Watermellon = Viagra?

Back around Valentine’s Day I remember reading that color red helps get the libido moving. That was based on a recent study that men find women sexier if they're wearing red.

Now with the 4th of July a few days away there was some other research that is interesting also. It seems that if you are planning to have watermelon at your annual July 4th cookout, researchers say it has Viagra like effects … but I don’t think we should throw away the little blue pills quite yet.

Citrulline is an ingredient in watermelons that can trigger production of a compound that helps relax the body's blood vessels, like what happens when a man takes Viagra, according to scientists in Texas, where many of the seedless variety come from.It is found in the flesh and rind of watermelons, and reacts with the body's enzymes when consumed in large quantities.

This is then changed into arginine, an amino acid which helps the heart, circulatory and immune systems.

The researchers at Texas A&M's Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center say Arginine boosts nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, which is the same basic effect that Viagra has, to treat erectile dysfunction and maybe even prevent it. Bhimu Patil, a researcher and director also said that "Watermelon may not be as organ-specific as Viagra, but it's a great way to relax blood vessels without any drug side effects."

Other researchers at North Carolina State, find the results interesting but advised that anyone taking Viagra shouldn't expect the same result from watermelon.

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.

It seems that around 60% of the citrulline is contained in watermelon rind more than in the flesh, and is found in all colors of watermelon. Yellow-fleshed types are the highest according to Penelope Perkins-Veazie, a USDA researcher in Lane, Okla.

She said Patil's research is valid, but with a caveat: One would need to eat about six cups of watermelon to get enough citrulline to boost the body's arginine level, and with that much watermelon, you tend to run to the bathroom more.

Watermelon is also a diuretic used as a homeopathic treatment for kidney patients before dialysis became widely used.The relationship between citrulline and arginine might also be useful to type-2 diabetics or if you are obese. The benefits may include the ability to relax blood vessels, much like Viagra does.

We will need to see if this is true as more studies and research becomes known.

Natural Herb Alternative To Viagra

There are literally thousands of sexual stimulants on the market for both men and women. They aren’t all good products. Some of them just don’t work well and others have side effects that you certainly don’t want any part of.

Based on some independent research there here is an example of a natural herb that has been tested successfully to be a first rate lower cost solution to Viagra.

There was a recent study done in Italy on a Chinese herbal remedy that could offer an alternative to men suffering from erectile dysfunction.

The herb known as horny Goat Weed has a reputation as a natural aphrodisiac. The lab experiments were conducted at the University of Milan.

Erectile dysfunction is a common condition worldwide, and drugs like Pfizer Inc's Viagra, Eli Lilly and Co's Cialis or tadalafil, and Bayer AG's Levitra or vardenafil, work by increasing blood flow to the genitals. However the side effects range from headaches, upset stomach and visual problems including blindness.

The Italian team looked for alternatives by studying a number of plants reputed to boost sexual performance.

After deciding to focus on horny goat weed, the researchers modified a compound in the plant called icariin and found it blocked the erection-inhibiting enzyme as well as Viagra did.

Because the compound targets the enzyme more precisely, it may have fewer side effects than Viagra Mario Dell'Agli, a researcher at the University of Milan, who led the study said.

Further tests in animals and humans are needed but the extract from the herb represents a potential new erectile dysfunction treatment with fewer side effects, Dell'Agli said.

"The compound icariin is present in the horny goat weed in large amounts and its activity against (the enzyme) is lower compared to Viagra," he said. "But the new molecule we synthesized from icariin is as good as Viagra against (the enzyme)."