Thursday, April 3, 2008

Yummy Watermelon

Nutrition - Watermelon is an excellent source of arginine

Nutritional Benefits of Watermelon - Watermelon is an excellent food source of the amino acid citrulline, which the human body uses to make the amino acid arginine, which helps cells divide, wounds heal, and ammonia to be removed from the body.

Watermelon also contains plentiful amounts of the health-promoting antioxidant lycopene as an added bonus.

L-arginine increases the body's ability to produce Nitric Oxide when needed, and restores sexual function in impotent men. Studies have shown that oral arginine boosts immunity, fights cancer, promotes healing, protects and detoxifies the liver, improves thymus function and enhances male fertility.


Blood levels of arginine, synthesized in the body from the citrulline provided by the watermelon juice, were 11 percent higher in volunteers tested after three weeks on the three-glasses-a-day regimen (24 ounces), and 18 percent higher following the six-daily-glasses regimen (48 ounces), when compared to levels in samples from volunteers who didn't drink the watermelon juice.

Medical researchers are currently evaluating arginine as a possible treatment for high blood pressure, elevated glucose levels and the vascular complications associated with sickle-cell disease.

If such studies pan out, concentrated forms of watermelon could represent an all-natural amino acid source. The fruit's good-for-the-body lycopene is an added bonus.

Perkins-Veazie is now focused on finding an optimal way of extracting citrulline from watermelon.




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