Pomegranate juice

Definition

Pomegranate juice is the tart red liquid extracted from pomegranates. It is high in polyphenols, antioxidants, and other phytochemicals.

Health considerations

Pomegranate juice has greater antioxidant activity than red wine, green tea, and other commercial fruit juices. Consumption of pomegranate juice is associated with beneficial effects against cardiovascular disease, including reduced clumping of cholesterol molecules and lowered blood pressure. In studies of isolated cancer cells, including colon and prostate, pomegranate juice extracts impaired cell growth and induced cell death. See: Pomegranate.

Keep in mind

Processing increases the availability of some antioxidants; store-bought juice may have a higher content than fresh-pressed.

May be found in

Sold as is, fruit juice blends, pomegranates

References

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
PNAS
Clinical Cancer Research
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Drugs Under Experimental and Clinical Research
Clinical Nutrition
Atherosclerosis