If You Slice Into A Watermelon And Spot This Mark, Don't Eat It

Of all the different fruits out there today, watermelons remain one of the most popular. But despite the fruit’s health benefits, you can still get sick if you overindulge. If you eat large portions of watermelon each day, you run the risk of being struck down not only by indigestion, but also diarrhea and excess gas. And the potential issues with watermelon overconsumption don’t end there, either.

Watermelons possess a lot of potassium, and in excess, this chemical compound can have a negative effect on one of your most vital organs. Specifically, it’s said that too much potassium can trigger an irregular heartbeat over time. But in addition to these risks, there’s actually something else that you need to look out for when you first open up a watermelon.

Changing up your diet is probably one of the easiest ways to kick off your journey to a healthier lifestyle. For instance, you can swap some of the more indulgent or calorific treats you eat with more nutritious fruits and vegetables instead. And watermelons may just satisfy your sweet tooth without you having to dip into the cookie jar.

Watermelons certainly hit the spot when the warmer weather comes around, anyway. And while you can still enjoy watermelon throughout the year, it is much better for your health and the environment to eat the fruit while it's in season. For watermelon, that period begins in May and then comes to a close in September, as fall approaches.

And provided you eat them in moderation, watermelon can certainly help you on any health kick. For one, the fruit is both loaded with vitamin A – which plays a big role in maintaining the condition of your hair and skin – and the cell-boosting vitamin C.

Watermelons contain some helpful chemical compounds, too. Lycopene is one of these, as it can help strengthen both your bones and your heart if you incorporate it into your diet. What’s more, this so-called “phytonutrient” can even help stave off the threat of prostate cancer.

Then there’s watermelon’s bountiful supply of amino acids and antioxidants. And, as it happens, those are both just as good for us as lycopene. That’s according to dietitian Angela Lemond, who explained further when talking to Live Science in 2017.

Lemond told the website, “Foods that are high in antioxidants and amino acids allow your body to function optimally. Antioxidants help prevent damage and cancer.” She added, “Amino acids are the basic building block for protein, and protein is used in virtually every vital function in the body.”

Meanwhile, when a watermelon becomes ripe, another antioxidant known as beta carotene comes into play – and this too can be of great assistance to the body. Lemond explained, “Beta carotene is an antioxidant found in red-orange fruits and vegetables. It helps with immunity, skin, eye and the prevention of cancer.”

Nutritionist Victoria Jarzabkowski also shared some interesting facts about lycopene’s effects with Live Science. The food expert – who works at The University of Texas at Austin – claimed, for example, that the carotenoid’s anti-inflammatory properties could help if you become unwell.

“When you’re sick, you have cellular damage,” Jarzabkowski told the website. “[This] can be caused by a variety of factors including stress, smoking, pollution [and] disease, and your body becomes inflamed [as a result]. It’s called ‘systemic inflammation.’ The lycopene in watermelon makes it an anti-inflammatory fruit.” But that’s definitely not the only health benefit on offer.

Watermelons don’t contain any fat or many calories, you see, and that makes them a perfect aid in weight loss. The fruit itself is also made up of over 90 percent water – which explains why it’s so refreshing – while the electrolytes in its juice can help stave off issues such as heatstroke.

“Watermelons help with overall hydration,” Lemond told the science website. “And that is a great thing. They say we can get 20 to 30 percent of our fluid needs through our diet alone, and foods like these certainly help.” There’s a small percentage of fiber in a watermelon, too, and naturally that’s a boon for the digestive system.

So, if watermelon isn’t already a regular part of your diet, then it’s definitely worth snacking on a slice every now and again. That said, a challenge awaits you even after you decide to pick up one of the juicy fruits at the grocery store. More specifically, you have to judge whether the melon in question is ripe enough to get the most out of it – and that can be difficult to discern.

In fact, sometimes you’ll only learn how good the fruit is once it’s been cut open. So with that in mind, we’ve got a few tips that will help you select the right watermelon. And as it happens, you’ll definitely need to look out for a specific mark when next out shopping.

To begin with, you should pick up the watermelon and feel its weight. And if it seems quite heavy – regardless of its size – that’s a good first sign. From there, you should turn the fruit over and listen to the sound made when you tap its underside. Generally, a “deep hollow” noise indicates that the melon in question is good to eat; a duller sound, by contrast, means that you should leave it be for the moment.

And there’s an even more obvious tell that a watermelon is ripe: typically, there will be a yellow mark on its underside. But if you’re still concerned about finding the perfect produce, there’s yet another thing you can do. Take a trip to a farmers’ market; that way, the vendor can grab the right melon for you without much hassle.

Once you’ve finally got hold of the watermelon, however, you do need to be careful if you want to preserve it. For instance, you may have bought the fruit with the intention of eating it at a later date. In that case, it’s suggested that you keep it in your fridge for a maximum of two weeks.

