Now we’re going to get spammed by watermelon farmers

Scientists have found that watermelon has effects similar to Viagra. It contains an ingredient called citrulline that can trigger production of a compound that helps relax the body’s blood vessels, similar to what happens when a man takes Viagra, said scientists in Texas.

Found in the flesh and rind of watermelons, citrulline reacts with the body’s enzymes when consumed in large quantities and is changed into arginine, which boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same basic effect that Viagra has. According to Bhimu Patel, one of the researchers:

“Watermelon may not be as organ-specific as Viagra, but it’s a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side effects.”

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.

Only one slight problem: you would need to eat about six cups of watermelon to get enough citrulline to boost the body’s arginine level.

I can see a few downsides in using watermelon as a natural substitute for Viagra:

• having to munch through a large hunk of watermelon might kill the mood
• its a lot messier than taking a small tablet
• shipping watermelons by mail order is much harder than pills
• storing a decent supply of watermelons could be tricky
• I don’t want to be hassled at the markets by dodgy characters trying to sell me black market watermelons.

Technorati Tags: watermelon, viagra, arginine, citrulline