2-Week “Summer Snack Prescription” Protects Your Heart
Summers here in Arizona are H-O-T. On a typical day, the temps reach 100 degrees or higher.
On way I like to cool off is by soaking in the natural springs near my home.
Another is enjoying one of my favorite summer snacks.
It’s not just hydrating and refreshing—it also provides impressive protection for your blood vessels against one of their biggest enemies: elevated blood sugar.
Few things are as satisfying as biting into a perfectly ripe, juicy slice of watermelon. But this tasty summer treat is just as good for your heart as it is for your taste buds.
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, a group of lucky volunteers drank watermelon juice daily for two weeks. Researchers measured the effects of the juice on two critical factors related to cardiometabolic disease:
Heart rate variability and nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability.
- Heart rate variability refers to the interval between your heartbeats. It provides a good snapshot of how your autonomic nervous system is functioning.
You want a high heart rate variability because it’s an indicator of cardiovascular fitness, showing that your body can handle stress and recover effectively.
Low variability, on the other hand, could signal you’re at risk for a cardiometabolic disease such as heart disease, stroke, or type 2 diabetes.
- Nitric oxide bioavailability indicates the amount of NO available to relax and dilate your blood vessels, thereby maintaining healthy blood pressure and flow. Reduced NO can be a sign of issues like diabetes or atherosclerosis (clogged arteries).
Watermelon provides key amino acids your body uses to make NO. So, it’s no surprise then that watermelon boosts levels of this vital vasodilator.
But the benefits don’t end there…
The study also revealed that drinking watermelon juice for just two weeks helped to prevent drops in heart rate variability caused by high blood sugar.
In other words, watermelon shields the heart and blood vessels from damage—protection we could all use. So, with summer in full swing, don’t just reach for watermelon to beat the heat. Make it your delicious daily defense against blood sugar’s assault on your cardiovascular system.
P.S. One in three Americans has “silent” prediabetes—do YOU? Here’s how to tell…
View Sources
Rachel Matthews, Kate S. Early, Cullen M. Vincellette, Jack Losso, et al., “The Effect of Watermelon Juice Supplementation on Heart Rate Variability and Metabolic Response during an Oral Glucose Challenge: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial”, 2.04.23, Nutrients.
