Watermelon Taboos
Pardeep Singh
| 23-04-2024
· Food Team
On hot summer days, it's the perfect season for eating watermelon, which helps to cool down and quench thirst. However, there are also some taboos when it comes to eating watermelon. So, what should you not eat with watermelon?

Watermelon should not be eaten with peaches:

Strictly speaking, watermelon and peaches can be eaten together, but excessive consumption may cause diarrhea. For those with sensitive stomachs, eating one fruit first and then waiting for a while before eating the other is recommended. Additionally, watermelon and peaches are lovely fruits, and eating them together may not be very pleasant taste-wise, as they can be overly sweet and cloying.
Note: A misconception circulating online is that eating watermelon and peaches together can lead to poisoning. However, this is a big rumor without any scientific basis. The worst that can happen from eating watermelon and peaches together is likely diarrhea, not poisoning.

Watermelon should not be eaten with lamb:

Eating watermelon after consuming lamb may "harm vitality." This is because lamb is warm, while watermelon is cold, which is in the category of freezing foods. Eating watermelon after lamb not only dramatically reduces the warming effect of lamb but also affects the spleen and stomach.
For those suffering from yang or spleen deficiency, it can easily lead to spleen and stomach dysfunction. Therefore, consuming large amounts of watermelon or other cold foods is not advisable after eating lamb.

Watermelon should not be eaten with shrimp:

Both watermelon and shrimp are cold foods, and consuming them together may irritate the gastrointestinal tract, potentially causing diarrhea and abdominal pain. It's not recommended to eat them together.

Watermelon should not be eaten with mangosteen:

Mangosteen is a cold fruit, especially unsuitable for those with a weak constitution.
For people with the standard constitution, it's best to eat three to four mangosteens a day, and it's advisable not to eat them together with watermelon, soy milk, cabbage, mustard greens, bitter gourd, winter melon, and other cold foods. Excessive consumption of watermelon, which is cold, can harm the spleen and stomach, leading to abdominal pain or diarrhea.

Watermelon should not be eaten with mung beans:

In summer, people eat a lot of watermelon or drink mung bean soup to cool down. However, it's not advisable to consume them simultaneously. Both watermelon and mung beans are cold, and mixing them can cause gastrointestinal discomfort, such as diarrhea. Waiting for half an hour between mung bean soup and watermelon is recommended.

Watermelon should not be eaten with oily foods:

Watermelon should not be consumed with oily foods, as it may cause vomiting. Oily foods, such as fried snacks, are not recommended to be eaten with watermelon, as they can lead to diarrhea, especially when the watermelon is chilled.

Watermelon is cold and contains high sugar, so it must be used in moderation. Here are some points to remember:

1. Watermelon is a commonly consumed fruit in summer, and since watermelons are generally giant, it's easy not to finish one in a single sitting.
In high temperatures, foods can spoil quickly, so if watermelon hasn't been refrigerated promptly or stored for too long, it's best not to eat it to avoid symptoms like diarrhea or vomiting.
2. People with weak digestive systems, such as older people and children, should not consume too much watermelon, especially not chilled watermelon, as it may irritate the stomach lining, leading to loss of appetite, vomiting, abdominal pain, and other discomforts.
3. Diabetics should not consume too much watermelon. Unrestricted consumption may lead to elevated blood sugar levels and worsen the condition.
4. Watermelon contains a high amount of water and minerals. For people with impaired kidney function, excessive consumption may lead to fluid retention in the body, increasing the burden on the kidneys. Therefore, people with chronic kidney disease or other kidney function problems should not consume too much watermelon.