Watermelon could add bite to sex life

COLLEGE STATION, Tx. - Forget oysters, scientists have discovered watermelon can give you an unexpected health boost. Researchers from Texas A&M University say watermelon can produce Viagra-like effects on the human body.

"The more we study watermelons, the more we realize just how amazing a fruit it is in providing natural enhancers to the human body," Dr. Bhimu Patil, director of the university's Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center in College Station, tells the Science Daily.

Watermelons contain naturally occuring compounds that react with the human body and trigger healthy reactions. One of them is citrulline, a nutrient that has the ability to relax blood vessels - the same effect Viagra has.

When citrulline is consumed, it is converted into arginine, an amino acid that greatly benefits the heart, circulation system and immune system, says Patil.

"Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same basic effect that Viagra has, to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even prevent it."

Impotence is caused by a variety of psychological and physiological problems, but extra nitric oxide could increase blood flow, which would help. Patil says that while watermelon may not be as organ-specific as Viagra, it's a good way to relax blood vessels without the side effects of prescription drugs.

Citrulline is more prevalent in the rind of the watermelon rather than the flesh. Because the rind is not usually eaten, two other scientists at Texas A&M are looking into breeding varieties of watermelon with higher concentrations in the flesh.

The benefits of watermelon to the body are also being studied at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service in Lane, Oklahoma.

"We've always known that watermelon is good for you, but the list of its very important healthful benefits grows longer with each study," says Patil.

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