Dr Oz on Eating Watermelon

As regular readers know, I have been a big fan of Dr. Oz. I loved his books and have enjoyed his articles and TV show, too. Lots of healthy ideas from the good doctor. Lately, he has recommended some things that did not seem up to the standard of early recommendations. I was thrilled, however,  to stumble across a recent article of his on the value of watermelon.

I wrote up a bizarre experience in September of 2010 that culminated in my wanting to drink a watermelon. Last year, I wrote How Healthy is Watermelon.

Last November Dr. Oz wrote a blog item on the value of eating watermelon year-round.

He gave the following reasons:

“Watermelon degunks arteries. Swapping water for watermelon juice reduces body fat, lowers LDL cholesterol, and — the biggest effect — cleans heart-threatening plaque from arteries.

“It drops your blood pressure and boosts circulation. Watermelon is one of the few food sources of citrulline, a protein that’s a real powerhouse. Got borderline hypertension? Other studies have found that citrulline lowers systolic blood pressure by as much as 9 points, enough to prevent full-blown hypertension. That’s because it helps produce nitric oxide, powerful stuff that opens and relaxes your arteries. Citrulline also helps with wound healing and cell division, and turbocharges blood flow, enhancing circulation to all your vital parts (much the way Viagra does).

“It’s loaded with lycopene.This potent plant polyphenol is thought to fend off heart disease and some cancers (though prostate cancer looks like a bust). Tomatoes are considered lycopene all-stars, but cup for cup, watermelon has 40% more. Watermelon may help you think faster, too.

“It’s naturally low-cal. There are only 96 calories in 2 fill-you-full cups of sweet watermelon.”

Watermelon is easily one of my personal favorite foods and I eat some after every bike ride.

Reader and Vita-Mix lady, Lea Ann Anderson shared her Vita-Mix Watermelon Sorbet Recipe with us last June.

Tony