And you thought watermelon helped you lose weight merely by filling you up with tons of water-logged fiber. OK, that helps. But, the main reason watermelon can melt up to 60% of your belly fat is a little amino acid known as arginine. Sounds like the name of a character in The Lord of the Rings.
Prevention.com, and Woman's World Magazine each reported a new study in the Journal of Nutrition, in which researchers supplemented the diets of obese mice with arginine over 3 months and found that doing so decreased body fat gains by a whopping 64%. The result was enhanced oxidation of fat and glucose, and increased lean muscle, which burns more calories than fat does.
Picking a ripe watermelon can be tough. The University of Minnesota Extension Office says, "Use a combination of indicators to determine ripeness. Look for (1). tendrils near the fruit stem to become brown and dry; (2) the fruit surface to become rough to the touch and the fruit color to become dull; (3) the bottom of the watermelon (where it lies on the soil) to change from a light green to a yellowish color."
Once the harvest season is over for the year, try other sources of arginine including seafood, nuts, and seeds, year-round.
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