Pomegranate Juice

The pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing to between five and eight metres tall. The pomegranate is native to Southwest Asia and has been cultivated and naturalized over the whole Mediterranean region and the Caucasus since ancient times. It is widely cultivated throughout Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, India, Pakistan, Syria, Turkey, the drier parts of southeast Asia, Peninsular Malaysia, the East Indies, and tropical Africa. Introduced into Latin America and California by Spanish settlers in 1769, pomegranate is now cultivated in parts of California and Arizona for juice production.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the fruit is typically in season from September to February. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is in season from March to May.

Pomegranate juice is juice made from the pomegranate fruit.

Possible health benefits

While preliminary research has shown that the fruit juice may play a role in reducing the risk of cancer, can reduce serum cholesterol, and protect arteries from clogging, more research is needed to validate these findings. Its possible benefits also need to be balanced against its high caloric content derived from its natural sugars.

The cholesterol reduction effect has been observed only in small studies. This, as well as the anti-clogging effect of pomegranate juice, are the result of its concentration of antioxidants, and are similar to the effects shown in studies of red wine, black tea, and purple grape juice. There has been no large clinical trials showing that antioxidants can prevent heart attacks or other major heart-related events.

A peer-reviewed study showed that men who had undergone surgery or radiation therapy for prostate cancer could significantly slow the increase of prostate specific antigen when they consumed a glass of pomegranate juice daily.

A 250 ml (8 oz) glass of pomegranate juice provides approximately 50% of an adult's recommended daily allowance (RDA) of the vitamins A, C and E, 100% RDA of folic acid, and 13% RDA of potassium. Like most other fruit juices and soft drinks, each such glass also exceeds the maximum daily amount of sugar recommended by the FAO and WHO, who recommend that only 10% of calories come directly from sugars.