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Pomegranate Juice
Soothes Stressed Arteries
You may already be
eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, and more specifically,
drinking green tea and red wine, eating blueberries and cranberries, and
occasionally indulging in dark chocolate for their high levels of
polyphenol antioxidants.
That’s a good
thing, because antioxidants are extremely important to maintaining your
overall health. Antioxidants guard your body against free radicals, the
harmful molecules that can cause damage to cells in your body. Vitamins
E and C are natural antioxidants, but researchers believe that the
polyphenols found in such fruits as grapes, cranberries and oranges may
be more effective as antioxidants.
In light of
recently published research, you may want to consider adding
pomegranates and pomegranate juice to your grocery list. The juice
from pomegranates is one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants (some
believe more than any other drink). Researchers found that pomegranate
juice appears to prevent hardening of the arteries by reducing blood
vessel damage, and may also reverse the progression of this disease.
The build up of
plaque in the inner lining of the artery can restrict blood flow to
major organs, including the heart and the brain. This condition known
as atherosclerosis, or “hardening of the arteries,” is a major factor in
heart disease, leading to heart attack and stroke. Recent laboratory
tests have shown that pomegranate juice consumption in mice reduced the
plaque build up in the arteries. |
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Additional studies published in The American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition, and The Journal of Nutrition,
demonstrate that the antioxidants found in pomegranate
juice reduce low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation in
mice, and lower blood pressure in humans. Oxidized LDL
cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) is much more likely to
become arterial plaque. High blood pressure puts extra
stress on the heart and has been linked to increased
risk of heart attack and stroke.
The tests revealed that pomegranate juice reduced the
effects of stress on human blood vessel cells by
stimulating the production of nitric oxide. This
chemical is thought to help keep arteries open and keeps
blood flowing.
Since all plants have antioxidants, l highly recommend a
more plant-centered diet that includes a variety of
vegetables and fruits and includes green tea.
Researchers are still exploring the benefits of
polyphenols and which foods contain the highest
amounts. Since the research is promising and the taste
is sweet, it is not a bad idea to include pomegranates
in your diet.
The “Wonderful” variety, grown mainly in California, is
the most commonly grown variety of pomegranate in the
U.S. When shopping for pomegranates, the skin should be
shiny, taut, and thin, without cracks or splits. They
should be stored in a dark, cool place for up to a month
and in the refrigerator for up to two months. The
pomegranate is about the size of an orange or an apple.
It has a tough, dark red or brownish rind. The seeds
and the juicy translucent scarlet red pulp surrounding
the seeds are the edible parts of the fruit. The flavor
of these juicy seeds is delicate, sweet, and tangy.
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