Mediterranean Diet: Watermelon Can Lower Your High Blood Pressure

Main Article Categories

"Heart Disease" Article
Article Directory Home

Mediterranean Diet: Watermelon Can Lower Your High Blood Pressure By Expert Author: Emilia Klapp, R.D., B.S.
View Summary \| Submitted: 2008-08-11 \| Word Count: 510 words \| Views: 39 view(s)

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, reducing recent research sodium intake has a limited effect in lowering high blood pressure and a minimal effect on people with normal blood pressure. However, the United States is finding out that a moderate sodium intake combined with a higher intake of potassium, calcium and magnesium, minerals that are found in fruit, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, offers more significant benefits for reducing high blood pressure than just restricting sodium intake. These four minerals - sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium - work together to regulate blood pressure.

And now, researchers from USDA Agricultural Research Service, Texas A&M University, University of Nevada, and Oklahoma State University, have reported that the levels of arginine in the blood increased by 22 per cent after three weeks of drinking watermelon juice with every meal. Arginine is a substance needed to produce nitric oxide, which has been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce blood clotting and protect against myocardial infarction and strokes.

The study included 23 volunteers who received 1560 grams of watermelon juice per day. Julie Collins, the lead author of the study, reports that the volunteers showed that fasting blood levels of arginine had increased by 22 per cent in three weeks. “Because the watermelon juice intervention was not continued longer than three weeks, it is not known if arginine levels will have remained stable at three weeks or if there would have been further increases with prolonged administration,” stated the researchers.

Additional benefits of watermelons
The name of this fruit, watermelon, gives us a clear idea of what it is made of. Watermelon is, of all fruits, the one that contains the largest percentage of water, 93%. In fact, two large slices of watermelon are equivalent to one glass of water. Its refreshing and moisturizing qualities, along with its low contribution of energy –barely 20 calories in 100 grams- make watermelon, without a doubt, the queen of fruits during summer time.

Choosing a watermelon at the market
Watermelons that are grown in the open mature between the end of spring and the beginning of summer, reaching their peak during summer time. To know if a watermelon is just ripe, “knock” on the peel; if it sounds hollow it means the fruit is full of water, ripe, and ready for the whole family to enjoy its sweet flavor. Buy pieces that their peal is not damaged with bruises or dents.

If you buy a whole watermelon you can keep it outside the refrigerator for about two weeks since its thick peal protects the inside fruit. But once you start it, keep it in the refrigerator, well rapped so that it does not lose its water content.

Watermelons are excellent diuretics: they stimulate kidney activity and increase the production of urine which favors the elimination of toxins. It is low in fiber and its fat content is almost non existent.

Noteworthy is its content of the carotenoids lutein and lycopene. Lycopene, the responsible pigment for the red color in certain fruits, has antioxidant properties that help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

About the Author/Author Bio

Emilia Klapp has a bachelor in Nutrition Science. She is certified as a Registered Dietitian by the American Dietetic Association and the author of the book Your Heart Needs the Mediterranean Diet. The book is a must in the prevention of Heart Disease and Diabetes. For more information about the author and the book and to get a FREE list of the 10 Top Mediterranean Curative Foods, go to: http://www.MediterraneanHeart.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Mediterranean-Diet--Watermelon-Can-Lower-Your-High-Blood-Pressure/159465

Article Tags: heart disease, high blood pressure, watermelon, arginine, mediterranean diet, nitric oxide, heart attacks, stroke, lutein, lycopene

This Article has been viewed 39 times.

Comments on this Article

More "Heart Disease" Related Articles

Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Heart Disease" article category.

People interested in the above article "Mediterranean Diet: Watermelon Can Lower Your High Blood Pressure" are also interested in the related articles listed below:

Dealing with Heart Attack

Heart attack is all about flow of blood which gets blocked and oxygen supply get hampered. This can result in a severe damage to heart muscle that can claim life or disable someone. You may have already been aware of the role that arteries are playing in human body. Heart attack is just about those arteries which get blocked. In heart attack, coronary arteries start to get blocked with the accumulation of plaque. This blockage consists of fats, calcium, cholesterol and some other substances that are found in blood.

Cardiovascular Health and Nutrition

Did you realize that the American Heart Association recommends implementing a plan for prevention of heart attack by the age of 20? How many people do you know in their 20’s that are really thinking about the prevention of a heart attack? The sad truth is that there are an increasing number of people that have their first heart attack by the age of 40.

An Authentic Mediterranean Plan to Prevent Heart Attacks

Too often, different dietary plans are presented to us disguised as an Authentic Mediterranean Plan or Diet when the reality is that they have very little to do with it. Here are the 10 points that constitute an Authentic Mediterranean Diet.

Cardiovascular Disease: Take Care of your Heart

Disease which involves the heart or blood vessels and has an impact over cardiovascular system of body is termed as cardiovascular disease. This includes coronary heart disease i.e. heart attack, high blood pressure, rheumatic heart disease, heart failure and peripheral artery disease. These diseases are the result of a number of factors including poor lifestyle habits.

Fish or Fish Oil Capsules for Heart Disease?

Research shows that we can derive the same benefits from fish than from fish oil capsules as far as Omega-3 fats is concerned, since both do an equally good job at enriching the blood and other body tissues with healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Having A Good Heart and Healthy Aging

As we grow older we, experience higher risks of heart disease, cholesterol increase, weaken joints, muscles, and so on. Most people who experience illnesses often feel frustrated and experience feelings of despair. People who suffer illnesses or tragedies unfortunately set themselves up, saying, "It can't happen to me." It can happen to any of us, which is why we should take the steps in our youth to prevent illnesses and tragedies.

