Watermelon-the science is proving what we already knew

[LINDA RN]

Science News
Watermelon Lowers Blood Pressure, Study Finds
ScienceDaily (Oct. 14, 2010) — No matter how you slice it, watermelon has a lot going for it -- sweet, low calorie, high fiber, nutrient rich -- and now, there's more. Evidence from a pilot study led by food scientists at The Florida State University suggests that watermelon can be an effective natural weapon against prehypertension, a precursor to cardiovascular disease.
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It is the first investigation of its kind in humans. FSU Assistant Professor Arturo Figueroa and Professor Bahram H. Arjmandi found that when six grams of the amino acid L-citrulline/L-arginine from watermelon extract was administered daily for six weeks, there was improved arterial function and consequently lowered aortic blood pressure in all nine of their prehypertensive subjects (four men and five postmenopausal women, ages 51-57).

"We are the first to document improved aortic hemodynamics in prehypertensive but otherwise healthy middle-aged men and women receiving therapeutic doses of watermelon," Figueroa said. "These findings suggest that this 'functional food' has a vasodilatory effect, and one that may prevent prehypertension from progressing to full-blown hypertension, a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.
"Given the encouraging evidence generated by this preliminary study, we hope to continue the research and include a much larger group of participants in the next round," he said.

Why watermelon?
"Watermelon is the richest edible natural source of L-citrulline, which is closely related to L-arginine, the amino acid required for the formation of nitric oxide essential to the regulation of vascular tone and healthy blood pressure," Figueroa said.

Once in the body, the L-citrulline is converted into L-arginine. Simply consuming L-arginine as a dietary supplement isn't an option for many hypertensive adults, said Figueroa, because it can cause nausea, gastrointestinal tract discomfort, and diarrhea.
In contrast, watermelon is well tolerated. Participants in the Florida State pilot study reported no adverse effects. And, in addition to the vascular benefits of citrulline, watermelon provides abundant vitamin A, B6, C, fiber, potassium and lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. Watermelon may even help to reduce serum glucose levels, according to Arjmandi.

"Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States," Arjmandi said. "Generally, Americans have been more concerned about their blood cholesterol levels and dietary cholesterol intakes rather than their overall cardiovascular health risk factors leading to CVD, such as obesity and vascular dysfunction characterized by arterial stiffening and thickness -- issues that functional foods such as watermelon can help to mitigate.
"By functional foods," said Arjmandi, "we mean those foods scientifically shown to have health-promoting or disease-preventing properties, above and beyond the other intrinsically healthy nutrients they also supply."

Figueroa said oral L-citrulline supplementation might allow a reduced dosage of antihypertensive drugs necessary to control blood pressure.
"Even better, it may prevent the progression from prehypertension to hypertension in the first place," he said.
While watermelon or watermelon extract is the best natural source for L-citrulline, it is also available in the synthetic form in pills, which Figueroa used in a previous study of younger, male subjects. That investigation showed that four weeks of L-citrulline slowed or weakened the increase in aortic blood pressure in response to cold exposure. It was an important finding, said Figueroa, since there is a greater occurrence of myocardial infarction associated with hypertension during the cold winter months.

"Individuals with increased blood pressure and arterial stiffness -- especially those who are older and those with chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes -- would benefit from L-citrulline in either the synthetic or natural (watermelon) form," Figueroa said. "The optimal dose appears to be four to six grams a day."

Approximately 60 percent of U.S. adults are prehypertensive or hypertensive. Prehypertension is characterized by systolic blood pressure readings of 120-139 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) over diastolic pressure of 80-89 mm Hg. "Systolic" refers to the blood pressure when the heart is contracting. "Diastolic" reflects the blood pressure when the heart is in a period of relaxation and expansion.
Findings from Figueroa's latest pilot study at Florida State are described in the American Journal of Hypertension. A copy of the paper ("Effects of Watermelon Supplementation on Aortic Blood Pressure and Wave Reflection in Individuals With Prehypertension: A Pilot Study") can be accessed online.

The paper's lead author, Figueroa holds a medical degree, a doctoral degree in physiological sciences, and a master's degree in sports medicine. He has been a faculty member in the Florida State University Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences since 2004. Figueroa's coauthor and colleague Arjmandi serves as chairman of the department, which is a part of Florida State's interdisciplinary College of Human Sciences. Arjmandi also is the author or coauthor of an extensive body of published research on the health benefits of prunes and other functional foods.
Coauthors of the Figueroa-Arjmandi paper in the American Journal of Hypertension are Marcos A. Sanchez-Gonzalez, a Florida State doctoral student in exercise physiology, and Penelope Perkins-Veazie, a horticulture professor at North Carolina State University.
Editor's Note: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

[LINDA RN]

That is good to know Roger. I will mention that to the die-hard oatmeal addicts.
Rasberries blenderized with white beans and served warm as a hot breafast or cold as a smoothie should make for a great substitute for oatmeal.

[jencita]

Thanks for the tip Linda - I do miss my oatmeal - I will try the raspberries and beans!

