Watermelon Found to Function as Natural Viagra

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Watermelon Found to Function as Natural Viagra

Sunday, November 16, 2008 by: Gutierrez

http://www.naturalnews.com/024819.html

(NaturalNews) New research suggests that watermelon may produce effects in

the body similar to that of Viagra, perhaps pointing the way to a natural

remedy for men suffering from erectile dysfunction, says Bhimu Patil of

Texas A & M University.

Research conducted by Patil and others has recently revealed that the flesh

of watermelon contains higher levels of the amino acid citrulline than

researchers had thought. Until then, most of the citrulline was believed to

reside in the inedible rind of the fruit.

" We have known that watermelon has citrulline, " Patil said, " [but]

watermelon has more citrulline in the edible part than previously believed. "

This is significant because the body converts citrulline into arginine,

another amino acid that functions as a precursor to nitric oxide. Nitric

oxide, in turn, plays a critical role in the dilation of blood vessels and

the process of penile erection.

The drug Viagra functions primarily by targeting the nitric oxide signaling

pathway in the penis.

Patil hopes that other researchers will begin to directly study watermelon's

effects on erection. But some are skeptical.

Just because nitric oxide is required for an erection, " that doesn't mean

eating something that is rich in citrulline will make enough arginine that

it will lead to better penile erections, " said Irwin Goldstein,

editor-in-chief of The Journal of Sexual Medicine and a former consultant

for companies that make erectile dysfunction drugs.

" The vast majority of Americans produce enough arginine, " he said. " Men with

erectile dysfunction are not deficient in arginine. "

Patil acknowledges that he doesn't know how much watermelon a man would need

to eat to have an effect. Knowing that a four-ounce serving of watermelon

contains approximately 150 milligrams of citrulline does not tell

researchers what effects that much citrulline will have in the body, he

said.

He did note that in a 2007 study, participants were able to increase their

arginine levels 11 percent in three weeks by drinking three eight-ounce

glasses of watermelon juice per day.

Sources for this story include: www.cbsnews.com.