Q. I read your summary of the cardiovascular health benefits of pomegranate juice, and couldn’t believe my eyes. I love pomegranates! Can you tell me more about the potential of this juice to promote health?
A. Legend has it that the first pomegranate tree grew in the Garden of Eden. The ancient Chinese believed that pomegranates could offer longevity or even immortality.
Recent research suggests that pomegranates are powerful, but immortality is too much to expect. The fruit is full of antioxidants that can keep blood platelets from sticking together to form clots. Research shows that pomegranate juice may help keep bad LDL cholesterol from clogging arteries. Another study published in Atherosclerosis (Sept., 2001) suggests that drinking pomegranate juice (about two ounces daily for two weeks) may help lower blood pressure.