But if you’ve since chopped the watermelon up into slices, that timeframe is significantly reduced. At that stage, you can only store those pieces in the fridge for up to five days; any longer, and there’s a very good chance that they’ll go off.

Thankfully, there’s another alternative storage method that will allow you to keep the watermelon for a lot longer than that. By chopping the fruit up into skinless slices, it can last for months in your freezer. Then, when the moment comes to eat the melon, you only need to stick it in the fridge for a few hours to defrost.

In fact, timing is everything when it comes to watermelons – especially if you want to get them at their freshest. Owing to the bright green rind that covers the flesh, though, it can sometimes be difficult to tell if a melon has started to spoil. Yet there are still a few clear signs out there, and all you need to do is keep your eyes peeled.

You see, some of the clearest indicators of a watermelon’s condition can be found on its skin. Often, overripe produce develops colored spots that range from blue to white, with these patches usually denoting that a form of mold is growing on the fruit’s exterior. These can also make the melon softer than normal.

And if you see those blemishes, you’d probably avoid that particular watermelon and opt for one that seems fairly ripe on the outside. But appearances can be deceiving, and you may still have picked up a spoiled item from the supermarket shelf. When you eventually carve your melon open, then, you could be in for a shock.

If the watermelon is off, you may notice some discoloration to its pink flesh. These marks are normally quite dark, too, so they’re easy enough to spot. And should you come across any unsightly blemishes like these, you’re advised to dispose of the fruit straight away – as consuming it will likely leave you feeling ill.

In fact, there are a few other signs to look out for after cutting the watermelon open. The flesh may be exuding a type of slime, for example, and naturally that means you should best steer clear of snacking on it. Bad produce may emit a foul or sour smell, too.

In all of those instances, then, the watermelon has to be thrown away, But, unfortunately, finding a bad fruit isn’t always so easy. Sometimes, in fact, there are times when the problem can’t be seen or smelled at all – and only tasting the melon gives the game away.

After taking the first bite from a slice of watermelon, then, you should be wary if the flavor is a little off – particularly if it seems fizzy or sour. And should that happen to you, it’s suggested that you don’t swallow the mouthful and discard what’s left.

What’s more, in 2011 a story circulated around the internet that seemed to hint at another potential issue with the fruit. That year, a number of reports emerged from China that suggested the watermelons there were literally “exploding.” But this wasn’t a natural phenomenon by any stretch of the imagination, and a shocking explanation for the anomaly eventually came to light.

As it turned out, a number of farmers in China were becoming quite frustrated with the lack of growth in their watermelons. So, in order to help speed things up, they decided to douse the fruit in forchlorfenuron – a substance that should accelerate the growing process. This quick fix was more trouble than it was worth, though. In fact, you could say that it blew up in the farmers’ faces.

Then, after that story hit the headlines, a rumor started to spread. According to one theory, a crack in the center of a watermelon meant that it may have been exposed to forchlorfenuron. Naturally, then, people went on to shy away from eating that part of the melon – even though they actually had little to worry about.

You see, American farmers don’t use forchlorfenuron on watermelons, meaning there was no cause for concern when it came to U.S.-grown fruit. And, in fact, there’s a far more reasonable – and entirely natural – explanation for a melon’s interior crack.

Yes, “hollow heart disorder” is actually the real culprit. This phenomenon occurs when the watermelon is separated from its main source of pollen, with that characteristic rupture developing as a result. And food expert Gordon Johnson revealed more about the disorder when in conversation with Mashed.

“[Hollow heart disorder] occurs in poor weather conditions – and oftentimes in the early watermelons,” the University of Delaware researcher told the site. “That’s because we’re more likely to have cold nights or stormy conditions – particularly cold nights, where those early flowers are the most affected.”

Johnson added, “[Due to the lack of pollen], there is reduced release of the plant hormone that controls the development of storage tissue, leading to hollow heart.” So, if you discover a crack inside a watermelon, there’s nothing to worry about. Regardless of what you’ve read in the past, the fruit is perfectly fine to eat.

Now, if you’re a watermelon lover, you may already be aware of all the signs that we’ve talked about here. Yet Lemond had one final warning to share when talking to Live Science. As we’ve previously mentioned, you could be putting your health at risk by overindulging in this particular fruit.

Yes, while a “bad” watermelon can make you sick, consuming too much ripe produce in general could cause yet more issues. “Eating more fruits and vegetables of any kind naturally helps decrease overall calories of the diet,” Lemond said. “We know that people that eat higher quantities of fruits and vegetables typically have healthier body weights.”

Nonetheless, Lemond concluded, “However, I do not recommend eating only watermelon. You will lose weight, but that weight will be mostly muscle. My recommendation is always to vary your selections. Watermelon is a great hydrating food, so keep it in along with other plant foods that offer other benefits. Variety is always key.”