July 2005
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Pom: The new juice in town
Possibly. Pomegranate juice is rich in polyphenols, a large class of antioxidant compounds linked to a variety of disease-fighting benefits. And it does appear to have more of those chemicals than some other antioxidant-heavy drinks: A study published in 2000 found that pomegranate juice had three times more antioxidant activity than either red wine or green tea. An unpublished study funded by the manufacturer found the juice also exceeded blueberry, cranberry, and orange juices in antioxidant activity, as measured by the ability to suppress damaging free-radical molecules in the lab. There's some preliminary human evidence that pomegranate juice may yield tangible health benefits. In a small clinical trial published last year in the journal Clinical Nutrition, for example, drinking a glass of pomegranate juice each day for one year reduced blood pressure, decreased the oxidation that causes “bad” LDL cholesterol to stick to artery walls, and reduced clogging of arteries in the neck (a risk factor for stroke). Pomegranate juice has a rich, dark-pink color and a tangy sweet-and-tart taste. Compared with two other foods heavily marketed for their polyphenol content, the juice has less sugar than grape juice and none of the unhealthy fat of dark chocolate. But watch the serving size: A 16-ounce, $3.99 bottle of Pom contains nearly 300 calories, much more than the whole fruit. CR's take: Pricey, but worth trying--if only for adding to the variety of fruits in your diet. |
