Watermelon: A Natural Viagra?

Watermelon: A Natural Viagra?:

Watermelon may work as a natural Viagra. That's because watermelon is rich in an amino acid called citrulline, and relaxes and dilates blood vessels much like Viagra and other drugs meant to treat erectile dysfunction.

"We have known that watermelon has citrulline," says Bhimu Patil, PHD, director of the Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center at Texas A&M University, College Station. Until recently, he tells WebMD, scientists thought most of the citrulline was in the watermelon rind. "Watermelon has more citrulline in the edible part than previously believed," he says.

How could watermelon be a natural Viagra? The amino acid citrulline is converted into the amino acid arginine. Arginine is a precursor for nitric oxide, and the nitric oxide regulate the blood vessel dilation.

Watermelon consumption increases plasma arginine concentrations in adults:

"The increased blood concentrations of arginine and ornithine and stable concentrations of plasma citrulline in response to watermelon 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."