Watermelon and Amino Acids

Subscribers to my newsletter just received the latest issue, and part of it was about nitric oxide, arginine, and a new supplement from Neogenis Labs.

This morning I found a new article about food and health. One of the foods mentioned was arginine containing watermelon, something we've mentioned before (see NHN excepts below)-

WATERMELON
The amino acid arginine, abundant in watermelon, might promote weight loss, according to a new study in the Journal of Nutrition. When researchers supplemented the diets of obese mice with arginine over three months, the animals' body fat gains declined by a whopping 64 percent. Adding this amino acid to the diet enhanced fat and glucose oxidation while increasing lean muscle, which burns more calories than fat. Snack on watermelon while it's in season, and enjoy other arginine sources -- such as seafood, nuts and seeds -- year-round.

and from my newsletter -

What’s the BUZZ about Nitric Oxide?
Several months ago I was reading up on an old study that involved a doctor who decided that he would try to see what health benefits he would gain if he took arginine.
This doctor was followed by a fellow physician who, over many years, dutifully monitored his cardiovascular status. The outcome was that year after year the doctor taking arginine had whistle-clean arteries.
Much has been said about using arginine in cases of ED (erectile dysfunction) and to increase growth hormone release.
Exercise is a better and supplement free way to increase growth hormone levels. In exercise and athletics arginine has been found to enhance the production of nitric oxide in the body which may boost stamina during high-intensity exercise. This report was based on a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Findings of the study suggest that the supplement can help athletes to exercise up to 20 percent longer. For quite a few years, performance athletes have favored nitric oxide supplementation.
Arginine helps clear out ammonia build up and is part of what makes creatine, L-glutamate, and L-proline. It can be converted to glucose and glycogen if needed in physiological emergencies.
Citrulline, another natural amino acid, creates arginine in the urea cycle, which then creates Nitric Oxide.
Some practitioners use arginine to help with atherosclerosis. It was just this reason that instigated the study between the two doctors.
Nitric Oxide is important for longevity. It is a molecule produced in the body that helps blood vessels relax and expand. It carries oxygen to the tissues and your cells. Because it is produced when you relax, this may explain why you feel your hands getting warm when you practice relaxation or meditation. This process also helps reduce stress and may lead to a better supply of oxygen because of a more relaxed state and deeper breathing. Lower blood pressure often results from relaxed states.
Dr Matthias Rath is well known for his use of arginine and other amino acids like proline and lysine for cardiovascular health. More from Dr Rath may be found here - Dr Rath Foundation, and his research organization.
Recently, TV’s Dr. Oz suggested it may be useful in reducing hormone-driven fat build up in the belly of menopausal women.
Intermittent claudication, a condition related with muscle pain (ache, cramp, numbness or fatigue) in the calf, occurs during exercise and is usually relieved by short rest periods. It (IC) also may cause night time leg cramps. Nitric oxide and arginine supplements have been used for these conditions.
Wondering if you have low arginine levels? You may have if you show poor wound healing, hair loss, skin rash, constipation, and fatty liver. Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid because its normally synthesized in sufficient amounts by the body. Supplementation is sometimes used for inborn errors of urea synthesis, protein malnutrition, excessive lysine intake, burns, peritoneal dialysis, and rapid growth.
Arginine is generally not suggested for use in people who have suffered a heart attack.
Diet and Lifestyle helps you maintain nitric oxide levels.
I’ve mentioned exercise, but these foods can help too.
According to a report published in Science of Food and Agriculture the best foods to increase nitric oxide are celery, watercress, chervil, lettuce, red beets, spinach and arugula.
Good foods are parsley, leek, kohlrabi, fennel, endive, Chinese cabbage, and celery root.
You can get some nitric oxide from cabbage, dill, turnip, Savoy cabbage, broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, cucumber, pumpkin, chicory, artichoke, asparagus, broad beans, eggplant, garlic, onion, green beans, mushrooms, peas, peppers, potato, summer squash, sweet potato, tomato, and watermelon.
Aging reduces the availability of nitric oxide. If this is a health concern of yours you may want to change your exercise plan, add some of the above referenced foods to your food plan, or use a supplement like NEO40 from Neogenis Lab.
In discussions I have had with a representative of Neogenis Labs I learned that the NEO40 daily lozenges contain several nitric oxide generating ingredients. Their formula contains vitamin C, vitamin B12, Magnesium, Citrulline, a proprietary blend of Hawthorn and beetroot, and Xylitol.
Because this product also contains sodium nitrite, the company states:
Scientific and medical literature supports that nitrite, under conditions that promote Nitric Oxide formation, is healthy and beneficial. Under conditions that promote nitrosation, there is equivocal evidence that may be associated with some cancers, at very high doses. Interestingly, there have been published reports that show that low concentrations of nitrite that can be found in biological tissues can actually kill cancer cells.
Neo40 Daily was formulated to promote Nitric Oxide formation from nitrite. Neogenis Labs has used natural sources of nitrate and botanicals that have a robust nitrite reductase activity along with the most potent nitrosation inhibitors. This creates a formulation that promotes Nitric Oxide formation without any nitrosation reactions taking place. As with anything, we have to define the context for risk vs. benefit. The formulation of Neo40 Daily has taken into account that context and as a result, the product is extremely safe, effective and the only one of its kind to restore Nitric Oxide homeostasis in humans.
You can get test strips from this company to test for your level of Nitric Oxide.
Whatever choice you make, nitric oxide and its pals seem worthy of considering for your good health.
Make sure you consult with your health care provider of choice to discuss your selection of nutritional supplements or herbs. And remember we are offering this newsletter as an educational resource only.

Clipped from Natural Health News

Natural Health News: Enjoy Your Holiday, GMO FREE
Jul 01, 2010
Vitamin A - Through its concentration of beta-carotene, Watermelon supplies a rich source of Vitamin A, another cancer fighting anti-oxidant along with Lycopene and Vitamin C. A cup of Watermelon supplies your body with over 10% of its ...
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Watermelon Supports male fertility Reduces risk of several cancers: prostate, ovarian, cervical, oral and pharyngeal Protects skin against sunburn. Banana Increases Fat Burning Lowers risk of colorectal and kidney cancer, ...
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Onions, Avocado, Sweet Corn, Pineapple, Mango, Sweet Peas, Asparagus, Kiwi, Cabbage, Eggplant, Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Grapefruit, Sweet Potato, Honeydew Melon DIRTY DOZEN (BUY ORGANIC) Celery, Peaches, Strawberries, Apples, Blueberries ...
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It is found in tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit, guava, papaya, and in rosehips. It is the most powerful quencher of singlet oxygen, 100 times more so than Vitamin E. It is helpful for cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, ...

Nitrates may increase brain blood flow

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Posted in: arginine,herbalYODA Says,Natural Health News1,Neogenis Labs,nitric oxide,watermelon

Enjoy Your Holiday, GMO FREE

As the Fourth of July holiday comes along this week end, here's wishing you a great time, and hope you BUY ORGANIC to avoid the risk of FRANKENFOOD

FRANKENFOOD: Monsanto Subsidiary Admits the Truth, Sixteen Years Ago

"If you put a label on genetically engineered food you might as well put a skull and crossbones on it."

Norman Braksick, president of Asgrow Seed Co., a subsidiary of Monsanto, quoted in the Kansas City Star, March 7, 1994

Photo from Mesk125

And what about your Hot Dog on the Barbie?

Pass the Mustard, or Just Pass on the Hot Dog?

Comment by Andrew W. Saul, Editor-In-Chief, Orthomolecular Medicine News Service

(OMNS July 2, 2010) More hot dogs are eaten at the 4th of July holiday than at any other time of the year. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (yes, an all-too-real trade organization) says that "during the Independence Day weekend, 155 million will be gobbled up" and that Americans will consume more than seven billion hot dogs over the summer. "Every year," they proudly proclaim, "Americans eat an average of 60 hot dogs each." (1)
That looks to be a modest average of just over one hot dog per week per American. But there are at least 7 million vegetarians in the US, and another 20 million who would be inclined to avoid meat. (2)
This means that even if you do not eat any hot dogs at all, someone else is eating your share.
But a hot dog or two a week? Big deal!
Maybe it is. Children who eat one hot dog a week double their risk of a brain tumor; two per week triples the risk. Kids eating more than twelve hot dogs a month (three a week) have nearly ten times the risk of leukemia as children who eat none. (3)
And it is not just about kids. Of 190,000 adults studied for seven years, those eating the most processed meat such as deli meats and hot dogs had a 68 percent greater risk of pancreatic cancer than those who ate the least. (4) Pancreatic cancer is especially difficult to treat.
Think twice before you serve up your next tube steak. If your family is going to eat hot dogs, at least take your vitamins. Hot dog eating children taking supplemental vitamins were shown to have a reduced risk of cancer. (5) Vitamins C and E prevent the formation of nitrosamines. (6,7)
It is curious that, while busy theorizing many "potential" dangers of vitamins, the news media have largely ignored this clear-cut cancer-prevention benefit from supplementation.
May I also suggest that you have your kids chew their hot dogs extra thoroughly. In landfills, "Whole hot dogs have been found, some of them in strata suggesting an age upwards of several decades." (8)
Bon appétit.