[Kathie]

Hi.. I did see the comparison between oatmeal and raspberries on one of the Morning shows yesterday morning.  It was hard to believe that raspberries have more fiber and so much better for you.  You just have to get your head around that one. Let me know how you made out with the Rasp. and beans, Jen.. Have a good day all.  I am back home till Monday night then back to Moms after work on Monday. Thank you for the prayers.. Mom is pain free right now.
Hugs! Kathie in Fl.

[CodingQueen]

Watermelon is very healthy for us and great for weight loss. I should know...it's the one fruit that has helped me to lose my weight on the LDL program. But, everyone should be aware that seedless watermelon (hybrid) can be just as harmful to our bodies as GMO foods.

David Wolfe says the following about hybrid foods:

"They are unnaturally high in sugar and off in the mineral ratios. Hybrid foods are devoid of proper mineral balance that all wild foods contain. So when we eat a lot of hybrid fruit, that leads to mineral deficiencies in our bodies. Not only are hybrid fruits and sweet, starchy vegetables unbalanced in minerals, it is eating too much of hybrid sweet fruit and sweet and starchy vegetables that causes the body to bring heavy minerals from the bones into the blood to buffer the hybrid sugar. This hybrid sugar is not completely recognized by the liver and pancreas. The minerals and sugar are spilled off into the urine. Hybrid sweet fruit and sweet starchy vegetables can over stimulate you and cause you to lose minerals."

The excess sugar in hybrid foods, designed to make them taste good, spills into the urine, just like refined sugar. After you eat hybrid foods, your body leaches calcium from your bones to buffer the acid which is the effect of too much sugar. This is NOT a desirable physical state to be in. An acidic state causes diseases and, of course, the loss of calcium from our bones leads to osteoporosis.

A good way to recognize a hybrid food is that they often do not contain seeds.

Genesis 1:29 tells us “And God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.”

CQ

[LINDA RN]

OMG,
I had been eating seedless watermelon and now seedless grapes....grapes are cheap right now. Guess that was my problem with fruits.
Now to the frozen fruits. We won't really be sure they aren't using GMO in those.

[CodingQueen]

LINDA RN,

The following brands for fruits and vegetables (canned and frozen) have enrolled in the NON-GMO project. You'll have to check the list to see if they have been verified but I wouldn't think they would have if they were GMO.

365
Cape Cod Select
Emperor’s Kitchen
Field Day
Funky Monkey Snacks
Little Duck Organics
Mary’s Little Garden
Mediterranean Organic
Meijer Naturals
North Coast
Ole
Reese
Stahlbush Island Farms
Sunset
Sunset Kids
Woodstock Farms

CQ

[LINDA RN]

Thanks, CQ
The only brand I recognize is Meijer and I think I have only seen their canned tomatoes. Will need to print the list before I go back to the Health Fodd Center

[bingo]

Hi Linda...Just reread the article on watermelon. How much of the fruit would  you need to eat to equal 6 grams ? sounds great,but noticed they used the juice from it.  Thanks

[CodingQueen]

bingo,

You would be needing to eat approximately 10 pounds of watermelon.

CQ

[LINDA RN]

I could probably eat 5lbs or more at a sitting. I figure a 10lb watermelon is only a medium sized seedless.

[CodingQueen]

An average size watermelon weighs approximately 20 pounds and yields 14 pounds of fruit (70% fruit and 30% rind).

CQ

[LINDA RN]

I know what is in the stores is significantly smaller and lighter than what we grew. Walking those 30-40 lb melons out of the field was real exercise.
I miss it.

[CodingQueen]

LINDA RN,

A friend of ours plants a field every year. They average around 20 pounds (I forgot the exact name but they do have the seeds).

He actually grows them to take over to Daytona Beach during the summer...puts them on ice and sells to the tourists. He makes more money that way rather than selling to the local grocery stores.

CQ

[LINDA RN]

We grew Black Diamonds....they were huge(40-80lbs ave was 40-45lbs). Also some Charleston Grays(they are very large also 30-40lbs), Jubilees (30-35lbs) and the smaller Dixielee. We also grew cantelopes. The Sugar Queens were the sweetest and they were huge (6-10lbs). Looking forward to the weather cycling back to slightly cooler and wetter summers so we can restart our Farm-Market dream.

[bingo]

I Enjoy grapes every day, but cannot get the ones with seeds in them..anywhere here . Hopefully it isn`t going to do damage to my body by eating the seedless fruit. I just have to trust the Lord to protect me in trying to do the right thing for my body in spite of the negatives .

[CodingQueen]

bingo,

It's hard to find the ones that aren't seedless. I had to ask for the grocery store to order the 'RED GLOBE GRAPES." They are also known as "TABLE GRAPES."

CQ

[LINDA RN]

Wal-Mart used to carry both seeded and seedless, but not knowing any better (actually I knew the seedless were hybrid, just didn't know they were GMO), I looked for the seeless since I could eat them with less mess and in much larger quantities! I saw Red Globe Grapes at Sam's on Sat.

[CodingQueen]

LINDA RN,

Hybrids are not always GMO. But, they are just as unhealthy as a GMO product because of the hybrid sugar. If you look at a lot of the organic produce stands, you'll see "organic seedless grapes."

CQ