I will never be ashamed of eating Watermelon again -or- that explains alot

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bingolong
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I will never be ashamed of eating Watermelon again -or- that explains alot

Post by bingolong »

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living ... iagra.kens - Mandingo's secret!!!'

Watermelon May Have Viagra-Like Effect
By BETSY BLANEY,AP
Posted: 2008-07-03 08:16:25
Filed Under: Health News
LUBBOCK, Texas (July 2) - A slice of cool, fresh watermelon is a juicy way to top off a Fourth of July cookout and one that researchers say could keep fireworks going long into the night.


Watermelons contain an ingredient called citrulline that can trigger production of a compound that helps relax the body's blood vessels, similar to what happens when a man takes Viagra, said scientists in Texas, one of the nation's top producers of the seedless variety.

Found in the flesh and rind of watermelons, citrulline reacts with the body's enzymes when consumed and is changed into arginine, an amino acid that benefits the heart, and the circulatory and immune systems.

"Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same basic effect that Viagra has, to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even prevent it," said Bhimu Patil, a researcher and director of Texas A&M's Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center. "Watermelon may not be as organ specific as Viagra, but it's a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side-effects."

The nitric oxide also can help with angina, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems, according to Patil.

More citrulline - about 60 percent - is found in watermelon rind than the flesh, Patil said, but that can vary. But scientists may be able to find ways to boost the concentrations in the flesh, he said.

Citrulline is found in all colors of watermelon and is highest in the yellow fleshed types, said Penelope Perkins-Veazie, a U.S. Department of Agriculture researcher in Lane, Okla.

Patil's research is valid but with a caveat, she said.

One would need to eat about six cups of watermelon to get enough citrulline to boost the body's arginine level, she said.

"The problem you have when you eat a lot of watermelon is you tend to run to the bathroom more," Perkins-Veazie said.

Watermelon is a diuretic and was a homeopathic treatment for kidney patients before dialysis became widespread.

Another issue is the amount of sugar that much watermelon would spill into the bloodstream - a jolt that can sometimes cause cramping, Perkins-Veazie said.

Patil said he would like to do future studies on how to reduce the sugar content in watermelon.

Todd Wehner, who studies watermelon breeding at North Carolina State University, said anyone taking Viagra shouldn't expect the same result from watermelon.

"It sounds like it would be an effect that would be interesting but not a substitute for any medical treatment," Wehner said.

The relationship between citrulline and arginine also may prove helpful to those who are obese or suffer from type-2 diabetes. The beneficial effects - among them the ability to relax blood vessels, much like Viagra does - are beginning to be revealed in research.

Citrulline is present in other curcubits, like cucumbers and cantaloupe, but at very low levels, and in the milk protein casein. The highest concentrations of citrulline are found in walnut seedlings, Perkins-Veazie said.

"But they're bitter and most people don't want to eat them," she said.

Betsy Blaney has been the AP's Lubbock correspondent since 2001 and regularly reports on agricultural issues



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NO SHAME IN MY GAME EAT UP!!!! :lol:
I went to Zimbabwe. I know how white people feel in America now; relaxed! Cause when I heard the police car I knew they weren't coming after me! 
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tamra
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Re: I will never be ashamed of eating Watermelon again -or- that explains alot

Post by tamra »

bingolong,

this was on the news here locally :lol: a reporter told a guy about it, the guy then says "oh really, lemme go get another one" :lol:
who friggin' knew? ;p
---
huh? what? who? damn, I'm always the last to know.
robfharris
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Re: I will never be ashamed of eating Watermelon again -or- that explains alot

Post by robfharris »

tamra,
I knew...
You know how many family picnics I've been to where the female friend of the family stops by and one of my guy cousins peeks up from behind a slice of watermelon asking "Hey cuzz... who dat?"

Then one year later at the next picnic the "family friend" shows up with a 3-month-old kid and saying something about how "the nigga ain't paid child support, YET!"
Now that Johnnie's gone, I guess I should start being nice to the cops.
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bingolong
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Re: I will never be ashamed of eating Watermelon again -or- that explains alot

Post by bingolong »

robfharris,
:lol: :lol:
I went to Zimbabwe. I know how white people feel in America now; relaxed! Cause when I heard the police car I knew they weren't coming after me! 
EddieHill
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Re: I will never be ashamed of eating Watermelon again -or- that explains alot

Post by EddieHill »

bingolong,
I like watermelon too. In the old days we would spike it with 190 grain alcohol everclear, nowdays beings I am sober, I will eat my watermelon strait up. I eat the hell out of chicken and news flash, Walmart is selling Open Pit Barbeque Sauce. Yeeeeeees! Couldn`t find that shit anywhere ,I had to mix Mauls or KC Masterpiece with beer and Tobasco sauce. I am getting hungry thinking of this shit , gotta go.
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tamra
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Re: I will never be ashamed of eating Watermelon again -or- that explains alot

Post by tamra »

robfharris,
:lol: too funny. I bet she don't like watermelon no more huh?
---
huh? what? who? damn, I'm always the last to know.
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hellifiknow
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Re: I will never be ashamed of eating Watermelon again -or- that explains alot

Post by hellifiknow »

EddieHill,
we used rum and everclear, or vodka and everclear, it's the only thing I know of that tastes just like it did when you ate it after you puke.

Bingolongs right, that does explain a lot....grew up on a watermelon farm and my poor grandma spent many nights praying for an answer to wtf was wrong with her grandkids, I can see St. Peter welcoming her to heaven and saying "oh, by the way, it was the watermelon."

granny used to get pissed because we'd have watermelon fights with the young melons, like snowballs but messier and more painful
"boy, go get me something to beat your ass with" RP
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