Melon seeds are a must-have snack for people to treat guests. The more they eat, the more they get, the more they get. You can see the "Melon seeds Peel Hill" in a while, full of sense of accomplishment. Whether it is pumpkin seeds , watermelon seeds , or sunflower seeds, they are all very convenient to eat. Holding a hand in your hand while watching TV, chatting, and in a daze can not only relieve the loneliness of your mouth, but also supplement the body with nutrition.
01
What are the nutritional properties of different melon seeds?
There are many types of melon seeds, common ones include sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and watermelon seeds. They have different appearances and different nutrition.
1. Sunflower Seed
Sunflower Seed is the most popular melon seeds, which can make people unable to stop eating. The total vitamin E content of fried sunflower seeds is particularly excellent, at 26.46 mg/100 grams, which is equivalent to the fried pumpkin seeds , but it is 21.5 times that of fried watermelon seeds.
Vitamin E is a strong antioxidant that not only maintains normal immunity and prevents cardiovascular diseases, but also plays an anti-inflammatory and anti-aging role.
Fried sunflower seeds are also rich in vitamin B1, with a content of 0.43 mg/100 grams, which are 5 times and 11 times that of fried pumpkin seeds and fried watermelon seeds, respectively. Deficiency of vitamin B1 will cause symptoms such as fatigue, headache, irritability, and forgetfulness. It will also affect nerve conduction , slow down gastrointestinal motility, and increase the risk of constipation.
2. Pumpkin seeds
Compared with stir-fried sunflower seeds and stir-fried watermelon seeds, the protein content of stir-fried pumpkin seeds is 36 grams per 100 grams, which is 1.6 times and 1.1 times that of stir-fried sunflower seeds and stir-fried watermelon seeds, respectively. Moreover, its potassium content is as high as 672 mg/100 grams, which is nearly 1.4 times that of fried sunflower seeds, making it more suitable for people who need to control their blood pressure.
There are rumors among the people that eating pumpkin seeds can improve men's sexual function. The reason for this rumor is that fried pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc, with a content of 7.12 mg/100 grams, which is 1.2 times that of fried sunflower seeds. But this does not mean that eating pumpkin seeds can improve men's sexual function, it only helps maintain reproductive health.
3. Watermelon seeds
Watermelon seeds are usually eaten. In addition to ordinary watermelon seeds, most of the watermelon seeds used to "kill" directly are actually the seeds of melon . This kind of melon is also called seed melon , seed melon, melon seed melon, and melon seed melon. It is smaller in size than normal watermelon, and there are many seeds and large seeds, which are suitable for "killing melon seeds".
The iron content of fried watermelon seeds is quite outstanding, at 8.2 mg/100g, which is 1.3 times that of fried sunflower seeds. Although the absorption rate is not as good as animal iron, it can also contribute a little to iron supplementation; the potassium content is also good, at 612 mg/100g. Although it is not as good as fried pumpkin seeds, it is almost the same, and it is also suitable for people who need to control blood pressure.
or above 3 types of melon seeds contain lignan , also known as lignan. It is a type of phenolic plant compound and is mainly found in cereals, nuts and beans. Lignant can lower total plasma cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol , and play a role in preventing cardiovascular diseases.
Studies have shown that long-term lignan intake can reduce the total risk of coronary heart disease in men and women.
In addition, they all contain linoleic acid, the highest is fried sunflower seeds, with a linoleic acid content of up to 77.1%, and the lowest is fried pumpkin seeds, with a linoleic acid content of 44.7%. Linoleic acid is an unsaturated fatty acid and is also an essential fatty acid for the human body, , which can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
If you want to have a more balanced nutritional intake, you can eat different types of melon seeds in exchange.
02
Eat 1 handful of melon seeds = drink 1 spoon of oil?
Rumors say: 1 handful of melon seeds = 1 spoon of oil. Is this statement reliable?
According to the data in the "Chinese Food Ingredients Table, 6th Edition", the fat content of various melon seeds is not low. Among them, the fat content of fried sunflower seeds is 52.8 grams/100 grams, followed by the fried pumpkin seeds is 46.1 grams/100 grams, and the least is fried watermelon seeds is 44.8 grams/100 grams.
