Written by Tatjana Djakovic, Staff Writer. In a small study of 19 elderly with partly blocked arteries, after one year of pomegranate juice consumption the participants had a 21% decrease in blood pressure (p< 0.05).
Cardiovascular disease is a serious problem in the United States that ends up taking more lives than any other form of illness. According to the Center of Disease Control, 600,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year–that’s 1 in every 4 deaths. Coronary heart disease alone costs the United States $108.9 billion, which includes the cost of health care services, medication and lost productivity. (1)
High blood pressure and atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries) are major contributors to cardiovascular disease. Hardening of the arteries causes reduced blood flow to the heart, which can cause chest pain and shortness of breath. It occurs in the body as a result of oxidative damage, which occurs in the body when there are too many free radicals (ROS) – molecules that cause harmful reactions in the body. (2) Previous research has shown that inhibiting oxidative damage by using strong antioxidants has decreased the development of atherosclerosis in laboratory animals. (3)
A study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition investigated the effects of pomegranate juice, which contains powerful antioxidants known as tannins and anthocyanins. The study consisted of nineteen patients, 5 women and 14 men aged 65-75 years, who were non-smokers and had narrowing of the heart arteries.
The treatment group consisted of ten patients who consumed 50ml of pomegranate juice per day for 2 years. Five from this group agreed to continue for up to 3 years. After 1 year, artery thickness decreased by 30% and oxidative damage decreased by 19% (p<0.01) in the group that consumed pomegranate juice.
In the group that did not consume pomegranate juice, artery thickness increased by 9% and oxidative damage increased by 83% (p<0.01). Also after one year of pomegranate juice consumption, systolic blood pressure decreased by 21% (P<0.05). After three years of pomegranate juice consumption, there were no further decreases in systolic blood pressure. Pomegranate juice consumption had no significant effect on the patients’ diastolic blood pressure.
In the control group, systolic and diastolic blood pressure values were not significantly changed after 1 year of follow up (160 mmHg vs. 163 mmHg) In addition, the total antioxidant status (TAS) increased by 130% (from 0.95 nmol/l to 2.20 nmol/l) after 1 year of pomegranate juice consumption.
An enzyme known as AAPH, which induces free radicals, was significantly reduced by 59% after 1 year of pomegranate juice consumption. Furthermore, the patients that consumed pomegranate juice for up to 3 years had a 16% decrease in oxidative damage. (4)
The results of the study indicate that intake of pomegranate juice substantially reduced systolic blood pressure and oxidative damage, thus preventing hardening of the arteries that eventually leads to cardiovascular disease. Although this is a very small study, it points the direction for future research.
Source: Aviram, Michael, et al. “Pomegranate juice consumption for 3 years by patients with carotid artery stenosis reduces common carotid intima-media thickness, blood pressure and LDL oxidation.” Clinical Nutrition 23.3 (2004): 423-433.
© 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Posted February 28, 2013.
References:
- Obtained from Centers for Disease Control “Heart Disease Facts”
- Reaven, Gerald M., Hans Lithell, and Lewis Landsberg. “Mechanisms of disease.” The New England journal of medicine (1996).
- Berliner JA, et al., Atherosclerosis basic mechanisms, oxidation, inflammation and genetics. Circulation 1995;(91):2488-2496.
- Aviram, Michael, et al. “Pomegranate juice consumption for 3 years by patients with carotid artery stenosis reduces common carotid intima-media thickness, blood pressure and LDL oxidation.” Clin Nutr 23.3 (2004): 423-33.
