POMEGRANATES: THE WONDER DRUG

Pomegranate has been renowned as a superfood for centuries, and has been found to contain vitamins A, C and E as well as iron and antioxidants – chemicals which help neutralise harmful oxygen molecules called free radicals. From reducing the risk of prostate cancer to lowering cholesterol levels, Alzheimer's to arthritis, stress relief to appetite suppressant, pomegranates and their many health benefits have been well documented. And if that was not enough to convince you to try pomegranate, the fruit is now being hailed as the elixir of youth.

Researchers from the Probelte Bio Labatory in Spain used a potent new type of pomegranate extract including the skin, pith and seeds of the fruit. The 60 participants were asked to take the extract for 30 days in the form of a pill. The results found a significant decrease in a marker associated with cell damage, that disrupts brain, muscle, liver and kidney functions, as well as causing ageing. Dr Sergio Streitenberger, who led the study, said: "We are very excited about this study which we believe demonstrates that regular consumption of this pomegranate extract can slow down the process of DNA oxidation (...) We get old because we fall apart, cell by cell. One way to look at ageing is to think of it as rusting or oxidizing, a damaging process. The free radicals that oxidize our body's molecules include fats, heavy metals and numerous other chemical compounds we breathe, eat and drink. If free radicals reach the DNA of our cells, the damage is cumulative and significant. Being able to guard against this process would be a significant breakthrough".

But pomegranate appears to have an extra benefit: it cuts hunger pangs.
Scientists say regular consumption of pomegranate extract may reduce feelings of hunger, while increasing the sensation of being full. Volunteers who took a pomegranate supplement daily for three weeks reported feeling significantly less hungry during the experiment than those who had a placebo instead. A total of 29 volunteers took part in the study carried out by Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. Half the group took a pomegranate extract, containing the skin, pith and seeds of the fruit, every day for three weeks and the rest took a placebo tablet. After three weeks, each volunteer drank a glass of pomegranate juice before sitting down to a meal of pasta with tomato sauce. The pomegranate extract group felt less hungry (by an average of 12%), had less desire to eat (21%), felt fuller (16%) and more satisfied (15%). They also ate an average of 447 grammes of the pasta meal compared with 574 grammes for the control group, or 22% less. Dr Emad Al-Dujaili, who lead the research, said: "We and other researchers have shown that pomegranates contain potent antioxidants that can neutralise free radicals better than red wine, green tea and commonly consumed juices (...) Pomegranate juice intake can cause a reduction in blood pressure and insulin resistance. The present study shows that pomegranate extract can promote satiety by reducing hunger and desire to eat and enhancing fullness and satisfaction" These results indicate that pomegranate extract consumption may have the potential to assist in the challenge of reducing risk factors for overweight and obesity.

Moreover, research suggests that pomegranate juice could slow the spread of cancer.
Scientists have found components in the juice which stop the movement of cancer cells, and weaken their attraction to chemical signals which cause them to spread.
They found that particular ingredients in the juice - such as fatty acids - slowed the spread of the disease from prostate cancer to the bone. The team from the University of California hope the fruit will have a similar effect on other cancers. Dr Manuela Martins-Green said: "This is particularly exciting because we can now modify these naturally occurring components of the juice to improve their functions and make them more effective in preventing prostate cancer metastasis...Because the genes and proteins involved in movement of prostate cancer cells are essentially the same as those involved in movement of other types of cancer cells, the same modified components of the juice could have a much broader impact in cancer treatment."

One active area of research has looked at the potential heart health benefits of the pomegranate.
Spanish researchers found that pomegranates could reverse some of the damage done by junk food. They tested a new supplement on pigs. The supplement was made with polyphenols found in pomegranates. The researchers first fed the pigs—whose cardiovascular systems are similar to ours—a diet of fatty, damaging foods. Unsurprisingly, this diet damaged the lining of their blood vessels. Damage to this lining, the endothelium, is often the first step in atherosclerosis, or the hardening of the arteries which leads to heart attacks and strokes. After the intentional vascular damage was done, the pigs were fed a daily dose of Pomanex, a supplement containing 200 mg of polyphenols. The researchers said the punicalagin-containing supplement was able to repair the damage. Dr Lina Badimon, of the Catalan Institute for Cardiovascular Sciences in Spain, said: ‘Enriching a diet with pomegranate polyphenols can help in preventing and retarding endothelial dysfunctions, which are among the first signs of atherosclerosis and strokes.’
Though while this study focuses on a specific product, this isn’t the first study to demonstrate the heart-healthy benefits of pomegranates in general – and other such studies weren’t linked to a man-made supplement.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicated pomegranate juice was able to reduce oxidative stress and  plaque on arterial walls. Another found men taking pomegranate juice were able to reduce the plaque in their arteries by 30% in a year’s time. The control group, who didn’t take pomegranate juice, saw a plaque increase of 9%.
Researchers at Queen Margaret University in Edinburg, Scotland found that drinking pomegranate juice could lower blood pressure. In the study, when an undisclosed number of people drank 500 ml (16 ounces) of pomegranate juice a day for four weeks, there was a "significant" fall in blood pressure for 90 percent of the group. Drinking pomegranate juice was also linked to "lower levels of unsaturated fatty acids, which are linked to the storage of stomach fat".

In addition to the benefits on blood pressure, this same research found that pomegranate juice can reduce stress hormone. Volunteers were assessed on mood status using a specialist test. After consumption of pomegranate juice most subjects reported that they were more enthusiastic, inspired, proud and active and all reported that they were less distressed, nervous, guilty and ashamed according to the attributes tested. Research Scientist, Dr Emad Al-Dujaili who led the study said: "On the basis of these findings there is a justified argument for busy workers to drink pomegranate juice to help alleviate chronic stress and maintain good health.”

One other study not related to heart health found that pomegranate juice can significantly improve memory and brain health. In this latest study, subjects with self-reported memory problems were randomly assigned to receive 8 ounces of pomegranate juice of a placebo with similar flavor. Over a four-week study period, the subjects participated in memory tests, MRI scans, and blood draws. Those participants in the pomegranate juice group saw “significant improvement” in their verbal memory tests and their plasma antioxidant levels. They even showed increased brain activity during memory and verbal testing, suggesting the juice helped encourage increased blood flow to “critical task-related” regions of the brain.

Need an idea to enjoy all the benefits of this wonder fruit? Try this

Pomegranate-berry smoothie

TOTAL TIME: 5 min - YIELD: one 8-ounce serving

Ingredients
1/2 cup chilled pomegranate juice
1/2 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt
1 cup frozen mixed berries

Directions

Add the juice, yogurt and berries to a blender. Cover and blend until pureed.

Nutritional information per serving: about 250 calories, 6 g protein, 52 g carbohydrate, 2 g total fat (1 g saturated), 5 g fiber, 8 mg cholesterol, 110 mg sodium

Sources: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ , http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/
Recipe: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/