Pomegranate is a delicious fruit (one of my favorites - except for the hassle of peeling) with many beneficial compounds. Pomegranate has substances, such as polyphenols, that have antioxidant, anti-viral, and anti-tumor activity. Pomegranate may also be helpful in maintaining healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and a recent study indicates pomegranate has compounds that play a role in osteoarthritis and prostate health.

Pomegranate availability
Pomegranate is available, of course, as a fruit; as fruit juice, and in extract form as a supplement.

Pomegranate 500 mg, 60 Capsules, Club Natural


Pomegranate Extract (Punica granatum) from a pure, whole-fruit source to maximize its antioxidant benefits.

Get the benefits of pomegranate juice and avoid all the calories and sugar (fructose).

Pomegranate Supplement Facts
Pomegranate extract - 500 mg *

Click here to buy Pomegranate supplement, FREE Diet Rx with pomegranate appetite suppressant sample bottle

Recommendation: Take 1 or 2 pomegranate capsules daily with food or water.
* Pomegranate daily value not established.

You may also consider other healthy herbs and supplements with high antioxidant potential, including Acai berry, Cacao, Curcumin extract from turmeric, Goji berry, Graviola herb, Mangosteen and Noni. Diet Rx with pomegranate extract helps you eat less.

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Subscribe to the highly popular and FREE Supplement Research Update newsletter. Once or twice a month we email a brief abstract of several studies on various supplements and natural medicine topics, including pomegranate, and their practical interpretation by Ray Sahelian, M.D. Click the link above for pomegranate.

Availability of Pomegranate
The pomegranate fruit can be made into pomegranate juice, pomegranate extract, jam, jelly, pomegranate juice concentrate, molasses, and even pomegranate wine and martini. Pomegranate pills are available and are a good option in order to avoid the calories.
   Many herb and vitamins ingredient suppliers sell pomegranate at various extract potencies. Some of these includie pomegranate extract at 20 percent ellagic acid, pomegranate extract at 40 percent ellagic acid, and pomegranate extract at 70 percent ellagic acid.

Pomegranate Juice Benefit
Even though pomegranate has substances, such as polyphenols, that have antioxidant, anti-viral, and anti-tumor activity, it will take many years to find out how the health benefit of pomegranate juice in humans and how many ounces are required. One drawback with any type of juice is the excess calories and fructose. Hence, a pomegranate extract supplement could be useful by reducing the caloric intake from the pomegranate juice. This is particularly appropriate for those who are overweight.

Pomegranate Juice protects nitric oxide
Pomegranate juice protects nitric oxide against oxidative destruction and enhances the biological actions of nitric oxide.
Nitric Oxide. 2006 Apr 18; Ignarro LJ, Byrns RE, Sumi D, de Nigris F, Napoli C. Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA.
Pomegranate juice, a rich source of potent flavonoid antioxidants, was tested for its capacity to protect nitric oxide against oxidative destruction. Pomegranate juice was found to be a potent inhibitor of superoxide anion-mediated disappearance of NO. Pomegranate juice was much more potent than Concord grape juice, blueberry juice, red wine, ascorbic acid, and dl-alpha-tocopherol. These observations indicate that pomegranate juice possesses potent antioxidant activity that results in marked protection of nitric oxide against oxidative destruction, thereby resulting in augmentation of the biological actions of NO.

Pomegranate Research Update
Pomegranate fruit extracts can block enzymes that contribute to osteoarthritis according to a Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine study published in the September 2005 issue of the Journal of Nutrition. The study looked at the ability of an extract of pomegranate fruit against Interleukin-1b (IL-1b), a pro-inflammatory protein molecule that plays a key role in cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis. Plant-based flavonoids found in fruits, leaves and vegetables have attracted a lot of attention for their beneficial health effects in various diseases. Pomegranate, in particular, has been found to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that have potential therapeutic benefits in a variety of diseases. The Case study demonstrated for the first time the ability of pomegranate fruit extracts to slow the deterioration of human cartilage.

Pomegranate extract may prevent prostate cancer or slow its growth, if results of lab experiments conducted at the University of Wisconsin in Madison translate to real-world benefits. Pomegranates are high in polyphenolic compounds, making its juice higher in antioxidant activity than red wine and green tea. When they incubated prostate cancer cells with low concentrations of pomegranate extract, they observed a dose-related inhibition of cell growth. In prostate cancer cells driven by male hormones (androgens) and expressing prostate specific antigen (PSA), treatment with pomegranate extract decreased androgen receptors and PSA expression. When human prostate cancer cells were injected into mice, feeding the animals pomegranate extract delayed the appearance of tumors. Tumor growth was significantly inhibited and survival was prolonged.

