Pomegranate for Health

From ancient times, the pomegranate fruit has been regarded as a symbol of medicine, healing, and longevity. The peels were boiled in water to yield an elixir that could cure mouth sores and ease upset stomach or diarrhea. The juice, as well as the whole arils (the juice-encapsulated seeds) were employed as a practical cure-all.

Modern science has gone a long way to re-affirming the health benefits of pomegranate fruit. In one of our own studies published 1999, we demonstrated that pomegranate juice, specifically fermented pomegranate juice (which is more biologically active than fresh juice), had the power to absorb free radicals and to prevent oxidation. This is extremely important in maintaining health and preventing disease. Pomegranate is now generally credited with providing one of the most potent mixtures of antioxidant compounds of any easily obtainable fruit.

One class of antioxidants found in the pomegranate is the broad range of estrogens. These compounds can stimulate the human estrogen receptors that are involved with maintaining health of the bones, blood vessels and nervous tissue, and relieving symptoms of menopause. The estrogenic compounds are found throughout the pomegranate, including the juice, peel, seeds, and even in the leaves and flowers. In fact, there are probably more reported estrogenic compounds in pomegranate than in any other plant. The use of pomegranates for treating menopausal symptoms and deficits remains an active and vital area of investigation.

The antioxidant action of the juice, as well as its ability to interrupt inflammation, has led to its modern use in the treatment and prevention of many diseases. Most notable are the cardiovascular maladies like stroke and heart attack, often the result of clogging of the arteries due to excessive fat deposits. In an elegant series of experiments by Dr. Michael Aviram and his colleagues, regular pomegranate juice consumption has been shown to interrupt the process of atherosclerosis and to result in an increased intra-luminal diameter of the carotid artery by more than 30 percent.

Other clinical research in recent years has focused on the use of pomegranate juice for preventing the progress of prostate cancer. Daily consumption has resulted in objective changes--in the case of prostate cancer, reduction of the biochemical "marker" known as "prostate specific antigen," or "PSA." Such studies have helped to underscore the importance of our own initial forays into the effects of pomegranate fermented juice extracts in human prostate cancer cells. The data from human cell studies, animal studies, and now human clinical studies have tremendously substantiated the protective powers of pomegranate juice against prostate cancer and provoked an international flurry of research in this direction, which has extended also to cancers of the breast and ovary.

Pomegranate juice and pomegranate seed oil are also active against human breast cancer cells. Pomegranate seed oil, specifically, was shown to promote the self-destruction of human breast cancer cells in culture. Other researchers have now demonstrated similar results using pomegranate extracts for cancer prevention, such as the prevention of colon cancer in rats. All told, the cancer-busting properties of pomegranates are becoming a subject of both study and respect.

Pomegranate juice and other pomegranate materials, such as seed oil and peel extracts, are now widely credited with possessing anti-inflammatory capabilities. Thus, pomegranates may also have a role not only in the treatment of classic inflammatory diseases such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome and arthritis, but also in the treatment of so-called "chronic inflammation" or the "metabolic syndrome." According to our current understanding, chronic inflammation is co-existent with a state of high "insulin resistance" which can lead to a host of modern medical problems such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and obesity. Regular consumption of pomegranate juice or extracts may very well serve as a hedge against all of these conditions.