The Power of Pomegranates -

Pomegranates have grown incredibly popular over the last 14 years. This incredible fruit has helped create the modern anti-oxidant movement. You can’t find a supermarket that doesn’t sell them individually, nor the popular health beverages that contain pomegranate juice. The fruit is an excellent source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Calcium, and Fiber. But the real claim to fame for the fruit lies in its role as an antioxidant. The levels of antioxidants found in a single pomegranate far exceed the amounts found in similar fruits, such as cranberries and oranges. Pomegranates are recommended by doctors and nutritionists to help reduce the risk of heart disease and lower high blood pressure. Considering that heart disease is the number one killer in North America, it’s easy to see why pomegranates are becoming an essential fruit for the averagehealthy adult.

In 2007, Harvard Medical School published reports of two clinical trials involving the effects of pomegranate juice on mice. The first trial’s results showed that pomegranates slowed cancer growth and caused cell death for the cancerous cells. The study also stated, “in a preliminary study of men with prostate cancer, pomegranate juice lengthened patients’ PSA doubling time (the longer the doubling time, the slower the tumor is growing) from 15 months before treatment to 54 months on the juice” (Harvard Health, 2007).

Those are pretty incredible results for a single fruit. The same Harvard report also went on to show that pomegranate juice helped prevent artery inflammation, the hardening of cholesterol, and overall better blood flow in the heart.

Another study, outside of Harvard Health, took 45 people with known heart disease and then divided them into two groups. One group would ingest pomegranate juice on a daily basis, and the other group would drink a placebo with a similar taste and look as pomegranate juice. The study showed that “participants who drank the pomegranate juice experienced a 17% improvement in blood flow to the heart muscle, whereas those given a placebo beverage had an average worsening of 18%” (Chealth, 2012).

POM Wonderful is the market leader in pomegranate juice. The company has taken an active role in the modern research of the health benefits of the fruit since 1998. Since then, a total of 70 studies as well as 16 clinical studies have taken place as a direct result of this funding. All of this research can be found at www.wonderfulpomogranateresearch.com. With a mountain of research supporting the beneficial and medicinal effects of pomegranates in relation to various forms of cancer and heart disease there is no doubt that thepomegranate is a super food. Given the incredible amount of popularity the fruit has gained since 1998, it is very possible that we will see pomegranates as an essential part of our diets.