Research: Pomegranate juice is good for blood pressure and your prostate

PSA levels increased at a slower rate in men who drank 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily for up to two yearsPomegranate juice is rich in antioxidants and has been touted as having a variety of health benefits. A study from the Western Galilee Medical Center in Israel reveals that pomegranate juice lowers kidney disease patients’ cholesterol, blood pressure and thus reduces the need for blood pressure medications.

The researchers randomized 101 dialysis patients to receive about three-and-a-half ounces of pomegranate juice or placebo, three times a week. After one year, the number of blood pressure drugs patients took decreased in 22% of patients drinking pomegranate juice compared to 7.7% in the placebo group, while an increase was documented in 12.2% of patients drinking pomegranate juice compared to 34.6% in the placebo group. Patients who drank pomegranate juice also had healthier blood pressure and cholesterol levels and less plaque build-up in their arteries. These results suggest that drinking pomegranate juice might decrease the high rates of illness and death among kidney disease patients.

In another article a Mayo Clinic urologist, Erick P. Castle, M.D., writes there is research that suggests drinking pomegranate juice may slow the progression of prostate cancer. Dr. Castle points out that PSA levels increased at a slower rate in men who drank 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily for up to two years. The study Dr. Castle refers to was in men who had surgery or radiation treatment for prostate cancer. According to the article additional studies are under way. If you would like to read the complete article follow this link.

Study authors for "Pomegranate Juice Intake Attenuates Traditional Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Hemodialysis Patients: A Randomized Placebo Controlled Trial" (abstract FR-PO1660) include Lilach Shema, PhD, Liora Ore, MD, Shifra Sela, Ronit Geron, MD, Galina Shapiro, and Batya Kristal, MD.