Couple of days ago, a friend send me an article of watermelon and the benefits of taking watermelon. Naturally, old people goes like "ladies should NOT consume too much watermelon and / or especially when they are pregnant". Instead, the lady should consume more goji berries (click HERE to read) since that is really beneficial for them. Well, they might be true at some point since this may produce similar effect as abortion.


Caption: watermelon

Watermelon is riginally a large oblong or roundish melon with a hard and thick green rind (outter layer). The inner section of it contained sweet watery red (or occasionally yellowish) pulp. Watermelon is also known as the summer fruit of all time when people usually consume it during the summer (or for picnic treats) due to the juicy pulp that may provide some sensation feeling to them when consume.

Numerous nutrition researches suggested that 88.00 % of this fruit is made of water whilst the remaining 12% is fibre. Fibre is usually found in fruits, vegetables, oats and pulses and helps to lower cholesterol level, balances blood sugar and would help in healthy dieting. On the other hand, the watermelon also contained both vitamin c and sugar. The combination of both water and fibre produces a fact that consuming too much watermelon will NOT lead to the increase of a person's weight. The 12% fibre contained in the watermelon would help in dieting (loss of weight).

However, different understanding from people have lead to the expectancy of that juice contained in the watermelon will have small probability in reducing vitamin b in a person's body (no solid research has proven this as yet), but they have argued that consuming watermelon in a long period of time will help in (1) reducing the risk of developing colorectal cancer (also known as colon tumor / prostate / starting from the larger intestine and usually found in lower bowel and (2) the decrease of migraines effects (another term of headache), which is extremely important in health.


Caption: cube-shaped watermelon


Caption: oval-shaped watermelon

Watermelon comes in different shapes, such as cube and oval. The cube-shaped watermelon was first produced in south-western of Japan, in Shikoku by a farmer. BBC reported that such watermelon has stunned the Japanese shoppers when this is one of the most effective solution to solve problems like cutting the fruit when it kept rolling away. They were selling this melon for 10, 000 yen (equal to USD $ 83.00). As usual, Japanese are well-known for their brilliant and innovative mind.

Okay, let me get back on track. The medical terms may be of complicated, so I will try to optimise them appopriately.

In a study, the watermelon is important to boost blood levels of arginine. In year 2007, a nutritionist has reported that people who drink three 8-ounce glasses of watermelon juices daily (for approximately 3 weeks) has boosted their arginine level by 11%. Arginine refers to the acid amino (to built protien and other necessary nutritions) and it has an important role in cell division, the healing of wounds, removing ammonia from the body, boosting the immune system function, and the release of hormonesin in our body. Acid amino is also important in several physiological processes. These solid researches has proven that watermelon is low in calories and provides potassium (a mineral essential for body function), the phytonutrients (are minerals such as beta-carotene that may affect our health) and lycopene (reducing the risk of prostate as mentioned in the above), in addition to the citrulline (an amino acid (protein) that is measured in the blood and will be able to regenerate dead cells).


Caption: viagra

BBC has also proven that consuming watermelon regularly may result in the production of natural viagra. Viagra is known as the virility drug (trade name Viagra) used to treat erectile dysfunction in men. In other term, it helps men in erecting. This is because the popular summer fruit is richer than experts believed in an amino acid called citrulline (short description provided in the above), which relaxes and dilates (or to expand) blood vessels much like Viagra and other drugs meant to treat erectile dysfunction (eracting).

One question was proposed: "How could watermelon be a natural Viagra?". The amino acid citrulline is converted into the amino acid arginine. This is a precursor for nitric oxide (important signaling molecule that acts of regulating tissues in the nerve endings in the penis when a man is sexually stimulated), and the nitric oxide will help in the expansion of blood vessels. Though arginine is required to make nitric oxide, and nitric oxide is required to expand blood vessels and to have an erection, that does not mean eating something that is rich in "citrulline" will produce sufficient arginine to lead to better penile erections. It sometimes depends!

Although this was just an initial study, but those experts in this field would serious hope that someone (possibly PhD research students) will continue to pick up on this research and study the fruit's effect on penile erections.


Caption: method one: skin of melon in dessert


Caption: method two: cooking skin of melon with curry


Caption: method three: boiling skin of melon with soup

The skin of the watermelon is also beneficial. I have read several nutrition journals, stating that the skin of the watermelon is beneficial for blood circulation and the reduction of blood pressure. They taught some ways to consume the skin of melon, that is, to slice the green section (within the thick skin of the melon, green in colour) and eat them similar to the pictures in the above.