The Benefits of Watermelon for Men

Our articles may contain affiliate links. For more information, view our policies.

Table of Contents

Watermelon is our #2 food choice for men

Sweet, pink, ripe watermelon is a fat free snack great for overall health. You may already know that the benefits of watermelon for men (and for women, for that matter) include the fact that this fruit is a good source of vitamin C. And that it’s great for hydration. It’s great for adding variety to the diet and is good for health, whatever your sex. But watermelon has some nutrients that are particularly beneficial to men.

Why is watermelon good for men’s health?

However, watermelon just might be more important for men than for women. In 2008 it was discovered that watermelon could be a perfect food for men’s sexual health. That’s because of one very special nutrient, citrulline. That’s right! For men, watermelon and sex are linked. You can see why it makes our list of the 10 foods every man should eat.

View the list of all 10 best foods for men’s sexual health

What is citrulline?

Citrulline is a phytonutrient. And it’s one that is noted for its ability to boost nitric oxide and relax blood vessels. In other words, in concentrated doses, some experts believe that the citrulline in watermelon could work as a replacement for erectile dysfunction medication. (WebMD even goes so far as to call watermelon “nature’s Viagra.”)

The citrulline in watermelon may improve blood flow but does not improve sex drive

Unfortunately, there are many misinterpretations of the claim that watermelon may help your sex life. Many articles promoting watermelon’s ability to promote nitric oxide have confused better blood flow with improved sex drive. As far as we know, watermelon is not linked to sex drive in men – or women for that matter.

In addition, although the nutrients in watermelon improve a man’s ability to achieve an erection, it isn’t fully understood just how much watermelon would be required in order for the eater of this summer fruit to appreciate a “viagra-like” effect.

It is known that the citrulline in watermelon is concentrated near the rind, so if you wanted to experiment with watermelon at home, you might want to work on your recipe for pickled watermelon rind!

Additional health benefits of watermelon for men

In addition to citrulline, watermelon benefits include lycopene. Did you know that it’s one of the finest sources of lycopene, a carotenoid extremely beneficial to cardiovascular health? This is, of course, beneficial to both sexes. After all, we all need good cardiovascular health to keep the blood pumping and achieve sexual climax. But studies show that increased intake of lycopene may prevent prostate cancer.

Watermelon benefits for men include the fact that this low-calorie food is a source of vitamin A. This indicates that watermelon has benefits for skin, since vitamin A is said to encourage collagen growth.

This is, of course a benefit of watermelon for women as well as men, as is the fact that studies indicate the fruit may be helpful for relieving muscle soreness and reducing inflammation. Another great reason for everyone to eat more watermelon!

Watermelon seeds benefits for men

Interestingly, it is not just the flesh of watermelon but also watermelon seeds that have benefits for men’s sexual health. These seeds of watermelon are nutrient rich. They are considered a good source of iron, magnesium and zinc.

What’s most interesting about the nutrition in watermelon seeds when it comes to men’s health is that these are three key nutrients for sexual health. A deficiency in iron can cause fatigue. Magnesium is involved in sex hormone production. And zinc is sometimes called the “man’s mineral,” because it is essential for prostate and sperm health. Who knew watermelon seeds were so healthy?

Watermelon juice benefits for men

As with most fruits and vegetables, the juice of watermelon gives you many of the fruit’s benefits but not as much as you would get from eating a slice of juicy watermelon. However drinking watermelon juice will still give you a dose of the nutrients important to men’s sexual health as well as help keep you hydrated and even keep electrolytes in balance.

Discover why watermelon is considered an aphrodisiac for men and women