How many kilograms of watermelon crusts replace a Viagra pill?
An employee of the Texas Agricultural University Bhimu Patil, who appeared as an expert in a press release about the new properties of watermelon, allegedly able to cure erectile dysfunction no worse than "Viagra", said that his words were misinterpreted by the press service of the scientific institution.
A press release titled "Watermelon can act like "Viagra" was published by Texas A&M University early last week. The basis for the statement made in the title was Patil's words about the high content of a substance called citrulline in watermelons.
It is known that in the human body citrulline is converted into the amino acid arginine, which has the properties of a vasodilator, that is, increases the lumen of blood vessels. An increase in the concentration of arginine in the blood leads to a decrease in blood pressure and an improvement in blood circulation in various organs. The latter property of the citrulline derivative, as emphasized in the press release, can also lead to an improvement in potency.
Unlike sildenafil ("Viagra") and other similar drugs, citrulline and arginine do not have a directed effect on blood flow to the vessels of the penis, which means they do not directly affect the ability to maintain an erection. Therefore, the comparison of watermelons and drugs for impotence allowed in the press release was at least incorrect.
Explaining his position in an interview with MedPage Today, Bhimu Patil admitted that he knows nothing about clinical studies that could confirm that citrulline is able to solve problems with potency. Patil stressed that his words about the usefulness of watermelons for health were taken out of context and without any reason linked to the effect of drugs for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
At the same time, the researcher did not rule out that in the future the healing properties of watermelon and other products with a high content of citrulline will receive scientific confirmation. However, without appropriate clinical studies, it would be too bold to talk about the treatment of impotence with watermelons, he stressed once again.
Citrulline, the beneficial properties of which were devoted to an unsuccessful press release, is contained mainly in the peel of an ordinary watermelon. The essence of the research project that Patil is currently engaged in is the breeding of new varieties of watermelons containing citrulline not only in the peel, but also in the edible pulp.