Today is a slow news day. I get that.
On June 30, ScienceDaily printed an original article covering watermelon research done by and at Texas A&M’s Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center. It's strange enough to me that someone outside a commercial watermelon operation is doing watermelon research. That there is a Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center could be a story in itself.
According to Center head honcho Dr. Bhimu Patil, the study in question reveals among other things that watermelon contains lycopene, beta carotene and the star of today's show, citrulline, which the human body can convert to arginine.
“The citrulline-arginine relationship helps heart health, the immune system and may prove to be very helpful for those who suffer from obesity and type 2 diabetes,” said Patil. “Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same basic effect that Viagra has, to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even prevent it.”
The reference to Viagra was almost incidental but for the last 2 days, online and on the tube, cable and network, all were running a variant of, "Is that a watermelon in your pants or are you just happy to see me?"
Like I said, slow news day.
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