Pomegranate juice is known as a superoxidant. It is a fruit which is
just packed full of anti-oxidants, chemical compounds that can
neutralize the harmful effects of free radicals in our body. Free
radicals are unstable forms of compounds that develop and then break
down throughout the day. While present, they can cause substantial
damage to the chromosomes, which can cause cancer. Free radicals also
alter the breakdown of cholesterol, which can lead to buildup of
atherosclerotic plaque in the body’s arteries. This can cause heart
attacks, high blood pressure, and strokes.
Anti-oxidants react with free radicals and neutralize them. While the
body makes lots of anti-oxidants, these natural free radical fighters
are heavily challenged by the unstable free radicals found in the
modern environment in the form of cigarette smoke, food additives,
pollutants, pesticides, and herbicides. Exposure to these substances
causes free radicals to enter the blood stream. Ingestion of foods
that contain lots of anti-oxidants, on the other hand, boosts the
body’s store of anti-oxidants and helps to neutralize the free
radicals.
A study at the University of California named pomegranate juice as the
leading anti-oxidant containing natural beverage. This finding may
explain why the juice has been found by scientists and lay
practitioners alike to be beneficial in the prevention of free radical
related diseases of the body. A recent study in Israel, for example,
showed that cardiac patients who drank just 1/4 cup of pomegranate
juice a day had a noticeable decrease in their atherosclerotic plaque
compared to a similar group of patients who drank no pomegranate juice
during the same period. The group that drank no juice had, on the
other hand, a thickening in their arterial plaque.
The Preventive Medicine Research Institute in California also studied
the effects of pomegranate juice on heart patients. They found that
patients who drank 8 ounces of pomegranate juice a day, had
significantly increased blood flow to the heart during times of stress
compared to a control group who drank no pomegranate juice during the
same period and had no such increase. Other scientific studies show
that pomegranate juice or extract may be beneficial in reducing the
onset of Alzhemier’s disease and reducing the progression of cancer of
the prostate.
The anti-oxidant effects of pomegranate are believed to be related to
polyphenols, compounds that neutralize the harmful effects of free
radicals. The evidence, taken as a whole, explains why pomegranate
extract is a natural choice to be included in any blend of
anti-oxidant herbs. Many formulations containing pomegranate can be
found on the market, and recently E-Helps, a new age marketing
company, has released a special anti-oxidant herbal formulation,
called BioOPC+, in which Pomegranate extract leads the list of
ingredients. According to E-Helps, with so much pollution in the
environment and additives in our food, it makes sense to give the body
an extra boost in the fight against free radicals.
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