In men with recurrent prostate cancer, drinking 8 ounces per day of pomegranate juice significantly increases the time it takes for an increase in levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA), an indicator of prostate cancer. Before the men in the study began consuming pomegranate juice, the average PSA doubling time, a measure of tumor activity, was 15 months. The average time after treatment was 37 months. So, there was almost a 2-year increase in the doubling time. Pomegranate juice contains a number of antioxidants thought to have anti-cancer effects, Pomegranate juice contains estrogen-like plant substances called phytoestrogens that could be useful in combating prostate cancer. Pomegranate juice therapy was well tolerated and no serious adverse effects were reported. In addition to the beneficial increase in PSA doubling time, in vitro testing showed decreased cancer cell division and proliferation and increased cancer cell death. Urine testing confirmed the presence of pomegranate antioxidants in all men. The study was funded by the Stewart and Lynda Resnick Trust, which own the POM Wonderful pomegranate juice company.

Drinking pomegranate juice during pregnancy may help reduce the risk of brain injuries in babies.
Decreased blood flow and oxygen to an infant's developing brain during pregnancy, birth and early development is linked to premature birth and can lead to brain tissue loss, seizures and mobility impairments such as cerebral palsy. The phenomenon, called hypoxia ischemia, causes brain injury in approximately two of every 1,000 full-term human births and in a very high percentage of babies born before 34 weeks of gestation. Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that newborn mice whose mothers drank water mixed with pomegranate concentrate lost 60 percent less brain tissue than mice whose mothers drank sugar water or other fluids. Pomegranates contain very high concentrations of polyphenols, a substance also found in berries and grapes, which has been shown to potentially have anti-aging and neuroprotective effects.

Breast cancer chemopreventive properties of pomegranate (Punica granatum) fruit extracts in a mouse mammary organ culture.
Eur J Cancer Prev. 2004 Aug;13(4):345-8.
Mehta R, Lansky EP. University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago
We previously reported anticancer effects of pomegranate extracts in human breast cancer cells in vitro and also chemopreventive activity of pomegranate fermented juice polyphenols (W) in a mouse mammary organ culture. In the present study we decided to expand the investigations to also include an evaluation of the potential chemopreventive efficacy of a purified chromatographic peak of W (Peak B), and also of whole pomegranate seed oil. The results highlight enhanced breast cancer preventive potential both for the purified compound peak B and for pomegranate seed oil, both greater than that previously reported for pomegranate fermented juice polyphenols.

Pomegranate fruit extract can block skin tumor formation in mice exposed to a cancer-causing agent, according to a report in the International Journal of Cancer. Dr. Hasan Mukhtar and colleagues from the University of Wisconsin at Madison conducted a variety of experiments to test the anti-cancer effects of pomegranate, a chemical with strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. In mice, putting pomegranate on the skin before exposure to the cancer-causing substance TPA inhibited the skin swelling and excessive cell growth that typically occurs. Moreover, mice treated with pomegranate developed fewer skin tumors than untreated mice.

Punica granatum (Pomegranate) juice provides an HIV-1 entry inhibitor and candidate topical microbicide.
BMC Infect Dis. 2004 Oct 14;4(1):41.
RESULTS: HIV-1 entry inhibitors from pomegranate juice adsorb onto corn starch. The resulting complex blocks virus binding to CD4 and CXCR4/CCR5 and inhibits infection by primary virus clades A to G and group O. CONCLUSION: These results suggest the possibility of producing an anti-HIV-1 microbicide from inexpensive, widely available sources, whose safety has been established throughout centuries, provided that its quality is adequately standardized and monitored.

Concentrated pomegranate juice improves lipid profiles in diabetic patients with hyperlipidemia.
J Med Food. 2004 Fall;7(3):305-8.
This study assessed the effect of concentrated pomegranate juice consumption on lipid profiles of type II diabetic patients with hyperlipidemia. In this quasi-experimental study 22 otherwise healthy diabetic patients, 14 women and eight men were recruited from among patients referred to the Iranian Diabetes Society. The patients were followed for 8 weeks to establish a baseline for normal dietary intake before beginning the concentrated pomegranate juice intervention. During the pre-study period a 24-hour food recall and food records (recording flavonoid-rich foods) were completed every 10 days. At the end of the eighth week, anthropometric and biochemical assessments were done. Thereafter the patients consumed 40 g/day of concentrated pomegranate juice for 8 weeks, during which time dietary assessment was continued. After completing the study, anthropometric and blood indices were again evaluated. After consumption of concentrated pomegranate juice, significant reductions were seen in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol / high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, and total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol. But, there were no significant changes in serum triacylglycerol and HDL-cholesterol concentrations. Anthropometric indices, physical activity, kind and doses of oral hypoglycemic agents, and the intakes of nutrients and flavonoid-rich foods showed no change during the concentrated pomegranate juice consumption period. It is concluded that concentrated pomegranate juice consumption may modify heart disease risk factors in hyperlipidemic patients, and its inclusion therefore in their diets may be beneficial.

