Support AlterNet
Do you value the information you're getting from AlterNet? Please show your support with a tax-deductible donation.
Feedback
Tell us how we're doing.
Watermelon is the New Viagra
A new study funded by the US Department of Agriculture suggests that watermelon contains a compound that might have effects similar to erectile dysfunction drugs like Viagra and Levitra.
"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."
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 nitric oxide can also help with angina, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems, according to the study, which was paid for by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. [SF Gate]
The only problem is that you'd probably have to eat about 6 cups of watermelon to get enough of the active ingredient, citrulline, to achieve the desired effect. But that's where our friends at the Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center come in... It might be possible to modify melons to produce more citrulline, researchers say.
Is this a great country, or what?
Tagged as: nutrition, health, science, viagra, watermelon
Lindsay Beyerstein a New York writer blogging at Majikthise.
| Also in Sex and Relationships | |||
| Is Sex Addiction B.S.? Maybe what we need are groups to heal our shame about sex, rather than programs that only serve to reinforce our neuroses. Post by Dr. Belisa Vranich. September 5, 2008. |
Obama Wants the Gay Vote ... Sorta This isn't change I can believe in, it's the same old bullshit I've been hearing for most of my life. Post by Deeky . August 29, 2008. |
Call Girls at the Political Conventions The RNC and DNC mean a boost in business for sex workers. Post by Catherine. August 26, 2008. |
|