Summer staple… or OVERLOOKED heart hero? [Here’s the scoop]
If your doc has been on your back about your heart health, you’ve got PLENTY to worry about.
He could be PUSHING meds… OBSESSING over your numbers… and CRACKING DOWN on your diet and exercise.
Translation: He’s STRESSING you out!
And that doesn’t do any good for your cardiovascular wellbeing.
Fortunately, there’s a way to PROMOTE a healthy heart…
EFFORTLESSLY.
It also takes ZERO time… and might even feel like a bit of an indulgence for you.
Here’s why now is the perfect opportunity to focus on your heart… with a NO-STRESS fruit trick!
REFRESH your heart health
You know how refreshing watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is on a hot summer day… and how it’s a hydrating hero when you’ve been out in the sun.
But if that backyard BBQ isn’t enough to help you relax from all the stresses of this year (which is only HALF over!)…
Watermelon may actually help LOWER your blood pressure… and SUPPORT your healthy heart.
It’s no wonder it’s been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine since the 12th Dynasty… and TREASURED since Ancient Egypt, about 5,000 years ago!
You see, this juicy, tropical fruit is PACKED with heart-healthy nutrients like potassium and magnesium…
But that’s not all.
It also contains lycopene, the red-colored plant pigment that gives tomatoes their cardioprotective power with its strong antioxidant action.
Watermelon’s lycopene content is more than 5X what you’ll find in tomatoes!
And there’s even more…
Because in 1914, researchers isolated a special amino acid from this summer melon, naming it after the Latin word for watermelon (a.k.a. citrullus).
It’s called citrulline — and it can benefit your heart by increasing levels of another amino acid called arginine that your body uses to produce nitric oxide.
Now, you’ve read right here in eAlert about how NO is crucial for helping maintain PERFECT blood flow… and can help keep your blood pressure in check.
In a 2012 in vivo study, adults with pre-hypertension or hypertension who took watermelon extract saw their BP numbers drop…
And not just by a little… but by an average of 15 points in systolic (or “top” number) and 7 points in diastolic (or “bottom” number).
A 2013 study found that taking watermelon extract over the course of 6 weeks helped postmenopausal women reduce stiffness in their arteries.
Now is the perfect time to pick a ripe watermelon from the produce stand… slice it up and put it on the grill… or scoop it out for salads and desserts.
According to research, you can drink 100% pasteurized watermelon juice to increase your levels of lycopene…
Or, of course, you can take these isolated nutrients in supplement form. They’ve been extensively researched… and are widely available at health food stores and online.
You can find lycopene on its own… and L-citrulline and L-arginine together in one complex or as ingredients in circulatory support formulas.
Check with your doc before combining them with anything else that might lower your blood pressure.
To healthy summer snacks,
Melissa Young
