Pomegranates have a reputation for improving the flexibility of blood vessels and lowering blood pressure. Fresh pomegranates are available for a relatively short season, however, so researchers have turned to pomegranate extract.
A small study in the Journal of Medicinal Food found that a pomegranate extract taken daily for six months lowered blood pressure slightly and increased one marker of antioxidant activity in dialysis patients compared to placebo. They also considered other measurements such as muscle strength, inflammation or physical functioning, but they found no significant differences among people on placebo or those taking pomegranate extract on any of these measures.
Why Use Pomegranate Extract Instead of Juice?
The scientists had chosen pomegranate extract for this study instead of pomegranate juice because the juice is high in potassium. Dialysis patients need to be careful not to consume too much potassium, as they could have trouble maintaining an appropriate electrolyte balance.
The authors concluded that the benefits of pomegranate extract in dialysis patients may be limited to people who have high blood pressure to begin with.
Journal of Medicinal Food, Sept. 10, 2015
Digestive Tracts May Benefit from Pomegranate Extract:
Researchers have considered a number of other potential benefits of pomegranate extract, but most of the other studies are also quite small. Iranian scientists reported that pomegranate peel extract showed some activity in relieving symptoms of ulcerative colitis, but it was not significantly better than placebo after 10 weeks (Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, Aug., 2015). This may have been tested because pomegranate peel has a reputation as a folk remedy for diarrhea.
Pomegranate extract has also been shown to encourage changes in intestinal microbe populations, and presumably some of its benefits might be related to these shifts in microbial ecology (Food & Function, Aug., 2015).
Pomegranate Extract and Potential Anticancer Activity:
Pomegranate has enjoyed a popular reputation in many places as being able to help ward off various cancers (Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Jan. 19, 2007). A review of tissue culture and animal research suggested that pomegranate could plausibly be added to conventional treatments for breast cancer (Biofactors, Mar-Apr, 2015). A few studies have also indicated that prostate cancer may be less likely to progress among men who eat a healthy low-fat diet supplemented with pomegranate, green tea, broccoli and turmeric (Cancer Causes & Control, Nov., 2015). A lot more research is needed, however, to confirm that this delicious red fruit might offer protection against cancer.
