That's Fit

As people sit down to enjoy July 4th cookouts this weekend, they're sure to find a slice of watermelon on their dinner plates. Watermelon is the perfect summer fruit -- sweet, juicy, and refreshing. Not only is watermelon a great hot weather taste, however, it's also amazingly good for you.

Among its many phytonutrients, naturally occurring compounds that interact with the body to improve health, is one called citrulline. Researchers are just getting to know this particular nutrient, but what they've discovered is that it can give your body a boost, in more way than one.

Citrulline increases nitric oxide levels in the body, which opens up the blood vessels, just like Viagra, they say. Though researchers also say that citrulline isn't "organ specific" like Viagra, it does increase circulation body-wide. Seems like a good enough reason to try a slice, doesn't it?

For guys who have hopes of starting a family some day, steering clear of Viagra and other erectile dysfunction medication may be a wise idea.

According to a study out of Queens University in Belfast, Ireland, taking even the recommended dosage of PDE-inhibiting drugs (Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, etc.) can cause damage to sperm heads, thereby preventing penetration of the female egg. However, it is important to note that these findings came from a test-tube study, not from a study on the effects of PDE drugs on sperm inside the human body. To this point, researchers caution that lab results often do not reflect what happens in the human body, and sperm in particular is known to be highly sensitive when removed from its natural environment.

Nevertheless, it still may be worth seeking out other treatment options for dealing with ED. Consult a urologist for alternatives to PDE inhibitors.

As if sponsored by the Mile High Club itself, a study published in the Journal of Exercise Physiology revealed that taking Viagra can increase physical performance at altitude.

The drug was found to improve cardiovascular capacity during exercise performed at high elevation, but not at sea level. Because of its ability to enhance blood flow and oxygen saturation, Viagra apparently helped restore normal exercise capacity in those affected by a rise in altitude.

Be this as it may, don't expect to see players on the Denver Broncos popping Viagra on the sidelines next season. The study pointed out that while many test subjects did respond to the drug in the manner discussed, a fair amount did not respond at all.

Fresh off the heels of writing a post on erectile dysfunction, I feel it is comically appropriate to highlight a recent story, reported by the Associated Press, on a strange side-effect of Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra.

According to the report, the FDA is now mandating that pharmaceutical companies list sudden hearing loss as a potential side-effect. This comes after twenty-nine separate cases of hearing loss (in only one ear) were reported by users of one of these three drugs.

The good news is that the hearing loss only appears to be temporary and returned shortly after use of the drug was discontinued. And, in fairness to these three drugs, it has yet to be proved that they are, in fact, completely to blame.

Nevertheless, if you're currently taking Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra and experience sudden hearing loss, you may want to climb out of the old-fashioned, clawfoot bathtub that men always seem to be sitting in during commercials for these drugs (with their wife in an identical tub right next to them, usually on a beach or some other place that carrying two, 350-pound tubs to would be near impossible) and go see your doctor.

Viagra has been around for quite some time as a sexual aid for men. But there are dangers with use that make the product not suitable for use by some.

As such, many herbal alternatives have been released and marketed to take advantage of this shortfall -- but they, too, could cause problems according to new research.

If you're on common heart and blood-pressure drugs, taking one of these herbal-based sex pills could lead to a stroke or even death, according to the research. Why? Well, these products may just contain unregulated versions of the very pharmaceuticals they are supposed to replace. Therein lies the wrinkle -- reactions inside that body that can lead to serious health consequences.

Are you a fan of erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra, Levitra or Cialis? Although some of those names are now the butt of junk emails for many of us, they may also contribute to an increased risk of sudden hearing loss. Now, that's a weird correlation, eh?

The FDA now wants labeling changes for these products with hearing loss warnings, and added the Revatio blood pressure control drug to that new warning list as well.

The problem stems from an active ingredient classified as a Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitor (PD-5 inhibitors). It took an ear, nose and throat article from last April's Journal of Laryntology and Otology for the FDA to start investigating. Nice work, folks.

Although impotence drugs like Viagra help men maintain the physical part of what they need to have sex, how about helping out the "chemical" part as well?

New findings indicate that drugs like Viagra (Cialis too, I would suspect) may boost levels of a hormone that are connected to feelings of love. That's right ladies, he may be able to give you some erectile stamina while he really feels he loves you.

That's the results I see from this study. Viagra was found to control the levels of oxytocin in the brain, which is connected with nursing, childbirth, orgasm and sexual pleasure as well. That's one busy hormone.

Men who take Viagra may soon have another option. According to a recent article in the Belfast Telegraph, Wallace Dinsmore, the doctor that originally created the drug for male potency, has now created a new, spray-on version. Says Dinsmore, it gives men "five times the staying power."

It's called Spray and Stay, and is currently in the trial stages of development. The treatment could be made widely available within a year.

If the drug makes it through the third and final phase of trials, and is indeed released to the public, it could benefit millions of men around the world, says Dinsmore.

No word on whether the drug may cause similar side-effects to Viagra -- which include sneezing, headache, dyspepsia, blurred vision and prolonged erections. Presumably, however, the same warnings for men who are at risk of stroke, heart attack or other cardiovascular problems will apply.

There may be a prescription for jet-lag coming on the horizon, and from an unlikely source too. Viagra was shown to reduce or prevent time-change fatigue in recent tests on hamsters, which obviously opens a whole new potential way of dealing with the frustrations of long distance travel.

The active ingredient in Viagra, sildenafil, affects a messenger molecule that has to do with circadian rhythms and the body's internal clock -- higher doses of sildenafil means higher sensitivity to light differences and faster adjustment to changes.

The tests only included male hamsters, so the next step is "co-ed" testing and then on to mice. But maybe not that far off into the future the nasty side-effects of jet-lag will be curable with a little blue pill.

Just in time for Valentine's Day: the impotence drug Viagra will be available over the counter in Britain. As part of a pilot program by three Manchester pharmacies, men ages 30 to 65 can buy 4 Viagra pills for £50 ($97) without a prescription.

But it's not like they'll be handing pills out to anyone who walks in off the street. Men wishing to purchase the drug will have to undergo a private consultation with a pharmacist, who will take their blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose levels, along with reviewing their medical history. If the men want to come back for more, they'll be required to see a doctor.

Finally, a gift that'll make her way happier than just flowers.

British men will no longer need a prescription for the popular erectile dysfunction drug Viagra as of Valentine's Day. The British pharmacy chain Boots will be selling the drug to patients through a pilot program instead. Following a private consultation with a pharmacist who will take a health history and do a brief exam, men ages 30 to 65 will be sold four pills. If they want more, they can visit with a private doctor on a return visit.

Boots offers similar programs for other drugs, including those to treat obesity and hair loss. The program is being rolled out to reach more men who may suffer from the condition, since experts estimate only 1 in 10 are receiving treatment.

Does this mean Viagra is headed for widespread OTC status in the future? Only time will tell...

Those who take higher doses of Viagra, the popular drug used to combat impotence, may find it difficult to smell -- this according to a recent study published in the The Journal of Urology.

Twenty healthy, young men were given a either a 50 or 100mg dose of Viagra, or an inactive placebo. Participants who took the 50mg dose or the placebo noticed no change in odor detection, odor discrimination or odor identification. Participants who took the 100mg dose, however, noticed a drop in their smelling ability.

Previous reports have linked Viagra with a drop in nasal airflow, which coincides with this study's conclusion -- essentially, that the decreased capacity for odor detection resulted from Viagra-induced nasal congestion.