Trying To Prevent Heart Attacks

Strict changes in diet and lifestyle can not only prevent heart attacks, but can reverse the clogging of the arteries, according to a small but pioneering study. The study showed that a vegetarian diet, moderate exercise and an hour a day of yoga and meditation could produce a reversal of atherosclerosis, a blockage of the arteries that can lead to a heart attack, in men and women who were strict in following the daily regimen.

Print Article

Comment on Article

Favorite Article

Email to Friend

Republish Article

Article Directory Home

Disease And Illness

Heart Disease

Can't find what you're looking for? Try Google Search!

(Search in 26 languages: English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Arabic, Italian, German,
Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Dutch, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Greek, Serbian
Slovak, Hebrew, Swedish, Romanian, Polish, Norwegian, Finnish, Danish, Czech, Croatian, Bulgarian)

(We serve worldwide - Locations updated as at Thursday, 04 December 2008 06:45 am , Singapore)

United States of America, USA . United Kingdom, UK (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) . Canada . Afghanistan . Albania . Algeria . American Samoa . Andorra . Angola . Anguilla . Antarctica . Antigua & Barbuda . Argentina . Armenia . Aruba . Australia . Austria . Azerbaijan . Bahamas . Bahrain . Bangladesh . Barbados . Belarus . Belgium . Belize . Benin . Bermuda . Bhutan . Bolivia . Bonaire . Bosnia-Herzegovina . Botswana . Brazil . British Virgin Islands . Brunei Darrusalam . Bulgaria . Burkina Faso . Burundi . Cambodia . Cameroon . Cape Verde . Cayman Islands . Central African Republic . Chad . Channel Islands . Chile . China . Christmas Island . Colombia . Comoros . Congo . Congo (Dem. Rep.) . Cook Islands . Costa Rica . Côte d'Ivoire . Croatia . Cuba . Curacao . Cyprus . Czech Republic . Denmark . Djibouti . Dominica . Dominican Republic . East Timor . Ecuador . Egypt . El Salvador . Equatorial Guinea . Eritrea . Estonia . Ethiopia . Falkland Islands and Dependencies . Faroe Islands . Fiji . Finland . France . French Guiana . French Polynesia . Gabon . Gambia . Gaza . Georgia . Germany . Ghana . Gibraltar . Greece . Greenland . Grenada . Guadeloupe . Guam . Guatemala . Guinea . Guinea-Bissau . Guyana . Haiti . Hawaiian Islands . Honduras . Hong Kong . Hungary . Iceland . India . Indonesia . Iran . Iraq . Isle Of Man . Israel . Italy . Ivory Coast . Jamaica . Japan . Johnston Atoll . Jordan . Kazakhstan . Kenya . Kiribati . Korea (North) . Korea (South) . Kuwait . Kyrgyzstan . Laos . Latvia . Lebanon . Leeward Islands . Lesotho . Liberia . Libya . Liechtenstein . Lithuania . Luxembourg . Macau . Macedonia . Madagascar . Malawi . Malaysia . Maldives . Mali . Malta . Marshall Islands . Martinique . Mauritania . Mauritius . Mexico . Micronesia (Federated States) . Midway Islands . Moldova . Monaco . Mongolia . Montserrat . Morocco . Mosquito Coast . Mozambique . Myanmar (Burma) . Namibia . Nauru . Navassa Island . Nepal . Netherlands . Netherlands Antilles . New Caledonia . New Zealand . Nicaragua . Niger . Nigeria . Niue . Norfolk Island . Northern Mariana Islands . Norway . Oman . Pakistan . Palau . Palestine . Panama . Papua New Guinea . Paracel Islands . Paraguay . Peru . Philippines . Pitcairn Islands . Poland . Portugal . Puerto Rico . Qatar . Reunion . Romania . Russia . Rwanda . Ryukyu Islands . Saint Helena . Saint Kitts and Nevis . Saint Lucia . Saint Pierre & Miquelon . Saint Vincent & The Grenadines . Samoa . San Marino . São Tom?& Príncipe . Saudi Arabia . Senegal . Serbia . Seychelles . Sierra Leone . Singapore . Slovakia . Slovenia . Solomon Islands . Somalia . South Africa . Spain . Sri Lanka . Sudan . Suriname . Swaziland . Sweden . Switzerland . Syria . Taiwan . Tajikistan . Tanzania . Thailand . Togo . Tonga . Transkei . Trinidad & Tobago . Tunisia . Turkey . Turkmenistan . Turks and Caicos Islands . Tuvalu . US Virgin Islands . Uganda . Ukraine . United Arab Emirates . Upper Volta . Uruguay . Uzbekistan . Vanuatu . Vatican City (Holy See) . Venezuela . Vietnam . Wake Island . Windward Islands . Yemen . Yugoslavia . Zaire . Zambia . Zimbabwe

Copyright © 2005 - by Larry Lim, Singapore - Article Search Engine Directory at ArticleSphere.com™
All Rights Reserved Worldwide. All Trademarks and Servicemarks are the property of the respective owners.

Template Design by Internet Marketing Singapore | Internet Marketing | Singapore Classified