Pomegranate Juice Heart Benefits - Report Example

Pomegranate juice

Background information

Pomegranate is a type of fruit that contains hundreds of edible seeds. This type of fruit is rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Over the years, it has been as one of the fruits that are rich in nutrients. It contains some numerous nutrients that are not facilitated by other types of fruits.According to Sinha et al (4), thefruit is referred to as the seeded apple in Germany. It grows in mildly semi-arid areas and has numerous varieties across the Mediterranean regions, Asia, Africa and Europe (Sinha et al 5). Therefore, its areas of adaptation include semiarid areas and areas with cool winters and hot summers. Its trees grow from shrubs to big trees of 5 to 8 m tall. The fruits has its growing period in the calendar, normally the fruit is harvested September to February and in other regions it matures in March to May. The fruit has a hard cover and the inside is made up of seeds with membranous walls that are eatable. The membranous seeds which are pink in color are filled with juice and very sweet. The seeds are usually very many in that they accumulate roughly half of the fruits weight. It is depicted to have ripened when it produces a metallic sound when tapped (Sinha et al 5). When left to over ripe, the fruit normally cracks. The fruit also has prominent meaning in certain countries like Granada from which the country receives its name (Sinha et al 5). In other countries pomegranate is symbolically used.

Nutrition fact of pomegranate juice to the heart

Pomegranate juice plays numerous positive roles in the human body but on a larger hand the juice tends to help the heart at most. Despite it being good in the fight against chronic diseases, pomegranate is the best in supplementing nutrients like potassium, punicalagins and polyphenols (Ozer14). The polyphenols have been linked to inhibiting cardiovascular diseases. This is because the polyphenols are said to be great in inhibiting oxidation of the lipoprotein (LDL), the juice also prevents macrophage-foam cells from formation. It also prevents atherosclerosis (Basu, and Kavitha 1).

Benefits of pomegranate juice relating to the heart

Pomegranate juice has numerous benefits that may help the body of a human being fight the ailments it encounters every day. According to kahramonglu and usanmaz (96), pomegranate juice should be considered one of important diet in every day meal. In numerous researches done by people, pomegranate juice has been seen to have various benefits in several ways (kahramonglu & usanmaz 96). It has been depicted in researches that pomegranate juice reduces the efficiency of getting low lipoprotein oxidation and cardiovascular diseases. According to researchers, the juice help in oxidation thus helps reduce high blood pressure at a high rate (kahramonglu & usanmaz 97). Human bodies require lipid as they play an important role in various mechanisms but when in excess these lipids tend to put the body at dangerous risks. In normal circumstances when the human body tends to accumulate high rates of lipid in the blood then one is said to have high cholesterol a condition known as hyperlipidemia (kahramonglu & usanmaz 97). In researches done by scientists, it has been viewed that pomegranate juice tends to reduce this high lipid levels in the blood at high rate.

High blood pressure is a condition in which pressure in the blood vessels typically the arteries is highly elevated in that in some situation this condition may result to stroke or heart failure. According to various researches done it has been viewed that regular consumption of pomegranate juice by high blood pressure patients really helps in the regulation of the pressure. According to kahramonglu & usanmaz (98), regular consumption of 100cc of the juice three times a week in a year really helps reduce blood pressure.

The body of a human being tends to produce free radicals. These free radicals are depicted to be harmful when produced at high rates. In presence of toxic environments this radicals are produced at higher rates thus causing harm to the human cells. Increase in these free radicals constitute largely in the formation of chronic diseases such as cancer as cells (kahramonglu & usanmaz 98). In assessment made, it has been seen that pomegranate juice helps clear free radicals and reduces the damage of cell membranes, D.N.A and proteins.

Further, diabetes is one of the common diseases taking the lives of numerous people around the world. It is a disease constituted by the increased levels of sugar in the blood in diabetes 1 while in diabetes 2 the level of sugar is low. Mostly people with diabetes are advised to control this disease through diet and that is where pomegranate juice comes in. The juice has been researched to be an anti-diabetic agent hence help to fight the same (kahramonglu & usanmaz 103).

