Pomegranate

a pure juice or mixed with other juices. Pom Wonderful, a popular brand of this juice, claims that this juice is full of antioxidants and may help with such conditions as cancer, heart health and may have anti-aging properties. Unlike many other health supplements on the market, there are some preliminary studies on pomegranate juice that show promising results with regard to these claims. For examples, some data suggests that this juice may slow the progression of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). It is thought that pomegranate juice helps accomplish this by preventing the formation of plaques that can cause arteries to clog. It is also thought that it helps dilate the blood vessels. Because of its effects on blood vessels, it has been thought that pomegranate juice might also prevent erectile dysfunction.It is also thought that pomegranate juice may help reduce cholesterol by reducing the body’s ability to make cholesterol in the liver. Pomegranate juice has also been shown to reduce blood pressure by reducing the activity of an enzyme called ACE in the body.Finally, there may be evidence from animal studies that pomegranate juice inhibits the growth of cancer cells in prostate and breast cancer. Many of the potential benefits of pomegranate juice are thought to be due to its high polyphenol content. Polyphenols are antioxidants. Pomegranate juice is thought to have as much as three times the polyphenol content of red wine, blueberries or green tea. Drug interactions and side effects for pomegranate juice are not all known, however, people who take blood pressure medications should use caution when drinking pomegranate juice or eating the fruit. Although not well documented, taking blood pressure medications with this juice may cause extremely low blood pressure which can lead to fainting, heart problems or worse. It also appears that pomegranate juices inhibit many of the same enzymes in the system that grapefruit juice does. This means that you should check with your doctor or pharmacist before drinking these juices with certain other medications, such as those that use the CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 enzymes in the body. Drinking the juice with these medications may cause levels of the medication to change in the body. This juice has also been shown to cause allergic reactions, even in people who have taken it for many years. 2 It is important if you experience any symptoms of a serious reaction such as a rash or swelling of the tongue or throat, that you stop eating/drinking the pomegranate and seek medical attention immediately.