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Sunday, July 06, 2008
Published: July 05, 2008 11:17 pm
Watermelon: A treat anyway you slice itBy Jeff Mullin, Senior Writer
Wow the risk of cancer, oranges can help support your immune system and oat bran can help lower cholesterol.But watermelon is the only food known to man that apparently can do, you know, which puts it in a class all its own.Marketers of drugs such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra are likely unhappy about the discovery of watermelon’s hidden power. They may be tempted to run ads pointing out the fact their products do not require slicing or the spitting of seeds.But that is half the fun of eating watermelon. Or it was, at least, until this recent news broke. There is nothing better on a hot summer afternoon than slicing off a big hunk of a pink, juicy watermelon and sinking your teeth into it, spitting seeds and wiping juice off your chin as you go.And despite its newfound reWow. Watermelon. Who knew?I have been eating watermelon for years, savoring the sweet juiciness as it runs down my chin, spitting seeds with more enthusiasm than accuracy.I never knew I was actually ingesting a form of veggie Viagra.That’s the word, at least, from a group of scientists in Texas. They have found watermelons contain an ingredient called citrulline, which can spark production of a compound that helps relax the body’s blood vessels.That is similar to the effect Viagra has on the male, er, anatomy.The compound, arginine, has other beneficial effects, as well. It can help heart patients with angina, can lower high blood pressure and can assist with other cardiovascular problems.Watermelon. Wow. Who knew?Of course to boost the body’s level of arginine, you would have to eat about six cups of watermelon to get the proper amount of citrulline. Anyone eating watermelon to improve his love life should take into consideration the side effects of ingesting that much watermelon.First, you will have to spend a great deal of time in the bathroom, given that a watermelon is mostly water. Also, watermelon contain a great deal of sugar. Putting that much sugar into your bloodstream all at once could cause cramping, which could certainly put a crimp in a guy’s, er, amour.Actually, you can get much more citrulline from watermelon rind than you can from the flesh, but who wants to eat that stuff? It also is present in cucumbers and cantaloupe, but at lower levels.So watermelon is your best bet to obtain citrulline, a fact that should not be overlooked by those who grow and market melons.The National Watermelon Promotion Board bills watermelon as “healthy and delicious, every day.” Maybe they could spice it up a bit. How about “Watermelon is for lovers,” or “Watermelon, it’s not just for picnics anymore.” OK, maybe not.Watermelon isn’t the only food that can benefit our health, of course. The Omega-3 fatty acids in fish can help your brain, a diet containing soy can lower your putation as some sort of love potion, watermelon will continue to be a staple of picnics and church socials alike, though it might be a good idea to keep your teenage daughter’s boyfriend away from the stuff, just to be on the safe side.According to the International Festival of Competitive Eating, the world record for watermelon eating is held by Jim Reeves of Buffalo, N.Y., who consumed 13.22 pounds of the stuff in 15 minutes in July 2005 at the Brookville (Ohio) Community Picnic. Whether or not Mr. Reeves experienced any, er, unusual side effects from his excessive melon consumption, is not recorded.OK, let’s try another slogan. Watermelon, don’t leave home without it. OK, maybe not.
Watermelon: A treat anyway you slice itBy Jeff Mullin, Senior Writer
Wow the risk of cancer, oranges can help support your immune system and oat bran can help lower cholesterol.But watermelon is the only food known to man that apparently can do, you know, which puts it in a class all its own.Marketers of drugs such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra are likely unhappy about the discovery of watermelon’s hidden power. They may be tempted to run ads pointing out the fact their products do not require slicing or the spitting of seeds.But that is half the fun of eating watermelon. Or it was, at least, until this recent news broke. There is nothing better on a hot summer afternoon than slicing off a big hunk of a pink, juicy watermelon and sinking your teeth into it, spitting seeds and wiping juice off your chin as you go.And despite its newfound reWow. Watermelon. Who knew?I have been eating watermelon for years, savoring the sweet juiciness as it runs down my chin, spitting seeds with more enthusiasm than accuracy.I never knew I was actually ingesting a form of veggie Viagra.That’s the word, at least, from a group of scientists in Texas. They have found watermelons contain an ingredient called citrulline, which can spark production of a compound that helps relax the body’s blood vessels.That is similar to the effect Viagra has on the male, er, anatomy.The compound, arginine, has other beneficial effects, as well. It can help heart patients with angina, can lower high blood pressure and can assist with other cardiovascular problems.Watermelon. Wow. Who knew?Of course to boost the body’s level of arginine, you would have to eat about six cups of watermelon to get the proper amount of citrulline. Anyone eating watermelon to improve his love life should take into consideration the side effects of ingesting that much watermelon.First, you will have to spend a great deal of time in the bathroom, given that a watermelon is mostly water. Also, watermelon contain a great deal of sugar. Putting that much sugar into your bloodstream all at once could cause cramping, which could certainly put a crimp in a guy’s, er, amour.Actually, you can get much more citrulline from watermelon rind than you can from the flesh, but who wants to eat that stuff? It also is present in cucumbers and cantaloupe, but at lower levels.So watermelon is your best bet to obtain citrulline, a fact that should not be overlooked by those who grow and market melons.The National Watermelon Promotion Board bills watermelon as “healthy and delicious, every day.” Maybe they could spice it up a bit. How about “Watermelon is for lovers,” or “Watermelon, it’s not just for picnics anymore.” OK, maybe not.Watermelon isn’t the only food that can benefit our health, of course. The Omega-3 fatty acids in fish can help your brain, a diet containing soy can lower your putation as some sort of love potion, watermelon will continue to be a staple of picnics and church socials alike, though it might be a good idea to keep your teenage daughter’s boyfriend away from the stuff, just to be on the safe side.According to the International Festival of Competitive Eating, the world record for watermelon eating is held by Jim Reeves of Buffalo, N.Y., who consumed 13.22 pounds of the stuff in 15 minutes in July 2005 at the Brookville (Ohio) Community Picnic. Whether or not Mr. Reeves experienced any, er, unusual side effects from his excessive melon consumption, is not recorded.OK, let’s try another slogan. Watermelon, don’t leave home without it. OK, maybe not.
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