Sweet, pink, ripe watermelon is a fat free snack great for overall health. You may already know that the benefits of watermelon include the fact that this fruit is a good source of vitamin C. However, watermelon just might be more important for men than for women. Citrulline is a phytonutrient.

If you buy something through a link on this page, we may earn a small commission. How this works. Men have long experimented with remedies to treat erectile dysfunction and have had mixed results. Though research is still in its preliminary stages, some studies suggest that watermelon may be a viable substitute for Viagra.

So how did the misleading headlines come about? One aim of this research is to investigate the possibility of increasing the naturally occurring amount of an amino acid called citrullin in watermelon. Citrulline is of interest since in the body it can be converted to arginine, an amino acid that plays a role in immune system activity, as well as in the dilation of blood vessels. A press officer at the University, given the task of putting out a release about this rather mundane research, asked watermelon breeder Dr.

The summer just got hotter. The humble watermelon in your neighbourhood fruit market not only helps you shed weight, improve circulation or lower blood pressure, it can also boost your sex drive! Read: Five special natural aphrodisiacs.