Eating an apple a day may keep the doctor away, but eating watermelon may just keep the cardiologist at bay. According to researchers watermelons may help reduce high blood pressure, which is blamed for half of all heart attacks and strokes around the world.

A new study has found that natural compounds in the fruit appear to dilate blood vessels so the heart does not have to work so hard pumping blood around the body.

Tomatoes have been highly touted as a great source for lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps fight heart disease and several types of cancer prostate cancer in particular. Watermelon, however, has the highest concentrations of lycopene of any fresh fruit or vegetable.

Apart from keeping your heart healthy, watermelons help maintain eye health and is an antioxidant; it contains vitamin C, which helps strengthen immunity, heal wounds, prevent cell damage, promote healthy teeth and gums; and vitamin B6, which helps brain function and helps convert protein to energy.

BDST: 1605 HRS, APR-09, 2014