Pomegranate extracts potently suppress proliferation, xenograft growth, and invasion of human prostate cancer cells.
J Med Food. 2004 Fall;7(3):274-83.
We completed a multicenter study of the effects of pomegranate cold-pressed (Oil) or supercritical CO(2)-extracted (S) seed oil, fermented juice polyphenols (W), and pericarp polyphenols (P) on human prostate cancer cell xenograft growth in vivo, and/or proliferation, cell cycle distribution, apoptosis, gene expression, and invasion across Matrigel, in vitro. Oil, W, and P each acutely inhibited in vitro proliferation of LNCaP, PC-3, and DU 145 human cancer cell lines. The dose of P required to inhibit cell proliferation of the prostate cancer cell line LNCaP by 50% (ED(50)) was 70 microg/mL, whereas normal prostate epithelial cells (hPrEC) were significantly less affected (ED(50) = 250 g/mL). Overall, this study demonstrates significant antitumor activity of pomegranate-derived materials against human prostate cancer.

Pomegranate juice consumption for 3 years by patients with carotid artery stenosis reduces common carotid intima-media thickness, blood pressure and LDL oxidation.
Clin Nutr. 2004 Jun;23(3):423-33.
Dietary supplementation with polyphenolic antioxidants to animals was shown to be associated with inhibition of LDL oxidation and macrophage foam cell formation, and attenuation of atherosclerosis development. We investigated the effects of pomegranate juice (PJ, which contains potent tannins and anthocyanins) consumption by atherosclerotic patients with carotid artery stenosis (CAS) on the progression of carotid lesions and changes in oxidative stress and blood pressure. Ten patients were supplemented with pomegranate juice for 1 year and five of them continued for up to 3 years. Blood samples were collected before treatment and during pomegranate juice consumption. In the control group that did not consume pomegranate juice, common carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) increased by 9% during 1 year, whereas, pomegranate juice consumption resulted in a significant IMT reduction, by up to 30%, after 1 year. The results of the present study thus suggest that pomegranate juice consumption by patients with CAS decreases carotid IMT and systolic blood pressure and these effects could be related to the potent antioxidant characteristics of pomegranate juice polyphenols.

Differentiation-promoting activity of pomegranate (Punica granatum) fruit extracts in HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells.
J Med Food. 2004 Spring;7(1):13-8.
Differentiation refers to the ability of cancer cells to revert to their normal counterparts, and its induction represents an important noncytotoxic therapy for leukemia, and also breast, prostate, and other solid malignancies. Flavonoids are a group of differentiation-inducing chemicals with a potentially lower toxicology profile than retinoids. Flavonoid-rich polyphenol fractions from the pomegranate (Punica granatum) fruit exert anti-proliferative, anti-invasive, anti-eicosanoid, and pro-apoptotic actions in breast and prostate cancer cells and anti-angiogenic activities in vitro and in vivo. Here we tested flavonoid-rich fractions from fresh (J) and fermented (W) pomegranate juice and from an aqueous extraction of pomegranate pericarps (P) as potential differentiation-promoting agents of human HL-60 promyelocytic leukemia cells. Four assays were used to assess differentiation: nitro blue tetrazolium reducing activity, nonspecific esterase activity, specific esterase activity, and phagocytic activity. In addition, the effect of these extracts on HL-60 proliferation was evaluated. Extracts W and P were strong promoters of differentiation in all settings, with extract J showing only a relatively mild differentiation-promoting effect. The extracts had proportional inhibitory effects on HL-60 cell proliferation. The results highlight an important, previously unknown, mechanism of the cancer preventive and suppressive potential of pomegranate fermented juice and pericarp extracts.

