The list of benefits of consuming foods rich in antioxidants continues to grow. But scientists have evidence that one of these foods rich in antioxidants - pomegranate - may reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases and reverse the accumulation of plaque on the walls of the arteries. This is critical news not only for consumers, but also for scientists whose previous research results have suggested that antioxidants may only reduce plaque build-up and not actually reverse the damage.
Freshly squeezed pomegranate juice improves carotid artery health and lowers blood pressure
The results of an Israeli study show that pomegranate very likely reduces the existing plaque build-up in the arteries, and not just slows down its development. Israeli scientists studied patients known to exhibit narrowing of the carotid arteries due to atherosclerosis. The research focused on the carotid artery, which is located in the neck because it is behind approximately 80 percent of the body's blood flow to the brain. When some of these patients were given pomegranate juice for a year, the incidence of atherosclerotic lesions in the common carotid artery decreased by 35 percent. This is in sharp contrast to patients in the control group, whose atherosclerotic lesions increased by 9 percent. Blood analysis in the pomegranate juice group showed a 130 percent increase in antioxidant activity compared to pre-study levels. Those patients also saw an average drop in systolic blood pressure of 21 percent after a year of consuming fruit juice. Pomegranate also protects low-density lipoproteins from harmful oxidation and has been shown to lower blood pressure. The researchers concluded that supplementing with just 1 dcl of pomegranate juice each day reduced blood pressure because the activity of angiotensin-converting enzyme was reduced. By the way, many of the drugs used to treat high blood pressure work in much the same way, raising the strong possibility that consistently supplementing the diet with pomegranate juice could help patients maintain healthy blood pressure levels.
Can this fruit help prevent cancer?
In addition to its remarkable ability to protect your heart, pomegranate also appears to fight several common forms of cancer, including prostate cancer. It works by slowing the progression of cancer cells due to ellagitannins - the substances that give the fruit its color. Researchers have found that pomegranate extract blocks the growth of human prostate cancer cells while promoting apoptosis, or programmed death, of cancer cells. The fruit appears to support the expression of a protein known to accelerate the death of cancer cells, while at the same time interfering with the expression of another protein that stands in the way of cancer cell death. Additionally, in a 2021 clinical study published in The Prostate, researchers found that pomegranate fruit extract contains bioactive compounds that can reduce oxidative stress. As you can see, pomegranate contains multiple compounds that help prevent cancer and support a healthy heart. Whether you eat the whole fruit, drink pomegranate juice, or take pomegranate extract as a dietary supplement, you have a variety of ways to take advantage of its many health benefits.
Sources for this article include:
