Watermelon – food that lowers blood pressure
Watermelon is one of the tasty foods that lower blood pressure. Its blood pressure lowering qualities were known, but not scientifically proven. This is until Florida State University pilot study was conducted in 2010, and proved that it can be very effective against prehypertension. Only four men and five women aged 51-57 were a part of this pilot, so further studies are required to prove effectiveness of the watermelon. However, the result of this study was “improved arterial function and consequently lowered aortic blood pressure in all nine of their prehypertensive subjects!” And none of them suffered from any adverse reactions.
Watermelon Lowers Blood Pressure
How does watermelon work to lower blood pressure?
“Watermelon is the richest edible natural source of L-citrulline, which is closely related to L-arginine, the amino acid required for the formation of nitric oxide essential to the regulation of vascular tone and healthy blood pressure,” FSU Professor Arturo Figueroa said.
If you never heard of nitric oxide, this is a gas that gets produced as a result of consumption of certain foods, the most famous one being garlic, and relaxes blood vessels.
Interestingly enough, L-arginine supplement is not nearly as well tolerated by the body as simple watermelon.
“Individuals with increased blood pressure and arterial stiffness — especially those who are older and those with chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes — would benefit from L-citrulline in either the synthetic or natural (watermelon) form,” Figueroa said. “The optimal dose appears to be four to six grams a day.”
Watermelon nutritional facts
Watermelon contains decent amounts of Vitamin A,C, minerals Magnesium, Potassium and Manganese. It contains 90% water, so it can hydrate and cleanse your system ( be careful of you have kidney disorders though.). It contains lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that can also be extracted from tomatoes.
It’s too bad that it also contains high levels of pesticides which makes it not very desirable to eat in big amounts.
Watermelon recipes
Watermelon is widely used in cooking. I have found such unexpected recipes like watermelon salsa, watermelon soup, watermelon drink and watermelon salad recipe. You’d need to eat a lot of these meals to reduce your blood pressure, you will practically need a watermelon diet.
So instead of going to such extreme, try a balanced diet, where watermelon is an important, but not the only one, food that lower blood pressure.
References:
Read the details of the study at the FSU study results webpage.