Pomegranate extract improves a depressive state and bone properties in menopausal syndrome model ovariectomized mice.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2004 May;92(1):93-101.
Pomegranate is known to contain estrogens (estradiol, estrone, and estriol) and show estrogenic activities in mice. In this study, we investigated whether pomegranate extract is effective on experimental menopausal syndrome in ovariectomized mice. Prolongation of the immobility time in forced swimming test, an index of depression, was measured 14 days after ovariectomy. The bone mineral density (BMD) of the tibia was measured by X-ray absorptiometry and the structure and metabolism of bone were also analyzed by bone histomorphometry. Administration of pomegranate extract (juice and seed extract) for 2 weeks to ovariectomized mice prevented the loss of uterus weight and shortened the immobility time compared with 5% glucose-dosed mice (control). In addition, ovariectomy-induced decrease of BMD was normalized by administration of the pomegranate extract. The bone volume and the trabecular number were significantly increased and the trabecular separation was decreased in the pomegranate-dosed group compared with the control group. Some histological bone formation/resorption parameters were significantly increased by ovariectomy but were normalized by administration of the pomegranate extract. These changes suggest that the pomegranate extract inhibits ovariectomy-stimulated bone turnover. It is thus conceivable that pomegranate is clinically effective on a depressive state and bone loss in menopausal syndrome in women.

Preliminary studies on the anti-angiogenic potential of pomegranate fractions in vitro and in vivo.
Angiogenesis. 2003;6(2):121-8.
We previously showed pomegranate seed oil and fermented juice polyphenols to retard oxidation and prostaglandin synthesis, to inhibit breast cancer cell proliferation and invasion, and to promote breast cancer cell apoptosis. Here we evaluated the anti-angiogenic potential of these materials in several ways. We checked a possible effect on angiogenic regulation by measuring vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in the conditioned media of estrogen sensitive (MCF-7) or estrogen resistant (MDA-MB-231) human breast cancer cells, or immortalized normal human breast epithelial cells (MCF-10A), grown in the presence or absence of pomegranate seed oil (SESCO) or fermented juice polyphenols (W). VEGF was strongly downregulated in MCF-10A and MCF-7, and MIF upregulated in MDA-MB-231, overall showing significant potential for downregulation of angiogenesis by pomegranate fractions. An anti-proliferative effect on angiogenic cells was shown in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) and in myometrial and amniotic fluid fibroblasts, and inhibition of HUVEC tubule formation demonstrated in an in vitro model employing glass carrier beads. Finally, we showed a significant decrease in new blood vessel formation using the chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model in vivo. 'In sum, these varied studies employing different models in different laboratories overall demonstrate for the first time an anti-angiogenic potential of pomegranate fractions, suggesting further in vivo and clinical investigations

Chemopreventive effects of pomegranate seed oil on skin tumor development in CD1 mice.
J Med Food. 2003 Fall;6(3):157-61.
Hora JJ, Maydew ER, Lansky EP, Dwivedi C.
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD
Pomegranate seed oil was investigated for possible skin cancer chemopreventive efficacy in mice. In the main experiment, two groups consisting each of 30, 4-5-week-old, female CD(1) mice were used. Both groups had skin cancer initiated with an initial topical exposure of 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene and with biweekly promotion using 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA). The experimental group was pretreated with 5% pomegranate seed oil prior to each TPA application. Conclusions: Pomegrante seed oil (5%) significantly decreased tumor incidence, multiplicity, and TPA-induced ODC activity. Overall, the results highlight the potential of pomegranate seed oil as a safe and effective chemopreventive agent against skin cancer.

Repeated oral administration of high doses of the pomegranate ellagitannin punicalagin to rats for 37 days is not toxic.
J Agric Food Chem. 2003 May 21;51(11):3493-501.
The water-soluble ellagitanin punicalagin has been reported to be toxic to cattle. Taking into account that this antioxidant polyphenol is very abundant in pomegranate juice (> or =2 g/L), the present study evaluated the possible toxic effect of punicalagin in Sprague-Dawley rats upon repeated oral administration of a 6% punicalagin-containing diet for 37 days. Punicalagin and related metabolites were identified by HPLC-DAD-MS-MS in plasma, liver, and kidney. Five punicalagin-related metabolites were detected in liver and kidney, that is, two ellagic acid derivatives, gallagic acid, 3,8-dihydroxy-6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-6-one glucuronide, and 3,8,10-trihydroxy-6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-6-one. Feedstuff intake, food utility index, and growth rate were lower in treated rats during the first 15 days without significant adverse effects, which could be due to the lower nutritional value of the punicalagin-enriched diet together with a decrease in its palatability (lower food intake). No significant differences were found in treated rats in any blood parameter analyzed (including the antioxidant enzymes gluthatione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase) with the exception of urea and triglycerides, which remained at low values throughout the experiment. Although the reason for the decrease is unclear, it could be due to the lower nutritional value of the punicalagin-enriched diet with respect to the standard rat food. Histopathological analysis of liver and kidney corroborated the absence of toxicity. In principle, the results reported here, together with the large safety margin considered, indicate the lack of toxic effect of punicalagin in rats during the 37 day period investigated. However, taking into account the high punicalagin content of pomegranate-derived foodstuffs, safety evaluation should be also carried out in humans with a lower dose and during a longer period of intake.

