Watermelon rind yields Viagra-like results

LUBBOCK, Texas - A slice of cool, fresh watermelon is a juicy way to top off a Fourth of July cookout and one that researchers say could keep fireworks going long into the night.

Scientists at Texas A&M University say watermelons contain 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.

Found in the flesh and rind of watermelons, citrulline reacts with the body's enzymes when consumed and is changed into arginine, an amino acid that benefits the heart, and the circulatory and immune systems.

Penelope Perkins-Veazie, a U.S. Department of Agriculture researcher in Lane, Okla., says that citrulline is found in all colors of watermelon and is highest in the yellow fleshed types.

She says the research is valid but notes one problem.

She says that one would need to eat about six cups of watermelon to get enough citrulline to boost the body's arginine level, and that eating that amount likely would result in more trips to the bathroom.