The Pomegranate
Reducing Inflammation with Pomegranate Juice and Supplements
The fruit and juice of the pomegranate contain potent antioxidants that reduce inflammation and the cellular damage caused by oxidative stress.
The fruit of the pomegranate (Punica granatum), which is also known as the Chinese apple, the grenade, and the grenada, has powerful antioxidant properties that make it particularly valuable for patients with autoimmune diseases. The benefits of pomegranate include reversing atherosclerosis, a disorder that often occurs in hypothyroidism, reducing joint degeneration and inflammation in osteoarthritis, promoting liver health, and protecting the cardiovascular system from diabetes-induced damage. In addition, pomegranate is currently being studied for its ability to alleviate the pain and discomfort of arthritis and support optimal brain, dental, skin, and liver health.
What is Pomegranate?
The pomegranate is a neat, rounded shrub or small tree that can grow as high as 30 feet although dwarf varieties are also found. It is usually deciduous, but in certain areas the leaves will persist on the tree. The pomegranate is native from Iran and Armenia to the Himalayas in northern India, and it has been cultivated over the whole Mediterranean region since ancient times. The tree was introduced into California by Spanish settlers in 1769. In the United States, pomegranate is grown for its fruits mainly in the drier parts of California and Arizona.
The fruit of the pomegranate is larger than an orange and smaller than a grapefruit, measuring approximately 7-12 cm in diameter with the shape of a rounded hexagon with thick, reddish skin. The inside of the pomegranate is laden with seeds. The seeds and the surrounding red seed pulp are the edible parts. They are rich in antioxidants and enzymes.
Pomegranate juice has been used in the Middle East since ancient times, although in the United States, pomegranate juice was first marketed in 2002. Supplements containing the concentrated juice are also available. The cocktail ingredient grenadine is a syrup made from the thickened juice of the pomegranate. Wild pomegranate seeds can be used as a spice called anardana or as ingredients in chutney and curry.
Effects of Pomegranate
In both laboratory and clinical studies, pomegranate has been shown to:
- Reduce oxidative stress
- Support the synthesis and activity of nitric oxide, which offers cardiovascular protection
- Inhibit the oxidation of potential harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which helps maintain the integrity of blood vessels
- Quench free radicals and reduce their damaging effects
- Reduce oxidant-related cellular blood vessel changes
- Lower after-meal blood sugar levels
- Help kill bacteria associated with dental plaque and helping heal gum disease either alone or in combination with the herb gotu kola.
Sources of Pomegranate
Pomegranate is available as the whole fruit, pomegranate fruit juice, and supplements containing pomegranate fruit extract. Different supplements contain different amounts of bioflavinoids. Punicalagins have been identified as the primary active phytochemical bioflavinoid in pomegranate. Supplements containing 78 mg of punicalagins are reported to reverse atherosclerosis, reduce high blood pressure, and prevent the adverse cardiovascular consequences of diabetes. Doses containing 280-375 mg are reported to halt the progression of prostate cancer in patients who failed conventional therapy.
Resource:
Tiesha Johnson, Pomegranate, Powerful Protection for Aging Arteries—And Much More, Life Extension Foundation Journal, May, 2007: 55-62.