Pomegranate juice flavonoids inhibit low-density lipoprotein oxidation and cardiovascular diseases: studies in atherosclerotic mice and in humans.
Drugs Exp Clin Res. 2002;28(2-3):49-62.
The beneficial health effects attributed to the consumption of fruit and vegetables are related, at least in part, to their antioxidant activity. Of special interest is the inverse relationship between the intake of dietary nutrients rich in polyphenols and cardiovascular diseases. This effect is attributed to polyphenols' ability to inhibit low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation, macrophage foam cell formation and atherosclerosis. Pomegranate polyphenols can protect LDL against cell-mediated oxidation via two pathways, including either direct interaction of the polyphenols with the lipoprotein and/or an indirect effect through accumulation of polyphenols in arterial macrophages. Pomegranate polyphenols were shown to reduce the capacity of macrophages to oxidatively modify LDL, due to their interaction with LDL to inhibit its oxidation by scavenging reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species and also due to accumulation of polyphenols in arterial macrophages; hence, the inhibition of macrophage lipid peroxidation and the formation of lipid peroxide-rich macrophages. Furthermore, pomegranate polyphenols increase serum paraoxonase activity, resulting in the hydrolysis of lipid peroxides in oxidized lipoproteins and in atherosclerotic lesions. These antioxidative and antiatherogenic effects of pomegranate polyphenols were demonstrated in vitro, as well as in vivo in humans and in atherosclerotic apolipoprotein E deficient mice. Dietary supplementation of polyphenol-rich pomegranate juice to atherosclerotic mice significantly inhibited the development of atherosclerotic lesions and this may be attributed to the protection of LDL against oxidation.

Studies on antioxidant activity of pomegranate (Punica granatum) peel extract using in vivo models.
J Agric Food Chem. 2002 Aug 14;50(17):4791-5.
Pomegranate (Punica granatum) peel extracts from the pomegranate tree fruit have been shown to possess significant antioxidant activity in various in vitro models. Dried pomegranate peels were powdered and extracted with methanol for 4 h. The dried methanolic extract was fed to albino rats of the Wistar strain, followed by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), and the levels of various enzymes, such as catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and lipid peroxidation were studied. Treatment of rats with a single dose of CCl4 at 2.0 g/kg of body weight decreases the levels of catalase, SOD, and peroxidase by 81, 49, and 89% respectively, whereas the lipid peroxidation value increased nearly 3-fold. Pretreatment of the rats with a methanolic extract of pomegranate peel at 50 mg/kg (in terms of catechin equivalents) followed by CCl4 treatment causes preservation of catalase, peroxidase, and SOD to values comparable with control values, wheres lipid peroxidation was brought back by 54% as compared to control. Histopathological studies of the liver were also carried out to determine the hepatoprotection effect exhibited by the pomegranate peel extract against the toxic effects of CCl4. Histopathological studies of the liver of different groups also support the protective effects exhibited by the MeOH extract of pomegranate peel by restoring the normal hepatic architecture. Pomegranite juice.

Pomegranate tree normally grows to a height less that 12 feet. You can actually buy a small pomegranate tree and grow it yourself in your backyard.

Some people misspell pomegranate as pomegranite

Pomegranate questions
Q. I would be interested in your opinion on whether pomegranate's inhibition of P-450 enzymes poses as significant a hazard to people taking pharmaceuticals as grapefruit does.
     A. I am not aware of any studies that caution the use of pomegranate juice or supplements in those taking pharmaceutical drugs.

Q. How does 500 mg of pomegranate extract compare to 8oz of pomegranate juice? I would like to substitute the pomegranate extract capsules for for the juice that I've been drinking.
     A. This is a good question and we really don't have a good answer. It is very difficult to compare since no studies have been done to find out which form is better and what the equivalency of pomegranate juice is to pomegranate extract. The pomegranate juice has a lot of calories and fructose.
On average, most people take 1 to 3 pomegranate capsules a day. Studies in the future could perhaps shed some light.

