It inspires us with cravings for milk-grenadine, flavors our fruit salads and brings freshness to our savory recipes… But, out of the blue, the pomegranate is also the subject of a good hundred scientific studies which scrutinize his health benefits. Decryption.
Pomegranate, rich in antioxidants
Pomegranate is packed with antioxidants! So much so that the antioxidant content of pomegranate (3037 ORAC units/100 g) is higher than that of green tea or red wine, traditionally cited as an example. In the pomegranate, we find polyphenols which “capture free radicals and react with them to form harmless bonds”, says Dr. Jean-Paul Curtay, nutritherapist. And when we know all the benefits of antioxidants on health. THE pomegranate juice – even more interesting because it is more concentrated – would also make it possible to fight against oxidative stress. In fact, the pomegranate helps to slow down cellular aging but also to the prevention of chronic diseases linked to cellular degradation.
Pomegranate and Heart Health
It is also to its high antioxidant content (flavonoids, anthocyanins, procyanidins) that the pomegranate owes its beneficial impact on the health of the heart and the blood system. Eating pomegranate would indeed reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease but also of certain cancers … Studies have looked at the benefit of pomegranate juice consumption in the fight against breast cancer or prostate cancer1 but, for the time being, the scientific studies are not numerous enough to assess definitively the effects of pomegranate juice in humans.
Pomegranate juice, a great health ally
- for the cardiovascular health
Several studies have found that regular consumption of pomegranate juice may prevent certain risk factors for cardiovascular illnesses. Consumption of pomegranate juice could improve blood circulation in the arteries in people who have already suffered from coronary artery disease.
- against the bad cholesterol
In diabetic patients, pomegranate juice caused a decrease in “bad” cholesterol (LDL) levels. A beneficial effect … which would only benefit people with high cholesterol levels (and not ‘good’ subjects).
In people with hypertension, drinking pomegranate juice may also lower blood pressure. But such an effect can also be obtained with any other food rich in antioxidants (juice or fresh fruits and vegetables).
How to Choose a Good Pomegranate Juice ? Beware of the promises of brands which – because of production difficulties – offer poor quality juices while declaring them to be 100% fruit. A German study showed that fresh pomegranate juice sold in Europe contained only 1.4 g per liter of polyphenols, an insufficient level to produce health effects: the juice must be pure, without additives or preservatives.
Other benefits of pomegranate
Preliminary research lends the pomegranate many virtues such as properties against respiratory diseases (thanks to vitamin C and the anti-inflammatory properties of pomegranate), for protect the joints fragile people suffering fromarthrosis or beneficial effects on neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease …
The pomegranate, future medicine?
“Even if the preclinical results are now very promising, they still have to be proven in practice”, warns Dr. Curtay. Pomegranate should therefore be considered more as a nutritional supplement than as a real medicine. In addition, the individual quality of the intestinal flora also determines how much of the active substances will ultimately be assimilated into the blood. Thus, during studies carried out on patients, pomegranate juice was of no use for… 20% of them (on average). Evidence that the assimilation variation differs for each person.
For effective action…
The pomegranate contains a lot of nutrients and antioxidants, but they can be difficult to absorb because it is difficult to eat raw. The easiest ? Drink its juice – provided it is of sufficient quality. 1 glass of 25 cl/day of pure juice provides the necessary antioxidant content. You can opt for concentrated capsules (1 / day for 1 month) or elixir (20 ml / day), very effective because it contains up to 30 times more antioxidants than other pomegranate products.
Thanks to Pr Edeas, president of the French Society of Antioxidants, and to Dr Jean-Paul Curtay, author of “Fermented pomegranate juice, pomegranate, food-plus”, editions of the Rock.
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