 "Photo: Matty Greene")
Watermelons contain ingredients that cause the same physiological effects as Viagra, though on a smaller and less-focused scale, according to a study conducted by researchers at Texas A&M University.
Citrulline, an organic compound found in the melon, is converted through the digestive process into arginine, an amino acid that increases levels of nitric oxide and relaxes blood vessels.
Bhimu Patil, director of Texas A&M's Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Center and lead researcher for the study, said only the presence of the chemical had been detected and that medical effects have not yet been proven.
"Because of the presence of citrulline, we speculate that watermelon might have some of the same effects as Viagra," Patil said, adding that clinical trials would be necessary to gauge the fruit's actual effects on humans.
Patil said watermelon also contains many vitamins and could possibly help prevent prostate cancer, while the citrulline could hypothetically aid high blood pressure and angina, in addition to erectile dysfunction.
Citrulline is found primarily in the fruit's rind. To achieve any noticable effect, one would need to eat six cups of watermelon, which might cause the fruit's diuretic
properties to surface, while the flood of sugar could cause cramps, Patil said.
Patil and other researchers are now working on breeding watermelons with more citrulline content for its health benefits and for further research.
"We're still in the early stages," Patil said. "The problem is that citrulline is bitter in taste, so we have to find a way to preserve the taste while increasing the citrulline content. Hopefully it will still be a watermelon people want to eat. It's going to be a challenge."
In Luling, a town 45 minutes southeast of Austin that attracts an estimated 30,000 attendees at its annual Watermelon Thump, people haven't decided what to make of the news, said James Nickells, secretary of the Watermelon Thump Association.
"Most people think it's interesting, a comical thing," Nickells said. "I haven't talked to any of the growers about whether it might be marketable, but everybody in town is laughing about it."
According to the Texas A&M Agriculture Program's Web site, watermelons are Texas' largest annual horticultural crop. If the researchers succeed in creating a hybrid watermelon, Nickells said, "it could get pretty interesting" for watermelon growers.
"Especially if we see a sort of oyster effect - like an aphrodisiac - people could decide that if they're going to eat a fruit, watermelon is a pretty good one to eat," Nickells said. "And not just for the nutritional reasons."
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