That Health Rules

I saw the news: Watermelon as the Natural Viagra..how true? 

The study where this headline was taken from was published recently in the Journal NUTRITION and really is an eye opener for those who have problems with sexual function.  The question is…will the results translate to actual outcome?

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Methods

Subjects (n = 12–23/treatment) consumed a controlled diet and 0 (control), 780, or 1560 g of watermelon juice per day for 3 wk in a crossover design. The treatments provided 1 and 2 g of citrulline per day. Treatment periods were preceded by washout periods of 2 to 4 wk.

Results

Compared with the baseline, fasting plasma arginine concentrations increased 12% after 3 wk of the lower-dose watermelon treatment; arginine and ornithine concentrations increased 22% and 18%, respectively, after 3 wk of the higher-dose watermelon treatment. Fasting citrulline concentrations did not increase relative to the control but remained stable throughout the study.

Conclusion

The increased fasting plasma concentrations of arginine and ornithine and stable concentrations of plasma citrulline in response to watermelon juice consumption indicated that the citrulline from this plant origin was effectively converted into arginine. These results demonstrate that plasma concentration of arginine can be increased through intake of citrulline from watermelon.

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The only association with viagra is the fact that watermelon is rich in a substance called citrulline know to have dilating effects on the vessel as the study implies.  This amino acid citrulline is actually converted into arginine which is a precursor for nitric oxide that helps blood vessel dilate!  In theory…it looks good but how about in actual practice?

SO…before we grab all the watermelons in the market, it is very important for us to understand that no study as of now has been done to confirm if indeed intake of watermelon can improve erection!!!!  And likewise nobody knows how much watermelon we need to take to achieve the effect!!!! Probabaly tons of watermelon before enough arginine can be made to cause an effect!

So to say that watermelon is a natural viagra is a doubtful claim. And definitely needs more studies if ever any study will be done.  Remember, arginine deficiency is not the sole cause of erectile dysfunction but rather it is more complicated than that! 

I love watermelon…if indeed it can help me in my other needs…the better!!!! It’s a PLUS!

This entry was posted on August 11, 2008 at 1:21 pm and is filed under General Health Tips, Lifestyle Measures, Medical News Bits, Nutrition Health Tips, Personal Thoughts.