Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae that is native from Iran to the Himalayas in northern India and has been cultivated since ancient times throughout the Mediterranean region of Asia, Africa and Europe. The fruit was used as food and medicine and was significant in human history, it was featured in Egyptian mythology and art, praised in the Old Testament of the Bible and in the Babylonian Talmud, and is used in Ayurvedic medicine in India. The species has been widely cultivated throughout India and drier parts of southeast Asia, Malaya, the East Indies and tropical Africa with the most important growing regions in Egypt, China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, India, Burma and Saudi Arabia.
Pomegranate juice has a high content of polyphenols; researchers here investigate potential positive effects in patients with metabolic disturbances. This study evaluated effects of a 2-week consumption of dietary doses of pomegranate juice on blood pressure, lipid metabolism, and oxidative stress markers in overweight patients with dyslipidemia. Twenty-four patients with established overweight and dyslipidemia were randomly assigned into intervention group, who consumed 300 mL of pomegranate juice daily for 2 weeks, or control group. After 2 weeks of juice intake, intervention group had significantly lower diastolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, aminotransferase, and activity of glutathione peroxidase. Other biomarkers showed significant improvement as well. Results show that short-term consumption of pomegranate juice exerts beneficial effects on lipid metabolism in overweight patients with dyslipidemia.
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Septemeber 2021
Journal of Medicinal Food
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Abstract
Pomegranate juice (PJ) has potential positive effects in patients with metabolic disturbances due to a high content of polyphenols. The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of a 2-week consumption of dietary doses of PJ on blood pressure, lipid metabolism, and oxidative stress markers in overweight patients with dyslipidemia. Twenty-four patients, 8 males and 16 females, 40–60 years of age, with established overweight and dyslipidemia were randomly assigned into intervention group, who consumed 300 mL of PJ daily for 2 weeks, or control group. After 2 weeks of juice intake, intervention group had significantly lower diastolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, aminotransferase, and activity of glutathione peroxidase. Furthermore, patients who consumed PJ had reduced percentage of docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA) in plasma phospholipids and increased estimated activity of stearoyl-CoA desaturase. In erythrocytes, we found a significant increase in the levels of dihomo-γ- linolenic acid (20:3n-6, DGLA) and DHA, as well as in estimated activity of Δ6 desaturase, and a decrease in estimated activity of Δ5 desaturase. These results show that even a short-term consumption of dietary doses of PJ exerts beneficial effects and affects lipid metabolism in overweight patients with dyslipidemia.
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