More Reasons To Enjoy Watermelon
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Watermelon is generally thought of for what it most superficially is: a refreshing, juicy, sweet summer fruit.
Now, its water content alone is actually highly beneficial in several ways, but research has highlighted more benefits than just that!
First let’s quickly touch on those “several ways”:
- One way is because enjoying food that contains water is generally more hydrating than just drinking water: Things Many People Forget When It Comes To Hydration
- Another way is that its volume (which is only possible because of its water content) increases satiety too: Some Surprising Truths About Hunger And Satiety
For how it goes beyond these benefits, though, let’s get to…
Worth its weight
Examining data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), researchers (Dr. Kristin Fulgoni et al.) found that people who enjoy watermelon in their diet tend to have higher overall diet quality and higher intake of fiber, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, lycopene, and carotenoids.
You can read about it here: Watermelon Intake Is Associated with Increased Nutrient Intake and Higher Diet Quality in Adults and Children, NHANES
But that only shows the association, not that the watermelon brought all of that (although it does bring all those nutrients, but cannot be given the credit for the entire overall higher diet quality). So, what of watermelon’s proven benefits?
Another plucky band of researchers (Dr. Mônica Volino-Souza et al.) did a review of vascular health evidence reports that show how watermelon and its compounds, especially l-citrulline, support endothelial function and nitric oxide* production.
*For understanding why this is important, we recommend: The Nitric Oxide (NO) Solution – by Dr. Nathan Bryan & Janet Zand
The reviewed clinical and experimental evidence also shows improvements in vascular function measures, including blood vessel dilation and circulation-related markers.
There were other indicators of even more extra benefits too, such as maintaining vascular function during hyperglycemia, but the evidence was at best preliminary from that particular study (remember, this paper was a review of studies, so this was just one study of many in the paper):
❝We acknowledge that while the sample size was small (18 healthy young men and women) and more research is needed, this study adds to the current body of evidence supporting regular intake of watermelon for cardio-metabolic health.❞
You can read this paper in full, here: Current Evidence of Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) Ingestion on Vascular Health: A Food Science and Technology Perspective
You may be wondering whether someone will kindly do both sets of science together, and the answer is yes, and for that we must look to Dr. Vania Paschoalin et al., whose narrative review focuses on watermelon’s nutritional composition, emphasizing its high water content, lycopene, vitamin C, and l-citrulline as key bioactive components.
They also discuss how l-citrulline and l-arginine contribute to nitric oxide production, which—as we’ve noted—is important for vascular relaxation and cardiovascular health.
One last thing this paper gets into is watermelon’s additional cardioprotective effects through antioxidant activity, as well as the improved vascular function that we talked about.
You can read this paper in full for free, here: Watermelon Nutritional Composition with a Focus on L-Citrulline and Its Cardioprotective Health Effects—A Narrative Review
Want to learn more?
Check out:
Lycopene’s Benefits For The Gut, Heart, Brain, & More ← tomatoes are famous for their lycopene content, but watermelon has more!
Enjoy!
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New Alzheimer’s Test Makes Diagnoses 94.5% Accurate
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We’ve written before about early Alzheimer’s screening by means of blood tests:
So, what’s the latest?
Protein P-Tau217 has something to say
Researchers (Dr. Sara Matarranz-González et al.) followed 200 consecutive new patients aged 50 and older with adverse cognitive symptoms to test whether adding a blood biomarker (p-tau217) improves Alzheimer’s diagnosis in routine clinical settings.
In few words: elevated levels of this protein in the blood are one of the most accurate early warning signs of Alzheimer’s.
What it actually is: phosphorylated tau 217 (so, p-tau217) is a form of tau protein that becomes abnormally modified and forms tangles in the brain, inconveniently disrupting communication between neurons, and/but conveniently serving as a highly accurate biomarker of the underlying Alzheimer’s pathology (and thus, a top-tier diagnostic clue).
We wrote a bit about tau tangles before, here: Spermine vs Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s!
As for the accuracy of p-tau217 test results as a predictor of Alzheimer’s disease, accuracy rose from 75.5% using standard clinical evaluation alone to 94.5% accuracy after incorporating p-tau217 blood test results.
For those who like more detailed numbers:
- Confidence levels: neurologists’ average diagnostic confidence increased from 6.90 ± 1.74 to 8.49 ± 1.68 on a 10-point scale after seeing the biomarker data.
- Clinical findings: benefits were seen in both general neurology clinics and specialized memory units, and across all stages—subjective cognitive complaints (38.5%), mild cognitive impairment (47.5%), and dementia (14%).
- Agreement stats: pre-biomarker diagnoses matched final diagnoses in 71 of 200 cases (75.5%, kappa = 0.576), while post-biomarker diagnoses matched in 189 of 200 cases (94.5%, kappa = 0.906).
