Overview
Eating watermelon is good for your diet and can prevent and treat certain conditions. Watermelon is a rich source of citrulline, an amino acid your body converts to arginine, which in turn can convert to nitric oxide, a gas and antioxidant that improves blood flow. Watermelon rind contains more citrulline than its flesh, according to research by scientists at the USDA and published in the "Journal of Chromatography A" in 2005.
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors, such as abdominal obesity, insulin resistance and high blood sugar, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, that together increase your risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease. Drinking watermelon juice, particularly from the rind, also called pomace, may reduce your risk of metabolic syndrome. Research by scientists at Texas A&M University and published in the "Journal of Nutrition" in 2007 discovered watermelon pomace juice improves levels of blood sugar and fat and blood vessel dysfunction associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction, also called impotence, is a condition characterized by inability to attain or retain an erection hard and long enough for sexual intercourse. Erections occur when blood fills the smooth muscles within the penis. Nitric oxide from nerves and endothelia, the cells that line the interior of blood vessels, initiates and maintains pressure increase necessary to form and sustain an erection, according to research by scientists at Shiga University of Medical Science in Otsu, Japan and published in "Pharmacology and Therapeutics" in 2005. Consuming watermelon, because of its high content of citrulline, increases production of nitric oxide, stimulates erections and may be effective in treating erectile dysfunction. Research by scientists at the University of Foggia in Foggia, Italy, and published in "Urology" in 2011 discovered that citrulline improves erection hardness and the number of successful sexual intercourse acts in patients with erectile dysfunction.
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a risk factor for stroke, the third leading cause of death in the United States. Consuming watermelon may help you to reduce your blood pressure. Research by scientists at Florida State University in Tallahassee and published in the "American Journal of Hypertension" in 2011 found that watermelon is effective in improving blood pressure in the arteries, particularly the aorta, in patients with pre-hypertension who have levels above normal but below the levels considered to be hypertension.
Protein Source
People in Africa, Asia and other parts of the world, particularly in developing countries, consume watermelon seeds for their protein content. Research by scientists at the University of Science and Technology in Awantipora, India, and published in the "Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture" in 2011 reports that watermelon seed meal contains protein, including globulin, albumin and glutelin. The research found these proteins are rich in aspartic acid, glutamic acid and serine, amino acids that are part of numerous proteins in your body and that watermelon seed meal is a good nutritional source with potential use in food formulations.
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