Hearty Melons

          Just in time for the Fourth: Eating watermelon could help your heart.  USDA scientists found that people who drank six 8-ounce cups of watermelon juice daily for 3 weeks experienced a 22 percent increase in their levels of arginine—an amino acid that boosts blood flow to your ticker.  Credit watermelon’s high content of citrulline, a nutrient your body converts to arginine.  Can’t manage six cups?  Smaller amounts help, too.

Burn Off Sugar

            A kitchen appliance could lead to a better diet.  Toasting white bread makes it healthier, according to a U.K. study.  When participants ate bread that had been frozen, thawed, and toasted, their blood sugar rose 39 percent less than it did when they consumed fresh slices.  Both freezing and toasting worked on their own, too, reducing glycemic response by at least 26 percent each.  It could be that these processes chemically alter starch and prevent it from breaking down into sugar, say the researchers.  Store your loaves in the freezer and let slices defrost overnight at room temperature before toasting.

Best Juice:  The Not-So-Clear Choice

            Is your apple juice cloudy? Drink up.  In a recent study, Polish scientists determined that unfiltered apple juice contains four times more disease-fighting antioxidants than the clear, purified kind does.  Look for brands with 100 percent apple juice that you can’t see through, such as Odwalla or R.W. Knudsen.