Unsweetened pure fruit juice is part of a healthy diet. Nutritionists recommend that you eat four or five servings of fruit every day, and 1/2 cup of juice equals one serving. Fruits and their juices contain antioxidants, nutrients that help to prevent diseases like cancer. Grape juice and pomegranate juice are popular, easy to find in the grocery store and they have similar benefits.
Pomegranate Juice Benefits
Pomegranate juice may help prevent the progression of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, according to Harvard Health Publications. The University of California reports that it may also benefit prostate cancer. Prostate cancer patients who drink 8 oz. of pomegranate juice every day are able to keep their PSA levels down four times longer than those who don't drink the juice, extending the length of time before the cancer returns after treatment. The PSA test measures the amount of a protein called prostate specific antigen, or PSA, in the bloodstream. If PSA levels increase it can be a sign that prostate cancer is returning.
Anti-oxidants
The antioxidants in pomegranate fight cancer, reports Utah State University; in addition, it can slow the aging process, fights heart disease and helps with Alzheimer's disease. It contains nutrients such as polyphenols, tannins and anthocyanins, all antioxidants that help prevent DNA damage. The antioxidant levels in pomegranate juice are similar to those found in blueberry, cranberry and orange juice, red wine and black tea.
Grape Juice Benefits
Grapes also contain antioxidants, notably resveratrol, and can help fight hardening of the arteries and lower the risk of heart disease. According to a 2007 article published by Medill Reports, grape juice helps to prevent breast cancer. The article also says that the benefits of concord grape juice last longer than the benefits of red wine.
Nutrients
One cup of pomegranate juice contains 134 calories, 33 g of carbohydrate -- nearly equally divided between glucose and fructose -- as well as 533 mg potassium and 27 mg of calcium. One cup of grape juice contains 152 calories, 37 g of carbohydrates -- also a combination of glucose and fructose -- as well as 28 mg of calcium and 263 mg of potassium. Pomegranate juice is a little less sweet than grape juice; however, it can be more expensive than grape juice. Both juices contain calories and you need to take that into account in your diet. One cup of juice equals 2 servings of fruit.
References
- Harvard Health Publications: Health Benefit of Pomegranate Juice on Prostate Cancer and the Heart; April 2007
- University of California Science Today: Researchers Study the Benefits of Pomegranate Juice; December 2006
- Utah State University Cooperative Extension: What Are the Health Benefits of Pomegranates?; Carolyn Washburn; 2010
- Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Pomegranate Juice Fights Heart Disease;
- Medill Reports: Grape Juice Fights Back: Linked to Preventing Breast Cancer; Evan Swan; 2007
- University of Cincinnati Health Line: Concord Grape Juice May Help Improve Memory Function; 2008
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