About that “kappa”: this is about Cohen’s kappa coefficient, a statistical measure of agreement. And in this case…
- Pre-biomarker diagnosis: kappa = 0.576, which indicates moderate agreement.
- Post-biomarker diagnosis: kappa = 0.906, which indicates almost perfect agreement.
So in other words, after adding the p-tau217 blood test, doctors’ diagnoses didn’t just improve in percentage accuracy, they also aligned much more strongly with the final confirmed diagnosis, far beyond what would be expected by chance.
And as for how much difference all this makes in real-world terms, 51 out of 200 patients had their diagnostic category changed after clinicians reviewed the p-tau217 results, correcting both false positives and missed Alzheimer’s cases.
In summary, a simple blood test for p-tau217 can provide a more accessible, less invasive alternative to expensive brain scans or deeply unpleasant spinal taps, improving early and accurate Alzheimer’s diagnosis and with it, improving people’s chances of getting a head start on managing the condition.
You can read the paper in full, here: Impact of blood p-tau217 testing on diagnosis and diagnostic confidence in cognitive disorders: a real-world clinical study
Want something more accessible than the latest blood tests?
People often forget and/or get confused about what the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s are, especially when it comes to forgetting and/or getting confused.
For example, dementia-related memory loss is less “where did I put my car keys?”, and more“what is this thing for?” (it’s your car keys). Or at a less advanced stage: “whose are these car keys?” (they are yours).
To learn more about this sort of distinction, see:
Is It Dementia? Spot The Signs (Because None Of Us Are Immune) ← If you’d like an objective test of memory and other cognitive impairments, this article also has a link to the industry’s gold standard test (it’s free)
(The Self-Administered Gerocognitive Exam (SAGE) is designed to detect early signs of cognitive, memory or thinking impairments)
Want to learn more?
For a much more in-depth coverage of the topic of Alzheimer’s treatment on the level of the personal rather than the molecular, you might like this excellent book we reviewed a while back:
…and if you just want to reduce your risk, then check out:
Take care!
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How Many Days Of Saturated Fats Does It Take To Deplete Gut Defenses?
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For dieters and athletes alike, the idea of “a cheat day” is common—a day during which one deviates from one’s normal dietary plan (specifically: where one has specific dietary rules, and chooses to break them for day).
Now, at 10almonds we don’t generally advocate for restrictive dieting as a rule, though there are some arguments to be made for it; see: What Are The “Bright Lines” Of Bright Line Eating?
For most people, a flexible dietary approach is more tenable and thus sustainable: What Flexible Dieting Really Means (And What It Doesn’t)
And it’s quite possible to take an interoceptive approach: Intuitive Eating Might Not Be What You Think
If you are in the habit of eating healthily, the idea of a “cheat day” from a diet that doesn’t feel restrictive probably isn’t an appealing prospect—because you simply don’t crave junk food; it’s not what your gut is used to.
Nevertheless, sometimes cheat days, or at least cheat meals, choose us rather than the other way around. If your social group is having a pizza night or meeting up at the burger bar, probably you’re going to be having a meal that’s not ideal.
So, what to do about that? Check out: How To Out-Cheat “Cheat Days” (Or Even Just “Cheat Meals”)
Now comes the why:
The difference that two days make
A team of researchers in Australia, namely Dr. Shanti Diwakarla et al., investigated the impact of a high-fat diet on gut health, and found that just two days of high-saturated-fat meals in mice led to reduced levels of IL-22, a key gut-protective protein.
Now, this was a mouse study, but that protein works the same for us, so it’s likely this will be reproduced in human trials (to the point that it’d be strange and surprising if it weren’t).
Why this matters: the depletion of IL-22 compromises the gut’s ability to control inflammation, even in the absence of visible symptoms like weight gain.
You may be thinking “oh, it’s good at least that it doesn’t cause weight gain”. And there are two problems with that idea:
- This was over the course of two days. Likely weight gain would ensue if this were continued for more than two days. But more importantly…
- The study shows how inflammation can develop silently, building up over time and potentially leading to chronic conditions years later.
Note: this is about a diet high in saturated fats, so it’s not just about junk food, it’s also relevant for the paleo diet and most iterations of the ketogenic diet.
See also:
Notably, while saturated fats weaken gut defences and promote inflammation, in contrast unsaturated fats (e.g. in olive oil, nuts, and avocados) boost IL-22 production and are anti-inflammatory.
You can read the paper in full here: Acute exposure to high-fat diet impairs ILC3 functions and gut homeostasis
Want to learn more?
