Can you eat watermelon when you have a cold caused by wind-cold?

Written by Qiu Xin Hui
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Updated on May 24, 2025
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In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is believed that the common cold caused by wind-cold primarily occurs when the body's resistance is weakened, and the body is exposed to the pathogenic influences of wind and cold. These influences then linger within the body producing a series of symptoms. To treat a cold caused by wind-cold, it is appropriate to take medicines that expel wind and dispel cold. This means using warm-natured medicines to regulate and cure the cold. Therefore, during this time, one should not eat watermelon. Watermelon has cooling properties, which can cause the wind-cold to remain within the body instead of being expelled, potentially worsening the symptoms of the cold. Hence, eating watermelon should be avoided when suffering from a wind-cold type of cold.

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