Pomegranate juice has become popular throughout the world in the past few years. Several recent studies have shown noteworthy potential health benefits from drinking pomegranate juice. Apart from being a good source of vitamin C and folic acid, pomegranate juice has excellent antioxidant properties that are responsible for most of its health benefits. Research indicates that drinking pomegranate juice is beneficial for human health, since it helps improve medical conditions that specifically affect man, women and children.
Here are some amazing health benefits of pomegranate juice:
Lowers Blood Pressure: According to latest research, drinking 1.7 ounces of pomegranate juice per day lowers systolic blood pressure by as much as 5 percent.
Dental Protection: Research suggests that drinking pomegranate juice may be a natural way to prevent dental plaque.
Boosts Sperm Quality and Motility: Pomegranate juice might have beneficial effects on sperm quality and motility, according to research published in a 2008 issue of the journal Clinical Nutrition. Participants were placed into one of the following groups: control group, 0.25 ml pomegranate juice plus 0.75 ml of water, 0.50 ml pomegranate juice plus 0.50 ml of water, or 1 ml of pomegranate juice. At the end of the 7-week study, scientists found that the pomegranate juice groups experienced increases in sperm quality and motility compared to the control group. The study revealed that pomegranate juice increases the production of antioxidants such as glutathione and catalase, which protect sperm from damage, according to researchers.
Improves Erectile Dysfunction: Harin Padma Nathan and colleagues investigated the effects of pomegranate juice on erectile dysfunction, according to findings reported in a 2007 issue of the International Journal of Impotence Research. Subjects received pomegranate or a placebo daily for eight weeks. Researchers found that the pomegranate juice experienced improvements on the International Index of Erectile Function, a scale used for erectile dysfunction, compared to those administered a placebo.
Stable Blood Sugar Levels: Although pomegranate juice has naturally occurring sugars, it does not cause a sharp rise in blood sugar as do other juices, reports Natural Health Magazine. This makes pomegranate juice a good option for diabetics who must carefully monitor their sugar intake and insulin levels.
Heart Disease Prevention: Drinking pomegranate juice may help prevent hardening of the arteries, a condition that can lead to heart disease. The high amount of polyphenols in pomegranate juice may help block or slow cholesterol buildup, says Mayo Clinic cardiologist Thomas Behrenbeck, M.D. A review of research on pomegranate juice and heart health published in the journal Nutrition Review in January 2009 concluded that pomegranate juice’s positive effects on cholesterol in mice and its ability to reduce symptoms in patients with high blood pressure suggest that pomegranate juice can play a role in a heart-healthy diet.
Cancer Therapy: Pomegranate juice may be effective in treating several different types of cancer. In the journal Integrative Cancer Therapy in September 2009, University of Michigan researchers found that the polyphenols in pomegranate juice may reduce the growth of aggressive breast cancer cells. Another study, in the journal Carcinogenesis in January 2007 found that pomegranate juice can be an effective therapy for lung cancer. Mayo Clinic urologist Erik Castle, M.D., sites evidence that pomegranate juice may slow the progression of prostate cancer. M. Young Hong led a team of researchers who examined the mechanism behind pomegranate’s ability to protect against prostate cancer, according to findings reported in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. They discovered that pomegranate products induce apoptosis or cell death to prostate cancer cells, which inhibits the spread of the cancer. Pomegranate’s potent antioxidants, especially the compounds punicalagins and punicalins, are the reason behind the results, according to researchers.
Keeps PSA Levels Stable: In a study of 50 men who had undergone treatment for prostate cancer, 8 ounces of pomegranate juice per day kept PSA levels stable, reducing the need for further treatment such as chemotherapy or hormone therapy.
Protects the Neonatal Brain: Studies show that maternal consumption of pomegranate juice may protect the neonatal brain from damage after injury.
Prevention of Osteoarthritis: Several studies indicate that pomegranate juice may prevent cartilage deterioration.
Protects the Arteries: It prevents plaque from building up in the arteries and may reverse previous plaque buildup.
Alzheimer’s Disease Prevention: It may prevent and slow Alzheimer’s disease. In one study, mice bred to develop Alzheimer’s disease were given pomegranate juice. They accumulated significantly less amyloid plaque than control mice and they performed mental tasks better.
Lowers Cholesterol: It lowers LDL (bad cholesterol) and raises HDL (good cholesterol).
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