For gut health, a great starting point is:
Making Friends With Your Gut (You Can Thank Us Later)
…and for fighting inflammation, a great starting point is:
How to Prevent (or Reduce) Inflammation
Take care!
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Heart Health Calculator Entry Issue
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It’s Q&A Day at 10almonds!
Have a question or a request? You can always hit “reply” to any of our emails, or use the feedback widget at the bottom!
In cases where we’ve already covered something, we might link to what we wrote before, but will always be happy to revisit any of our topics again in the future too—there’s always more to say!
As ever: if the question/request can be answered briefly, we’ll do it here in our Q&A Thursday edition. If not, we’ll make a main feature of it shortly afterwards!
So, no question/request too big or small
❝I tried to use your calculator for heart health, and was unable to enter in my height or weight. Is there another way to calculate? Why will that field not populate?❞
(this is in reference to yesterday’s main feature “How Are You, Really? And How Old Is Your Heart?“)
How strange! We tested it in several desktop browsers and several mobile browsers, and were unable to find any version that didn’t work. That includes switching between metric and imperial units, per preference; both appear to work fine. Do be aware that it’ll only take numerical imput, though.
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Artichoke vs Eggplant – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing artichoke to eggplant, we picked the artichoke.
Why?
It was quite one-sided today!
In terms of macros, artichoke has nearly 2x the fiber and carbs, and more than 3x the protein, making it the most nutrient-dense option by far in this round.
In the category of vitamins, artichoke has more of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, C, and K, while eggplant boasts only (slightly) more vitamin E, yielding a 9:1 victory for artichoke.
Looking at minerals next, artichoke has more calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc, while eggplant boasts only (slightly) more selenium, giving an 8:1 victory for artichoke in this round.
In other considerations, artichoke is much higher in polyphenols, so that’s another point in its favor.
Adding up the sections is barely needed today; it’s a clear total win for artichoke. Still, do enjoy either or both (perhaps together; ratatouille is a great option to use them both and more), as diversity is good!
Want to learn more?
You might like:
- Oven-Roasted Ratatouille ← this is a super-easy but very tasty recipe; it includes eggplant by default but not artichoke, just add that in, treating it the same as the eggplant and zucchini
- Why You’re Probably Not Getting Enough Fiber (And How To Fix It)
Enjoy!
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Sauerkraut vs Pickled Cucumber – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing sauerkraut to pickled cucumber, we picked the sauerkraut.
Why?
Both of these fermented foods can give a gut-healthy microbiome boost, but how do they stack up otherwise?
In terms of macros, sauerkraut has more protein, carbs, and fiber. They are both low glycemic index foods, so we’ll go with the one that has more fiber out of the two, and that’s the ‘kraut.
In the category of vitamins, sauerkraut has more of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, C, E, and choline, while pickled cucumbers have more of vitamins A and K. An easy win for sauerkraut.
When it comes to minerals, sauerkraut has more calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc, while pickled cucumbers are not higher in any mineral, except sodium (on average, pickled cucumbers have about 2x the sodium of sauerkraut). Another clear win for sauerkraut.
In short, enjoy either or both in moderation, but it’s clear which boasts the most nutritional benefits, and that’s the sauerkraut!
Want to learn more?
You might like to read:
Make Friends With Your Gut (You Can Thank Us Later)
Take care!
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CBD Oil
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Q&A with the 10almonds Team
Q: Very interested in this article on CBD oil in the states. hope you do another one in the future with more studies done on people and more information on what’s new as far as CBD oil goes
A: We’re glad you enjoyed it! We’ll be sure to revisit CBD in the future—partly because it was a very popular article, and partly because, as noted, there is a lot going on there, research-wise!
And yes, we prefer human studies rather than mouse/rat studies where possible, too, and try to include those where we find them. In some cases, non-human animal studies allow us to know things that we can’t know from human studies… because a research institution’s ethics board will greenlight things for mice that it’d never* greenlight for humans.
Especially: things that for non-human animals are considered “introduction of external stressors” while the same things done to humans would be unequivocally called “torture”.
Animal testing in general is of course a moral quagmire, precisely because of the suffering it causes for animals, while the research results (hopefully) can be brought to bear to reduce to suffering of humans. We’re a health and productivity newsletter, not a philosophical publication, but all this to say: we’re mindful of such too.
And yes, we agree, when studies are available on humans, they’re always going to be better than the same study done on mice and rats.
As a topical aside, did you know there’s a monument to laboratory mice and all they’ve (however unintentionally) done for us?
❝The quirky statue depicts an anthropomorphic mouse as an elderly woman, complete with glasses balanced atop its nose. Emerging from two knitting needles in its hands is the recognizable double-helix of a strand of DNA.❞
~ Smithsonian Magazine
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