and slightly colored. For storage, dried watermelon peels should be placed in linen or paper bags.

To treat some ailments, it is more effective to use peels not in dry form, but in the form of infusions and decoctions. Healing broth needs to be prepared only from the soft peeled part of the peel. Raw materials should be poured with water at the rate of 1 l / 100 g of product and boil over low heat for half an hour. In order for the broth to turn out to be of high quality, it needs to be insisted for another hour, then strain. Take preferably chilled.

The infusion is prepared using dry raw materials, filled with boiling water (80 g / 500 ml). You can use powder obtained from dry watermelon peels, crushed in a blender or coffee grinder. For 0.5 l of boiling water, 2 tbsp. l such a powder.

Important! If you are not sure how high-quality watermelon peels are, then before you start preparing them, you need to soak them for 2-3 hours in cold water. This will help wash nitrates out of the peel.

Application features

Although watermelon skins are a natural remedy, they cannot be taken uncontrollably. When treating any of the diseases, one must strictly observe the dosage and regimen, as well as consult a doctor about their use.

In folk medicine

Traditional medicine recommends taking decoctions, infusions and dried crusts in the presence of kidney stones and gall bladder, to eliminate stomach problems, while fighting extra pounds. We will describe in more detail below.

With kidney stones and gall bladder

Due to the diuretic effect, watermelon peels can accelerate the elimination of salts from the body. This stimulates the cleansing of the kidneys and gall bladder from sand, and also prevents its re-formation.

For this, the following tools are used:

1. Powder. Dry the skins and turn them into powder. Take 1-2 hours 3 times a day, washed down with warm water. To make the mixture taste better, you can add a little honey.
2. Infusion. 2 tbsp. powder pour 2 tbsp. boiling water, insist 40–45 min. The received amount of funds should be divided into 3-4 doses per day. Use after meals.
3. Decoction. 1 tbsp. powder pour 1.5 tbsp. boiling water. Boil and boil for 5 minutes over low heat. Ready broth should be insisted 60 minutes. This amount of funds should be divided into 3 receptions. You can use with a small amount of honey for 30 minutes. before meals.
4. Dry skins in an amount of 150 g pour 1 liter of boiling water and leave for 60 minutes. Break the resulting volume of fluid into several doses in 1 day so that it turns out to drink 1 cup of the product at a time.

The last recipe is used to remove stones from the gallbladder, the rest from the kidneys.

Did you know? The homeland of watermelons is South Africa. In the Kalahari desert, a wild tsamma melon still grows, which some researchers consider the ancestor of cultural watermelon. The cultivation of this berry was still practiced in Ancient Egypt for 2 thousand years BC. e.

With colitis and dysbiosis

You can eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of these ailments using jam from watermelon peel, as well as a decoction or infusion:

1. Pour 2 tbsp. boiling water 100 g raw skins or 80 g dried. Insist 60 minutes, strain. Divide into 5 servings and consume them 1 day before meals.
2. Pour 1 tbsp. boiling water 1 tbsp. powder and boil for 10 minutes on low heat. Remove from heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. The resulting amount of funds is divided into 3 servings. Consume per day. The intake of the drug is independent of food intake.
3. Pour 500 ml of boiling water 0.5 kg of skins and boil for 30 minutes at minimum heat. It should be taken in a warm form at 0.5 tbsp. 2-3 times a day.

The last recipe is designed to solve bowel movements (constipation).

For obesity

Removing excess water from the body, watermelon peels are able to effectively fight obesity.

Many overweight problems are associated with poor fluid excretion:

1. Steam in a thermos in 500 ml of boiling water 2 tablespoons of dry peel. Divide the amount of liquid obtained into several doses and consume per day.
2. Raw skins grate. It is necessary to obtain 2 parts of the mass, which pour 250 ml of hot water and insist in a sealed container for 20 minutes. Consume 1 tbsp. thrice a day.
3. To 2 tablespoons of powder add the zest of 1 lemon. Pour 250 ml of hot water all over and leave for 120 minutes. The liquid container must be wrapped up. Consume 3 tbsp. 4 times a day 10 minutes after eating.

Did you know? 90 kg - The maximum weight of the grown watermelon. The record holder is a representative of the Carolina Cross 180 variety.

External application in cosmetology

Significant benefits come from watermelon peels in cosmetology. Masks based on them refresh, rejuvenate the skin, saturate it with useful substances.

To prepare such masks is very simple:

1. Grate fresh peels on a grater. Add olive oil to the resulting mass. Apply the mask on your face for half an hour, rinse with warm water. Use this mask for oily skin.
2. To the pulp obtained after grinding the crusts on a grater, you need to add a little fat sour cream and a bit of liquid honey. The mixture should be non-liquid. Apply the product on the face and leave for 20 minutes, then rinse with warm water. A mask is used for dry skin.

You can use fresh watermelon peel not only for making masks. Applying crusts to the temples helps get rid of migraines or regular headaches. Saves this peel and with problems with the joints - just apply skins to a sore spot. You can attach a peel or a bandage moistened with broth to any wound in order to accelerate its healing. From burns also saves the slurry from the watermelon peel.

As you can see, peels, which are usually waste after consuming watermelon, can be effectively used in the fight against a number of ailments. However, in the treatment should not get carried away with this tool, so as not to harm yourself.