Health Benefits of Pomegranate Juice For Heart Health and Antioxidants

I just finished a delicious glass of Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice. It reminded me a little of cranberry juice but sweeter. Being an avid believer in juicing, I would ordinarily juice my own but sometimes I like to see what quality prepared products have to offer. In this case, I am very pleased.

The health benefits of pomegranate juice are quite a motivator. Being a nutritionist, I have a tendency to be motivated not only by taste, but also by the healthful properties of whatever I am eating or drinking. Pomegranate delivers not only in taste but also in nutrition.

When talking about the health benefits of pomegranate juice, the first point to mention is its antioxidants. Pomegranate fruit juice has antioxidants in abundance, a wide range of cell preserving goodness. Anthocyanins, punicalagin, tannins, and ellagic acid promote cardiovascular health.

Pomegranate fruit juice is also very heart healthy. In scientific studies, drinking 8 ounces of this wonderful juice lowered blood pressure, reduced hardening of arteries, improved cholesterol levels, and increased oxygen levels in the blood.

The health benefits of pomegranate juice also help with reducing the likelihood of breast and prostate cancer. Good news since these two cancers kill hundreds of thousands of people every year. Since both of these cancers are strongly related to hormonal levels, particularly estrogen, I would like to see some studies on pomegranate juice helping PMS, menopause, and other hormone driven imbalances.

All fruits and vegetables have tremendous health promoting properties, particularly the organic varieties. By being grown in more nutrient rich soil, organic fruits and vegetables are naturally higher in nutrients and phytochemicals, including antioxidants.

I would encourage everyone to try pomegranate fruit juice. If you have a juicer, you can juice your own. If not, try some Pom Wonderful pure pomegranate juice. It's delicious, refreshing, and makes your heart smile.

The best way to be happy is to be healthy. Enjoy.

By Patrick Ray

Pomegranate Health Benefits Include Being Able to Stop Breast Cancer

Eating or drinking this tasty, nutrient rich fruit might help to slow of stop breast cancer according to a new study published in Cancer Prevention Research. The work identifies a group of phytochemicals known as ellagitannins, abundant in pomegranates, that inhibit the growth of estrogen responsive breast cancers in the lab.

The researchers believe the ellagitannins in pomegranates work by inhibiting a key enzyme (known as aromatase) the body uses to make estrogen, which is suspected of a role in breast cancer growth.

"Phytochemicals suppress estrogen production that prevents the proliferation of breast cancer cells and the growth of estrogen-responsive tumors," explains researcher Shiuan Chen, PhD, director of the Division of Tumor Cell Biology and co-leader of the Breast Cancer Research Program at City of Hope in Duarte, California.

For this work, the researchers examined the impact of 10 ellagitannin-derived compounds from pomegranates on hormone activity and breast cancer cell growth. The results showed that of the ten compounds, urolithins B most significantly inhibited the growth of the breast cancer cells in the laboratory testing.

The results are promising, though more work will be needed to see if eating or drinking pomegranate-derived products will have any effect in people.

Pomegranates have gotten a lot of attention recently - becoming one of the most talked about "superfoods" out there because of both the heart healthy and anti-cancer benefits.

This latest work is the first to look at breast cancer growth, and we'll likely hear of other studies as the year 2009 saw no fewer than 20 clinical trials registered with the National Institutes of Health to look at pomegranate consumption on many diseases.

If you're concerned about your cancer risk, or just want to take advantage of the potential health benefits, consider making pomegranates a regular part of your diet - Even at the risk of pink hands, a juice splattered shirt and the effort needed to enjoy the fruit. If you've never tried one, pomegranates have a unique, very pleasant flavor. You can eat the seeds themselves, or add them to salads, meats, or other grain pilaf dishes, even deserts.

If you have the option between the fruit and its juice form, always try to choose the fruit, as it has natural fiber as well as antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

You can buy the fruit in juice form, though it can be expensive and comes with more than its share of calories.

Often it's easy to drink a lot more calories than you realize, so watch your portion sizes and keep your intake to 1.5 ounces of the juice.

If the taste is too strong for you, try mixing it with mineral or seltzer water, or with blueberry or cranberry juice for a super rich antioxidant drink.

It's also a great addition to your favorite smoothie recipe, or mix it with plain yogurt or cottage cheese. There are even pudding recipes out there that are delicious and healthy too.

There are stores where you can buy pomegranate paste that's made with molasses. This lends itself to glazes, dips and salad dressing recipes.

No matter what form you choose, enjoying delicious, good for you pomegranates might be one of the best, most natural ways to give your body healthy nutrients and perhaps women might also be able to stop breast cancer from developing.

By Kirsten Whittaker

Pomegranate Essential Oil - A Natural Bliss

Pomegranate essential oil is extracted from the seeds of the fruit Pomegranate through the process of cold pressing. It is originated from the parts of Asia, Africa and Europe and it is extensively grown in the hilly regions due to the apt moderate climatic conditions. The fruit pomegranate consists of about 200 to 1400 tiny seeds which are known as pomegranate arils. These arils taste sweet in savor. In the eighteenth century, arils the seeds of this essential oil giving fruit were brought to America for the extensive commercial production.
In Judaism, this fruit is considered to be a symbol of virtue and justice and it is consumed on every significant special events and festivals. Moreover, Christians employ this fruit for their religious decoration purposes and it also symbolizes as one of the good things of god's creation as it is grown in the garden of paradise.
Therapeutic Properties of Organic Pomegranate oil
Pomegranate essential oil is a rich source of vital minerals and vitamins required for the healthy body and mind and posses numerous therapeutic properties that includes antioxidant, anti ageing, anti microbial and has a lot of healing elements. This organic oil is pale yellow in color and has a very mild fragrance and it blends amazingly well with other carrier oils.
Numerous Beneficial Uses
Digestive System: Natural pomegranate oil is enriched with elements which further help in the treatment of disturbed digestive system and other stomach related ailments such as cholera, diarrhea and dysentery.
Improves cardiac functioning: This organic oil is a good source in maintaining the adequate blood flow in the body. It reduces the risk of cardiac arrest and heart strokes. This essential oil comprises of various antioxidant agents that helps the blood arteries clear of any clots and thus, controls the cholesterol of the body.
Oral health: Pomegranate oil is proficient enough to maintain the good and health oral health of the body by killing the bacterial and viral infections that can cause dental plaque.
Skin Care: It is an excellent source in improving and treating the damaged skin and extensively used to moisturize and massage the skin. Thus, help in maintaining the skin's pH level.
Cancer: Pomegranate oil constituted of a high level of anti oxidant elements which are very effective in fighting the cancer radials and it is efficient enough to eradicate the risk of prostate and breast cancer.
Anemia: This natural oil is a good source of iron which is very essential for the people who are suffering from the deficiency and are anemic. It further reduces the symptoms of dizziness, weakness and exhaustion in the body.
Help in Diabetes: It is very advantageous for the diabetic patients and very capable of reducing the threat of coronary diseases. Thus, maintains the required sugar level of the body.

By Abhinav Kr Singh