What a wonderful fruit the pomegranate is! With a rounded shape and a hard rind, the fruit of the Punica granatum tree, or pomegranate, is a berry that contains inside its seeds of a beautiful deep red color, juicy and sweet with a slight bitter note. Pomegranate seeds are edible, can be added to yogurt or salads, pasta recipes or desserts, but they can also be used to obtain a fragrant and really healthy juice! Today we are talking about the properties of pomegranate juice.
Pomegranate juice, properties
Pomegranate juice is a source of sugars, and therefore energy, organic acids such as citric acid, ascorbic acid, also called vitamin C, fumarinic and malic acids that show anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and protective properties for the heart (Tang et al, Evid Based Complement Alternat Med ., 2013). Not only that, pomegranate juice is rich in antioxidants, such as anthocyanins, which give the juice an intense red color, ellagic acid, flavonoids, that are substances able to fight free radical damages and inflammation (Zarfeshany et al, Adv Biomed Res , 2014 - Wang et al, Front Pharmacol, May 2018). But the antioxidants of pomegranate juice also show cardioprotective properties since they help reduce the levels of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, also called bad cholesterol, counteract the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and help keep blood pressure under control (Asgary et al , Curr Pharm Des, 2017). According to research (Mohan et al, Phytother Res, 2010), in fact, the intake of pomegranate juice, 100 ml per kg of body weight, which means 60 ml of juice for a person of about 60 kg, for 4 weeks has been shown to reduce arterial blood pressure. In addition, due to the antioxidant action, pomegranate juice is also able to protect the skin from UV damage. Pomegranate juice, thanks to the antioxidants in which it is rich, also shows a neuroprotective action. In fact, as shown by scientific studies (Hartman et al, Neurobiol Dis, Dec 2006), the intake of pomegranate juice was able, in animals, to reduce the deposit of amyloid proteins in a part of the brain, the hippocampus, thus counteracting what is a characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, drinking pomegranate juice is also useful for memory! In fact, after only 4 weeks of taking about a glass of pomegranate juice, the study participants showed an improvement in memory and in learning ability (Bookheimer et al, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013). Finally, pomegranate juice is also antitumor since it contributes to induce apoptosis, namely cell death, of cancer cells, showing a powerful and particular protective action on the prostate (Bassiri-Jahromi et al, Oncol rev, 2018).
Pomegranate juice, how you take it and where you can buy it
You can find pomegranate juice in any supermarket or health food store. You can drink a glass in the morning before breakfast to get your fill of energy, vitamins and antioxidants. Regarding the possible side effects, at the indicated doses the scientific studies have not reported any undesirable effects. However, pay attention if you suffer from allergies and in any case ask your doctor for advice if you are taking medication. In fact, possible interactions between pomegranate juice and walfarin, an anticoagulant drug, are reported (Komperda et al, Pharmacotherapy, Aug 2009)
