In the middle of summer, watermelons begin to fill up the store shelves. The demand is very high, as people don’t want to wait for another year without having enough of this delicious fruit. Loading up with this juicy treat one can start wondering if it is beneficial for the body. We have gathered some information to help you figure it out.

Nitrates are not always poison. Healthy people won’t have problems consuming them in small amounts. But, when too many nitrates enter the body, they accumulate and turn into nitrites, which are harmful.

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How to minimize harm from nitrates

1. Try not to eat the first earlies.

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2. Eat parts of vegetables and fruits that contain fewer nitrates. Most of the nitrates in a watermelon accumulate in the greenish part of the pulp, near the rind.

3. It is virtually impossible to determine whether a watermelon contains nitrates judging from its exterior. But after cutting it open, pay attention to the following.

• there should be no rough yellow veins in the pulp;
• all the seeds in the watermelon should be black;
• put a piece of watermelon pulp into a glass of water. If the liquid changes its color, then the fruit contains nitrates, if it just becomes murky, then it is fine;
• have you found a small rotten spot with a dot in the center?  It means that the watermelon has been injected with nitrate fertilizers through a syringe.

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Why nitrate testers don’t work

Nitrate testers measure the electrical conductivity of salt-containing solutions. Except for nitrates, they include other salts – phosphates or sodium salts, which our body needs. That’s why these measurements aren’t quite accurate. The amount of nitrates can be determined only in a lab.

You can learn more about choosing a watermelon from the video below.

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