What Is Pomegranate Juice Used For?

The pomegranate is a deep red fruit filled with bright ruby-red seeds. Native to Iran, the pomegranate is one of the earliest cultivated fruits. Throughout history, the pomegranate has served as a religious and cultural symbol; some scholars even believe that the "apple" in the biblical garden of Eden was really a pomegranate. Cultivated since ancient times, this fruit is today being marketed for its properties as a health food.

Antioxidant Power

Like many other fruits and vegetables, pomegranates contain high levels of polyphenols, the chemicals which give them their rich color and flavor. Polyphenols are also antioxidants, the substances that help destroy the free radicals which damage DNA and contribute to cancer and other diseases. The polyphenols in pomegranates include tannins, flavonols, anthocyanins and ellagic acid. One ellagitannin in particular, punicalagin, accounts for half of the fruit's antioxidant power, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. A study performed at the University of California in Los Angeles and reported in the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry" in 2008 measured the antioxidant potency of various fruit juices. Of all the juices, that of the pomegranate had the greatest antioxidant potency, at least 20 percent greater than any of the other beverages tested.

Cancer

Scientists are investigating the cancer-fighting properties of pomegranate juice, in particular against prostate cancer and breast cancer. There is no proof that pomegranate juice can actually prevent cancer, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. However, in test tube and animal studies, pomegranate juice extract has been shown to slow the reproduction of cancer cells and the progression of tumors.

Heart Disease

Pomegranate juice has been shown to benefit patients suffering from carotid artery stenosis, coronary heart disease and hypertension. Preliminary studies have shown that pomegranate juice may help prevent heart disease by slowing down the formation of plaque in the arteries.

Osteoarthritis

Pomegranate juice may prove useful a therapy for the type of arthritis that occurs from the degradation of cartilage and bone. A Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine study which examined the effectiveness of pomegranate extract in fighting osteoarthritis revealed that the fruit's flavonols may slow joint destruction by protecting cartilage.

Considerations

Like grapefruit juice, pomegranate juice may cause an interaction with certain medications. If you take a blood pressure medication, statin medication or an ACE inhibitor such as Lisinopril, you should check with your doctor before adding pomegranate juice to your diet.