Pomegranate: A True Superfood

Pomegranate is an ancient food that has symbolic meaning in many traditions and is mentioned throughout the Old Testament of the Bible and the Homeric Hymns of Ancient Greece. Science has shown that this ancient symbolic food is also extraordinarily beneficial for human health.

Pomegranates are one of the fruits that the scouts brought back to Moses to show the promised land of Israel was rich and fertile. The bible consistently uses pomegranates with their many seeds to symbolize the blessing of fruitfulness. They are one of the seven species of foods enumerated in the Hebrew Bible as being unique and special products of the Land of Israel. Due to its frequent mention throughout the Old Testament of the Bible many scholars believe it may have been the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Pomegranate is also known as Chinese apple, and is the fruit of a large tree native to Iran and cultivated in many other parts of the world.

Pomegranates are loaded with nutrition and are particularly abundant in vitamin C, potassium, & pantothenic acid (B5). Pomegranate is rich in anti-oxidant phytonutrient polyphenols such as tannins & flavonoids. The most abundant polyphenols in pomegranates are ellagitannins, punicalagins, catechins, gallocatechins, and anthocyanins. These nutrients have incredible free-radical scavenging effects that are just now being studied by scientists.

Benefits:
-Reduce inflammation and oxidation in the body
-Improve blood flow to the heart in patients with coronary artery disease
-Reduce thickening of the arteries that supply blood to the brain
-Lower the level of systolic blood pressure
-Helps to fight cancer
-Helps slow BPH in male prostrate

Recent medical research studied heart patients with severe carotid artery blockages. They were given an ounce of pomegranate juice each day for a year. Not only did study participants' blood pressure lower by over 12 percent, but there was a 30 percent reduction in atherosclerotic plaque. Just as astounding, participants who did not take the pomegranate juice saw their atherosclerotic plaque increase by 9 percent.

In other studies, potent antioxidant compounds found in pomegranates have shown to reduce platelet aggregation and naturally lower blood pressure, factors that prevent both heart attacks and strokes.

Not only are pomegranates good for your heart and blood vessels but they have been shown to inhibit breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, leukemia and to prevent vascular changes that promote tumor growth in lab animals. Several in vitro studies have shown this remarkable anti-cancer effect. Additional studies and clinical trials currently taking place are hopeful to reveal this fascinating effect on humans.

The anticancer effects of pomegranate juice are related to its potential ability to induce cancer cells to self-destruct, a process called apoptosis. Laboratory research studies suggest that pomegranate juice may help induce apoptosis of human breast, prostate and colon cancer cells by activating genes and enzymes that regulate apoptosis.

What did you say prostrate health, sir?
Pomegranate juice inhibits an enzyme that produces estrogen, which is a possible cause of BPH in older men, according to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Compounds in pomegranate juice are also potent antioxidants that remove free radicals from your body. These metabolic byproducts and environmental toxins may damage your cellular membranes or DNA, raising the risk that normal prostatic cells may become cancerous. The University of Maryland Medical Center summarizes laboratory studies indicating that pomegranate juice inhibits growth of cancer cells, causes them to die and reduces growth of blood vessels into tumors. In addition, in a clinical study of pomegranate juice published in "Clinical Cancer Research" in 2006, men who had surgery or radiation for prostate cancer and drank 8 oz. of pomegranate juice daily had a reduction in their rate of PSA production and other indications of slower regrowth of their cancer.

Where it ranks and how to consume it:
The antioxidant capacity (ORAC) of pomegranate is 2,860 units per 100 grams making it one of nature's richest sources of free-radical scavenging anti-oxidants. This potent defense against oxidative stress makes pomegranate a powerful tool for preventing degenerative and inflammatory based diseases like cancer, heart disease, & arthritis.

In 2008, the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry ranked Pomegranate Juice as healthiest of all fruit juices. For comparison, study authors used four tests of antioxidant potency, a test of antioxidant functionality and an evaluation of the total polyphenol content. The rankings:

1. Pomegranate juice
2. Red wine
3. Concord grape juice
4. Blueberry juice
5. Black cherry juice
6. Acai juice
7. Cranberry juice
8. Orange juice
9. Tea
10. Apple juice

Due to the high sugar content of fruit juices it is always advisable to either eat the entire fruit or drink just small quantities of the juice. The fruit itself contains a high content of fiber that slows down the release of the fruit sugars into the bloodstream. The rich array of anti-oxidants is also in its most pure form within the covering of a freshly ripened pomegranate. The juice does have many beneficial factors and due to pomegranates incredible anti-oxidant potency; a daily 1-2 oz shot can be of significant benefit.

I often kick back and down my daily supplements with a shot POM juice. I also enjoy eating pomegranate arils/seeds quite often...in salads or by themselves. I enjoy the taste and texture, and kind of think of them as being nature's "Pop Rocks." You will always find a container of POM in my frig -just straight pomegranate -not mixed or concentrated with any other juice(s).