Pomegranate juice is made from the fruit of the pomegranate

Pomegranate

The pomegranate , Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between five and eight meters tall.Native to the area of modern day Iran, the pomegranate has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times. From there it spread to Asian areas such as the Caucasus as...

. It is used in cooking both as a fresh juice and as a concentrated syrup, particularly in Persian cuisine.

Possible health benefits and risks

While preliminary research has shown that the fruit juice may play a role in reducing the risk of cancer, reducing serum cholesterol, and protecting arteries from clogging, more research is needed to validate these findings. Its possible benefits also need to be balanced against its high caloric content derived from its natural sugars.

The cholesterol reduction effect has been observed only in small studies. This, as well as the anti-clogging effect of pomegranate juice, are the result of its concentration of antioxidant

Antioxidant

An antioxidant is a molecule capable of inhibiting the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons or hydrogen from a substance to an oxidizing agent. Oxidation reactions can produce free radicals. In turn, these radicals can start chain reactions. When...

s, and are similar to the effects shown in studies of red wine, black tea, and purple grape juice. There have been no large clinical trials showing that antioxidants can prevent heart attacks or other major heart-related events.

A peer-reviewed study showed that men who had undergone surgery or radiation therapy for prostate cancer

Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...

 could significantly slow the increase of prostate specific antigen

Prostate specific antigen

Prostate-specific antigen also known as gamma-seminoprotein or kallikrein-3 is a glycoprotein that in humans is encoded by the KLK3 gene. KLK3 is a member of the kallikrein-related peptidase family that are secreted by the epithelial cells of the prostate gland...

 when they consumed a glass of pomegranate juice daily.

A 250 ml (8 oz) glass of pomegranate juice provides approximately 50% of an adult's recommended daily allowance (RDA) of the vitamins A

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a vitamin that is needed by the retina of the eye in the form of a specific metabolite, the light-absorbing molecule retinal, that is necessary for both low-light and color vision...

, C

Vitamin C

Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate is an essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species. In living organisms ascorbate acts as an antioxidant by protecting the body against oxidative stress...

 and E

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is used to refer to a group of fat-soluble compounds that include both tocopherols and tocotrienols. There are many different forms of vitamin E, of which γ-tocopherol is the most common in the North American diet. γ-Tocopherol can be found in corn oil, soybean oil, margarine and dressings...

, 100% RDA of folic acid

Folic acid

Folic acid and folate , as well as pteroyl-L-glutamic acid, pteroyl-L-glutamate, and pteroylmonoglutamic acid are forms of the water-soluble vitamin B9...

, and 13% RDA of potassium

Potassium

Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.Potassium and sodium are...

.

Notwithstanding the possible benefits of the juice, each such glass also tops the maximum daily amount of sugar

Sugar

Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...

, as recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization

Food and Agriculture Organization

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Serving both developed and developing countries, FAO acts as a neutral forum where all nations meet as equals to negotiate agreements and...

 and the World Health Organization

World Health Organization

The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...

. The organizations jointly recommend that only 10% of calories come directly from sugars. With almost 30 grams of sugar, a glass of pomegranate juice has more sugar than an equal size serving of some soft beverages, such as Coca Cola Classic and roughly equal to two servings of a sweetened breakfast cereal.

Pomegranate molasses

Pomegranate molasses is made by boiling down the juice of a tart variety. It forms a thick, dark brown liquid that is used in Turkish rice pilaf and shepherd's salad.

Marketing

The health benefits of pomegranate juice have been successfully promoted by Pom Wonderful

POM Wonderful

POM Wonderful, LLC is a privately owned company which markets an eponymous brand of beverages and fruit extracts. It was founded in 2002 by the billionaire industrial agriculture couple Stewart and Lynda Rae Resnick. They are also affiliated with the companies Teleflora, FIJI Water, pesticide...

, a pomegranate products manufacturer, but as of September 2010 the company and its principals were the subject of a deceptive advertising complaint by the Federal Trade Commission

Federal Trade Commission

The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...

.

Further reading

Books

• Levin, Gregory M. (2006). Pomegranate Roads: A Soviet Botanist’s Exile from Eden. Floreant Press. ISBN 9780964949768
• Seeram, N.P. / Schulman, R.N. / Heber, D. (eds. 2006). Pomegranates: Ancient Roots to Modern Medicine. CRC Press. ISBN 9780849398124

External links

• Lovgren, Stefan. "Pomegranate Juice Fights Heart Disease, Study Says", National Geographic News, March 22, 2005. Accessed February 13, 2006
• Pomegranate - MedlinePlus (National Institutes of Health - Produced by the National Library of Medicine)
• M. Viuda-Martos, J. Fernández-López, and J.A. Pérez-Álvarez (2010) - “Pomegranate” (Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety)