Pomegranate juice has been praised for its health benefits. Among the benefits include prevention of heart disease such as heart attacks and stroke, preventing the spread of prostate cancer, reducing cholesterol, and reduce the risk of hardening of the blood vessels.
Clinical studies showed that pomegranate juice had significant benefit in preventing heart diseases. It is believed to act well as a blood thinner and also increases blood flow to the heart. It also helps to reduce formation of plaque in the arteries, raises HDL and lower LDL cholesterol levels. Though it may be helpful to some extent in preventing heart diseases, physicians suggest that it should just be part of a healthy diet. A person cannot totally prevent heart disease by just consuming pomegranate juice, daily exercise is important too.
The antioxidants contain in pomegranate juice may also help in fighting prostate cancer in men. A study done by University of California found out that drinking pomegranate juice helped to stabilize the PSA (a substance released in the presence of prostate cancer )levels in men with prostate cancer. This finding indicates that pomegranate juice may help in fighting prostate cancer development. If you are at higher risk with family history of prostate cancer, you may consult your healthcare provider regarding the potential health benefits of consuming pomegranate juice.
Pomegranates may also be useful in fighting lung cancer. It helps controlling inflammation and reduces blood vessel formation around the tumor site, thus slowing tumor growth. However, the study is only done on mice and the effect of pomegranate extract in fighting lung cancer in humans has not yet been proven.
Another possible use of pomegranate is in preventing osteoarthritis. Studies by University of Maryland Medical Center showed that flavonoids in pomegranates juice can help controlling inflammation that usually makes the condition of osteoarthritis worse. By reducing inflammation, it may relieve the osteoarthritis pain, and may possibly slow down its development.
