Watermelon seeds have long been considered an annoying side effect. Numerous videos and articles now praise their vitamin and mineral content. The avocado core has also experienced such a hype. Are the small, black seeds an underestimated superfood? FTBOOK asked nutritionist Uwe Knop.
Do you meticulously remove the last seed from every melon slice? It is said that this not only wastes a lot of time and effort, but also valuable vitamins and minerals. You read that right: the seeds of the watermelon are said to be a super-healthy food, as you can find out from various articles and YouTube videos. FITBOOK answers the question of whether and how you should eat watermelon seeds.
Recommended dosage forms: chew, powder, dry
Various dosage forms of watermelon seeds are recommended. The easiest way to get your valuable ingredients is to eat them with the melon. It should be important not just to swallow the seeds, but to chew them well – this should allow vitamins, minerals and unsaturated fatty acids to be better processed and used by the body. Otherwise, there would still be the option of pulverizing the watermelon seeds, for example in a blender, and stirring them into muesli, smoothies or tea. Variant three provides for snacking on dried watermelon seeds. 100 grams have a surprising 560 calories, so the snack is not without it.
So far no proof of vitamin and nutrient content
FITBOOK has found various information on the nutritional values and nutrients of watermelon seeds on the Internet. They are rich in vitamins A, B and C and should also contain magnesium, iron and calcium. Uwe Knop, a qualified nutritionist, dares to doubt whether such information should be taken seriously. He tells FITBOOK that he does not know of any reputable source that has repeatedly measured the vitamin and mineral content of melon seeds. He is also not aware of any officially recognized nutritional information. Whether it is healthy to eat melon seeds – the question does not arise for Knop.
That’s what the nutritionist says
The nutritionist sees it pragmatically: “If melon seeds tasted good, you would eat them intuitively. People don’t pick or spit them out for no reason, but because they interfere with the carefree enjoyment of the watermelon.” And that’s true, the seeds taste bitter. Luckily, if you believe Knop, you don’t have to force yourself to choke them down anyway.
Potentially toxic metabolites in dried watermelon seeds
The many nutrients that are packed into the melon seeds are also contained in other foods – and those that taste better. The book author (including intuitive interval fasting – healthy, young and slim with the (r)evolutionary I³ formula) is certain: “No one needs even a single melon seed in their life to eat healthily.” On the contrary…
Knop tells us about an investigation by the State Office for Consumer Protection, which was carried out a few years ago, but which brought no less unappetizing things to light: in 2008, aflatoxins were said to have been found in dried watermelon seeds, and in quantities that exceeded the limit. Aflatoxins are so-called mycotoxins, i.e. potentially toxic metabolites that are found in certain molds, for example.
These aflatoxins were also found in various types of dried fruit, but less so than in the pips. This is probably due to the manufacturing process. But even if such annoying accessories are no longer to be expected – when asked by FITBOOK, Uwe Knop confirms that depending on the level of heat used in the drying process, some of the celebrated vitamins can be destroyed. «At least the heat-labile vitamins like C definitely don’t survive drying,» he explains. «The vitamins A and B maybe.»
Conclusion on eating watermelon seeds
«If you like chewing melon seeds, you should eat them,» says Knop. He is referring to the fresh pulp, you can save on the dried ones anyway. If you don’t like these things, just leave it alone – «it doesn’t matter what great vital substances it should contain». According to Knop, what doesn’t taste good can’t be healthy. Otherwise the body would not reject it.
The avocado core also experienced a hype as a supposed superfood
By the way: The avocado stone has also experienced a similar hype: you shouldn’t just throw it away, but boil it until soft or grate it over the salad, which – in addition to a tart and bitter taste – should bring many nutrients into the food. Some research by the FITBOOK editors then showed that the alleged superfood in superfood is not really as healthy as claimed on food blogs and websites, and is even toxic to humans (and animals).