Juicy News for Your Heart

Nutritious, refreshing, and low in calories, watermelon also serves up serious protection against heart disease.

Researchers from the USDA Agricultural Research Service found that it raises levels of arginine, an amino acid shown to improve blood-vessel function in the body. Study subjects who drank three glasses of watermelon juice a day had 12 percent higher levels of arginine than those who didn't drink any. But arginine isn't the only heart-smart ingredient: Watermelon is also one of the best sources of lycopene, an antioxidant that can lower harmful LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of certain cancers. So do your health-and taste buds-a favor and haul a watermelon home today.