Is Watermelon the New Viagra?

BY ASSIA MORTENSEN

Want wetter kisses, harder erections and better orgasms? Then eat a couple of slices of watermelon. That’s right, watermelon may be the newest edible aphrodisiac. Nutritionists are pointing to advantageous ingredients in watermelon and other fruits and vegetables known as phytonutrients as the reason. Watermelon, a rising star among fruit, contains lycopene, beta carotene, and among its phytonutrients, citrulline, whose beneficial functions are now being understood. It appears that citrulline has ability to relax blood vessels, much in the way Viagra does. Though not as, well, organ specific as Viagra, watermelon consumption similarly relaxes blood vessels without any pharmaceutical side effects, according to Dr. Bhimu Patil, director of Texas A&M’s Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center in College Station.

“We’ve always known that watermelon is good for you, but the list of its very important healthful benefits grows longer with each study,” Patil says. Citrulline reacts with the body's enzymes when consumed in large quantities and is changed into arginine, an amino acid that benefits the heart as well as the immune and circulatory systems.

A study based on the findings of the Agricultural Research Service at their South Central Laboratory site in Lane, Okla., in conjunction with other reports and research on watermelon, was published in the Nutrition journal. The experiment consisted of several volunteers initially consuming about three

eight-ounce glasses of watermelon juice every day for three weeks, followed by another three-week period in which they drank about twice that much juice. The control group neither drank the juice nor ate specific foods that would skew the study results.

It was found that blood levels of arginine were synthesized in the body from the citrulline provided by the watermelon juice. The levels were 11 percent higher in volunteers tested after three weeks on the three-glasses-a-day regimen, and 18 percent higher following the six-daily glasses regimen.

Since citrulline is most prevalent in the rind, the scientists want to determine the best way to extract it from watermelon. It may be that in the future people will pop a concentrated watermelon pill instead of an erectile function drug, but researchers caution that more studies are needed. One hindrance to eating watermelon, being comprised of over 90 percent water, is its potential diuretic effect. If you consume a few slices of watermelon, you may find yourself in the bathroom more often, which could impede the planned sexy evening.

There are more than 1,200 varieties of watermelon ranging in size from less than a pound, to over 200 pounds. Watermelon has a sweet, juicy taste, and also, since watermelon tends to be alkaline rather than acidic, eating it can relieve acid indigestion. Organic varieties typically taste more flavorful and may have added benefits since watermelon soaks up a great deal more of the mineral-rich ground water over other fruits.

Other Edible Aphrodisiacs:

Move over oysters as we highlight these other foods that help get us in the mood

Banana

The banana flower has a marvelous phallic shape that is partially responsible for its popularity as a dietary aphrodisiac. More practically, bananas are rich in potassium and B vitamins, necessities for sex hormone production.

Chocolate

The Aztecs referred to chocolate as nourishment of the Gods. Chocolate contains chemicals thought to effect neurotransmitters in the brain and a related substance to caffeine called theobromine.

Fennel

In the 1930s fennel was found to be a source of natural plant estrogens. The use of fennel as an aphrodisiac dates back to Ancient Egyptian where it was used for libido enhancement.

Pineapple

This tropical delicacy is rich in vitamin C and used in the homeopathic treatment for impotence.

Vanilla

The scent and flavor of vanilla is believed to increase lust.