Q. My husband had a recent prostatecomy and came back with undetectable PSA. We want to keep it that way as long as we can - by drinking pomagranate juice - and want to use organics and natural products (i.e. tomatoes, etc). He is consuming 8 ounces pom juice per day - however it's getting expensive. I read over the information on extract vs. juice and it's a little confusing. Does a person such as my husband get the same benefit regarding prostate cancer whether it's a pomegranate juice or pomegranate extract or capsule? (given a standardized high quality product)? or is there something in the pomegranate juice that the extract / pill won't contain.... I'd really appreciate feedback. Pomegranate juice is high in sugar (husband in thin so it's really not a problem - but pomegranate capsules and extract is a lot more economical IF the benefits are the same).
     A. This is a good question and scientists don't know at this time which form of pomegranate is better for prostate health since human studies have not been done comparing the two ways to ingest pomegranate. As a rule we prefer pomegranate extract over pomegranate juice since it avoids the fructose, but we cannot say at this time whether the pomegranate juice is more effective than pomegranate extract capsules or vice versa.

Q. Can you tell me how much ellagic acid is found in pomegranate juice? Also what are punicalagins?
     A. There are variations in ellagic acid content in various pomegranate juice products depending on where the pomegranate is grown. We found one study where a person was given 180 ml (about 6 ounces) of pomegranate juice, and there apparently was ellagic acid 25 mg and hydrolyzable ellagitannins 318 mg, as punicalagins, the major fruit ellagitannin.

Q. I read an article where it said drinking 1 ounce of pomegranate juice a day reduces plaque buildup in the arteries. Is pomegranate juice effective for arteriosclerosis (calcium deposits) or atherosclerosis (fatty deposits)? Or is pomegranate juice effective in reducing both types of buildup? Is 1 ounce daily enough to be effective?
   A. We see two studies related to pomegranate juice and benefits. Pomegranate juice appears to be beneficial in reducing oxidation of lipids and may reduce the risk for atherosclerosis. How much pomegranate juice is required is not well known, and perhaps alternating the use with pomegranate supplements is one option in order to reduce the calories from fructose present in pomegranate juice.

Anti-oxidative effects of pomegranate juice consumption by diabetic patients on serum and on macrophages.
Atherosclerosis. 2006 Aug;187(2):363-71. The Lipid Research Laboratory, Technion Faculty of Medicine, The Rappaport Family Institute for Research in the Medical Sciences, Rambam Medical Center, 31096 Haifa, Israel.
In the present study, we investigated the effects of pomegranate juice; which contains sugars and potent anti-oxidants) consumption by diabetic patients on blood diabetic parameters, and on oxidative stress in their serum and macrophages. Ten healthy subjects (controls) and 10 non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients who consumed pomegranate juice (50ml per day for 3 months) participated in the study. In the patients versus controls serum levels of lipid peroxides and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were both increased, by 350% and 51%, respectively. Pomegranate juice consumption did not affect serum glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, but it resulted in a significant reduction in serum lipid peroxides and TBARS levels by 56% and 28%. Pomegranate juice  consumption significantly reduced cellular peroxides (by 71%), and increased glutathione levels (by 141%).  We thus conclude that pomegranate juice consumption by diabetic patients did not worsen the diabetic parameters, but rather resulted in anti-oxidative effects on serum and macrophages, which could contribute to attenuation of atherosclerosis development in these patients.

Effects of pomegranate juice consumption on myocardial perfusion in patients with coronary heart disease.
Am J Cardiol. 2005 Sep 15;96(6):810-4. Sumner MD, Elliott-Eller M, Weidner G, Daubenmier JJ, Chew MH, Marlin R, Raisin CJ, Ornish D. The Preventive Medicine Research Institute, Sausalito, California, USA.
We investigated whether daily consumption of pomegranate juice for 3 months would affect myocardial perfusion in 45 patients who had CHD and myocardial ischemia in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Patients were randomly assigned into 1 of 2 groups: a pomegranate juice group (240 ml/day) or a placebo group that drank a beverage of similar caloric content, amount, flavor, and color. After 3 months, the extent of stress-induced ischemia decreased in the pomegranate group but increased in the control group. This benefit was observed without changes in cardiac medications, blood sugar, hemoglobin A1c, weight, or blood pressure in either group. In conclusion, daily consumption of pomegranate juice may improve stress-induced myocardial ischemia in patients who have coronary heart disease.