Fat content: fried sunflower seeds> fried pumpkin seeds> fried watermelon seeds
A handful of melon seeds is about 10 grams, the fat content is 5.2 grams, and a porcelain spoon of cooking oil is about 10 grams.So the statement that 1 melon seeds = 1 spoon of oil is a bit exaggerated, which is about half a spoon of oil. If the hand is larger, it may reach 1 spoon of oil.
But if it is 1 handful of melon seeds with shells, the edible part is about 5 grams, which will not reach the fat content of 1 spoonful of oil.
So 1 handful of melon seeds is not scary, what is scary is one handful, one handful, one handful after another... I can't stop at all.
03
Eating too much melon seeds will cause dry mouth?
Although melon seeds are delicious, if you eat too much at once, many people will feel dry mouth and even ulcers.
This is because I eat a lot of melon seeds, the taste is too salty and too dry, and the skin of the melon seeds is hard and rough. When I eat melon seeds, it may damage the oral mucosa and cause ulcers. To avoid this symptom, be careful not to eat too many melon seeds at one time and drink more water.
04
How to eat melon seeds healthily?
melon seeds are nuts. Eating them regularly is good for health. They can not only reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and death, but also reduce the concentration of total cholesterol and triglyceride in the human body. But if you eat it wrong, it will be harmful to your health! If you want to eat melon seeds healthy, you must do the following 4 suggestions:
1. Control the amount
According to the suggestions of " Chinese Resident Dietary Guidelines ", it is recommended to eat 50-70 grams of nuts per week, and an average of 10 grams per day. It is equivalent to 1.5-2 handfuls of melon seeds with shells, 2 to 3 small walnuts, 1 paper-carved walnut , 7-8 cashew , and about 12 hazelnut kernel .
Also, if you eat too much melon seeds on a regular basis, eating melon seeds in a certain place in the front teeth for a long time will cause excessive wear of the teeth, forming "melon seed teeth", affecting the beauty and health of the teeth.
2. Don’t eat moldy and bitter melon seeds. When eating melon seeds, you will inevitably eat moldy and bitter taste. Many people will choose to swallow it directly and then eat a few more pressure-pressing flavors. This approach is not recommended! Moldy melon seeds contain aflatoxin , which is a highly toxic substance. How poisonous is
? Everyone should be familiar with potassium cyanide. In film and television dramas, they are often hidden in the gaps between their teeth by spies and commit suicide when their identity is exposed. This shows that the toxicity of potassium cyanide is already very strong. Aflatoxin is 10 times more toxic than potassium cyanide! In addition, aflatoxin is also liver carcinogenic. Even if consumed in small amounts, it will increase the risk of liver cancer over time.
So, if you eat melon seeds with a moldy and bitter taste, you must spit it out and rinse your mouth in time.
3. It is best to choose original
. Many people like to eat melon seeds with flavor, such as milky melon seeds, five-spice melon seeds, caramel melon seeds, matcha melon seeds, sea salt melon seeds, etc. In fact, these flavors are not recommended. If there are moldy melon seeds in it, it will be difficult to eat them. They will be covered up by their own unique flavors, which can easily lead to accidental consumption of them harms health.
Moreover, this type of melon seeds are generally high in sugar and high in salt, which will increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. For example, the caramel melon seeds in the picture below have a sodium content of up to 3111 mg/100 grams. Many people can easily eat 50 grams at a time, so they will consume nearly 4 grams of salt. The 2022 version of the "Diet Guide for Chinese Residents" recommends that the daily salt intake is less than 5 grams. Even if the salt intake of the dishes in three meals is not considered, it is easy to exceed the standard by just eating melon seeds!
Therefore, it is highly recommended to choose original melon seeds and try to avoid consuming more sugar and salt. Even if there are moldy melon seeds, they can easily taste it and vomit it.
4. Buy a small amount of
melon seeds. Although the fat content is not low, it is mostly unsaturated fatty acids, which are easy to oxidize and runny, causing a sensation and a bad taste, and the taste becomes worse. Moreover, during the rancidity process, peroxide and free radical will also be produced, which will promote aging and endanger health. Therefore, it is recommended to buy less at once and buy it after eating. If you can’t finish it, you must seal it and store it.
05
summary
melon seeds are not only delicious and nutritious, but for social terrorists, it is also a perfect social lubricant. It can really relieve embarrassment at critical moments, but don’t eat them all!
( People's Daily Popular Science)