References:
(1) http://www.hot-dog.org .
(2) http://www.vegetariantimes.com/features/archive_of_editorial/667 .
(3) Peters JM, Preston-Martin S, London SJ, Bowman JD, Buckley JD, Thomas DC. Processed meats and risk of childhood leukemia. Cancer Causes Control. 1994 Mar; 5(2):195-202.
(4) Nothlings U, Wilkens LR, Murphy SP, et al. 2005. Meat and fat intake as risk factors for pancreatic cancer: The Multiethnic Cohort Study. J Nat Cancer Inst 97:1458-65.
(5) Sarasua S, Savitz DA. Cured and broiled meat consumption in relation to childhood cancer: Denver, Colorado (United States). Cancer Causes Control. 1994 Mar; 5(2):141-8. Comment at http://www.ralphmoss.com/hotdog.html .
(6) Scanlan RA. Nitrosamines and cancer. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/f-w00/nitrosamine.html
(7) Cass H; English J. User's guide to vitamin C. Basic Health Publications, 2002, p 64-67. ISBN-10: 1591200210; ISBN-13: 978-1591200215.
(8) Smithsonian, July 1992, p 5.

In response to reader request I'm adding Citrullis lanatus 

What's on your food - pesticide info
More on pesticides and watermelon


Watermelon is a great food for fiber and lycopene. Nutritionally speaking it is a great source of water for hydration plus

Powerful Antioxidants - Watermelon is high in Vitamin C and a good source of Vitamin A through its concentration of beta-carotene.

Lycopene - Watermelon is a very concentrated source of the carotenoid, Lycopene.  Lycopene has been studied for its antioxidant and cancer-preventing properties.  It has been found to be protective against many forms of cancers including prostate cancer, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, lung cancer, and colorectal cancers.  Watermelon contains a higher concentration of Lycopene than any other produce.

Vitamin C - Watermelon is an excellent source of Vitamin C so necessary for the body's immune system.  One one cup of delicious watermelon provides 25% of our body's daily requirement.

Vitamin A -  Through its concentration of beta-carotene, Watermelon supplies a rich source of Vitamin A, another cancer fighting anti-oxidant along with Lycopene and Vitamin C.  A cup of Watermelon supplies your body with over 10% of its daily requirement.

Vitamin B - Vitamin B is necessary for energy production.  Watermelon is rich in Vitamin B6 and B1, as well as magnesium and potassium.  Because Watermelon has a higher water content and lower calorie content than other fruits, it delivers more nutrients per calorie.

Arginine - Because Watermelon is exceptionally high in citrulline, an amino acid our bodies use to make another amino acid, Arginine.  Arginine is used in the urea cycle to remove ammonia from the body and allowing the production of Nitric Oxide, which relaxes blood vessels and helps to reduce high blood pressure.This also contributes to help for water retention and diabetes along with the B vitamins and C.

Watermelon Seed Tea is a long known health promoting beverage.  These days it is difficult to find watermelon with seeds, or organically grown. It is most often used to stimulate and cleanse your kidneys, and is well known in Asian medicine as well as the Edgar Cayce Readings.

CAYCE QUOTE ON REMEDY 1695-2:  For kidney stones
But at least once a day, three days a week, do take watermelon seed tea as a part of the water.  This would be prepared by pouring a pint of boiling water over a tablespoonful of watermelon seed (ground or cut) and allowing it to steep.  Let it cool, then strain and drink.  This will clarify those conditions that cause reactions in the kidneys and bladder, for, the lack of eliminations and the slowing up of the circulation causes a greater quantity of drosses to be held in the system, and these need to be eliminated from the body.
More will be eliminated through using this stimuli for the kidney activity than in most any way.

This may also be useful for infection (UTI) and as a diuretic.

Pickled watermelon rind is an old favorite.

Other resources:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=31#nutritionalprofilehttp://www.watermelon.org/health.asp

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Posted in: frankenfood,genetically modified food,GMO food,hot dogs,Monsanto,watermelon