The Temperament of Watermelon and How to Eat It Right

Farzollah Gholizadeh and Fariba Bayrami

In traditional medicine, watermelon has a cold and moist temperament. So eating it the wrong way can cause bloating, indigestion, a “chilled” stomach, joint pain, slack muscles, lower sexual desire and a heavy head.

People with a hot temperament, especially Safravi (bilious) types, can eat watermelon even without a corrective.

Adding salt to a fruit rich in potassium and natural sugar, such as watermelon, helps balance the electrolytes lost through sweating, especially in summer.

Key points in traditional medicine

• Watermelon’s temperament: very cold and moist. Take care, especially if you have a phlegmatic (Balgami) temperament or in the cold seasons.
• Salt (especially natural, sea or rock salt) is hot and dry.
• Adding salt to watermelon: balances its excess cold and moisture; makes it better for people with a cold stomach, bloating, or frequent urination
• Watermelon is a strong diuretic and loosens the bowels. In some people it can cause a weak stomach, diarrhoea or electrolyte loss; salt can balance these effects and prevent weak digestion and excessive urination.
• People who live in hot regions or sweat a lot keep their body water and minerals in balance, and avoid dehydration, if they eat watermelon with salt.
• Natural salt contains sodium, magnesium, zinc and other minerals.
• Some people feel weak, sleepy or headachy after watermelon; traditional medicine puts this down to its coldness. Salt reduces these signs, supports digestion and gives energy.

Cautions

• Eat watermelon only around midday, not in the morning or at night.
• Sprinkle on a little natural salt, ground ginger or cumin, or eat it with dates or raisins.
• Take a short walk afterwards.
• Don’t eat it more than 2–3 times a week.
• Don’t eat watermelon in cold weather.

The best correctives and combinations for watermelon

1. Natural salt (sea or rock salt)

• balances cold and moisture
• prevents bloating and stomach ache
• especially useful for phlegmatic (Balgami) people

2. Natural honey

• warms and strengthens the stomach
• prevents the diarrhoea and weak digestion that too much watermelon can cause
• use only a little, without stirring it in (for example, mash the watermelon with a fork and add half a teaspoon of honey on top)

3. Ground dried ginger (a very little, for cold temperaments)

• helps digestion
• reduces bloating
• suits people with a cold stomach or a sensitivity to watermelon

4. Dried mint or mint tea (after the watermelon)

• prevents weakness, bloating and nausea
• very suitable for children and older people

5. Warm, dry fruit such as dates or raisins, in small amounts

• balances watermelon’s excess coldness
• gives energy and regulates the body’s moisture

6. One tablespoon of olive oil before the watermelon (especially for phlegmatic people or those with a cold stomach)

• prevents bowel irritation and stomach ache
• protects and strengthens the stomach against cold effects

A traditional recipe

For problems such as kidney or urinary tract infections, kidney stones, gallstones or fatty liver, the traditional recommendation is to wash a watermelon well, blend it with its rind, seeds and flesh, and drink 3 to 5 glasses of the mixture a day. This is a traditional practice, not a proven treatment. People with kidney disease, diabetes or heart failure, or on a fluid or potassium limit, should not drink this much without their doctor’s advice.

Source

Gholizadeh F. The Temperament and Benefits of Healing Plants (Şifalı Bitkilerin Mizacı ve Faydaları).

Do you know your temperament?

Whether you need a corrective with watermelon depends on your temperament. The free temperament test shows yours in a few minutes.