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Watermelon
can prevent heart attacks and weight gain: study
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Agencies :
London: : A daily slice of watermelon can protect you from heart disease and
weight gain by preventing the build-up of harmful cholesterol, according to a
new study.
Researchers from Purdue University in the US who
carried out studies on mice fed a high-fat diet found the fruit halved the rate
at which 'bad' low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, accumulated.
LDL is a form of cholesterol that leads to
clogged arteries and heart disease.
The study found that the fruit also helped to
control weight gain and resulted in fewer fatty deposits inside blood vessels,
the Daily Mail reported.
Researchers believe the secret to watermelon's
health-boosting properties lies in citrulline, a chemical found in the juice.
Previous studies have suggested citrulline has a
role to play in heart disease prevention by lowering blood pressure.
Although the latest investigation showed no
significant effects on blood pressure, it did find that watermelons had a
powerful impact on other heart risk factors.
Researchers fed two groups of mice a high-fat
diet but gave one water to drink and the other watermelon juice.
They tracked their health for several months and
at the end of the experiment found the mice given watermelon juice had 50 per
cent less LDL than those on water - despite eating the same diet.
They also weighed an average of 30 per cent
less, but their blood pressure was no different.
"We didn't see a lowering of blood pressure. But
these other changes are promising. We know that watermelon is good for health
because it contains citrulline. We don't know yet at what molecular level it's
working and that's the next step," research leader Dr Shubin Saha, said.
The study was published in the Journal of
Nutritional Biochemistry.
( Courtesy:
http://www.indianexpress.com )
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