Melon for cardiovascular health

Currently, there is significant interest among scientists and society as a whole with respect to human health as affected by diet. In particular, there is a significant push to identify mechanisms and ways fresh fruits and vegetables can help humans combat many of the health problems that currently exist. It has become apparent even in this age that synthetic pharmaceuticals are not always capable of sufficiently managing problems such as high blood pressure and cholesterol. The use of diet is becoming increasingly necessary with the high amount of cardiovascular disease in this country and throughout other places in the world. There have been various species identified that contain secondary compounds potentially beneficial to human health. In this chapter, we will focus on species in the family, Cucurbitaceae. Specifically, we will discuss the scientific literature regarding benefits associated with the consumption of crops such as watermelon and cantaloupe and how they impact cardiovascular health.