Q. I have read that pomegranate juice has health benefits, but I haven’t been able to find any. Would you get the same benefits by eating pomegranates, which I love?
A. You may get some benefit from eating the whole fruit. Another reader who had trouble finding juice discovered that “after eating pomegranate fruit my cholesterol went down.”
Although there is no research to prove that pomegranate lowers cholesterol, it reduces the oxidation of bad LDL cholesterol, which contributes to artery-clogging plaque. Investigators have also found that this Biblical fruit contains compounds that cut down on the risk of blood clots and lower blood pressure. Pomegranate may also discourage the development of breast cancers.
Much of this research has been done in Israel, where pomegranates are more readily available. Juice should be available in Middle Eastern markets and many health food stores.