By the fact that the juice can lessen blood pressure, lipid levels as well as inhibits diabetes, this means that it also benefits the heart. In essence blood pressure, diabetes as well as high lipids are some of the conditions that aggravate cardio vascular ailments and thus if they are controlled, the heart also gets to benefit. The juice assists the heart in prevention and fighting coronary artery problems such as atherosclerosis (kahramonglu & usanmaz 97).

Studies’ indicating that pomegranate juice is beneficial to the heart

According to sinha et al (7), a clinical study was conducted roughly to people with a heart disease of high lipids levels, these people were given the pomegranate juice for 8 weeks and after the use of the same, the lipids are very low. Consumption of just 10 ml of the pomegranate juice by 10 patients suffering from a chronic heart disease known as artery stenosis resulted to the patients’ health being reduced to the right standards. In this study, it was depicted that pomegranate juice can be taken regularly in order to facilitate the control of the coronary artery disease.

In yet another clinical study, regarding cholesterol, a research was done on 22 diabetic type 2 patients .in gender they were 14 women and 8 men (Basu and Kavitha 1). After consuming the concentrated juice 40g for eight weeks there was drastic drop in their level of cholesterol in the blood. Therefore, the study discovered that the patients had lower LDL-cholesterol, by the end of the 8-day period (Basu and Kavitha 1).

Another study involved 10 people diagnosed to have carotid artery stenosis. They were supposed to consume the juice for a period of 1 year (Basu and Kavitha 1). It was discovered that they had a reduced thickness of their arteries; their blood pressure was also noted to go low as well as their lipid levels in the blood. The overall cardiovascular function of the various patients was notably improved within this duration.

On another clinical study conducted on a mice regarding low-density lipoprotein, it is viewed that pomegranate juice decreased the low-density lipoprotein thus reducing oxidation largely hence good reports in comparison to human (kahramonoglu & usanmaz 96). In comparison to this report, 45 patients consumed the juice for 3 months while others did not and after that period, those who consumed the juiced had generated good health in that the stressed –induced ischemia in them had reduced. The one who had not taken the juice were facing the same terrible situations and as per that research, it was reported that pomegranate juice has a high antioxidant capacity (kahramonoglu & usanmaz 96). In addition to this it was also noted that this juice had no effect in other factors like blood pressure, lipids, blood sugar and weight.

How the heart responds to pomegranate juice.

It lowers cholesterol in the blood hence making it easier for the heart to pump blood all over the body. Pomegranate juice is highly rich in polyphenols inhibit cardiovascular diseases. This is because the polyphenols are said to be great in inhibiting oxidation of the lipoprotein (LDL), it also prevents macrophage-foam cells from formation as well as prevents atherosclerosis, all of which are cardiovascular ailments (Basu and Kavitha 1).

When someone takes the juice, it curtails lipid peroxidation, which is a process that includes oxidative stress as well as lipid degradation into the cell membranes thus causing cells to become damaged. Therefore, the juice makes LDL-lipids, which are categorized as the most dangerous cholesterol, to decrease, thus making the heart circulation smooth (Basu and Kavitha 1). Reduction of oxidative stress as well as inflammatory damage occurring within the blood vessels entails proper way of delaying risks associated with cardiovascular disease. In addition, the juice enables body to acquire compounds known as punicalagins that are cardio protective owing to their powerful antiodative as well as anti-inflammatory capabilities or effects (kahramonoglu & usanmaz 96). Furthermore, when one takes the juice, the heart responds in that, the arteries decrease thickness wise, thus implying that atherosclerosis improves. Atherosclerosis entails a condition whereby the arteries are clogged by fatty substances and thus taking lots of pomegranate juice makes the heart to have fewer blockages of the carotid arteries.

How much pomegranate juice should one consume per day to maintain healthy heart?

In order to maintain healthy heart it is regularly recommended that one takes at least 250 ml glass of pomegranate juice in order to ensure that he/she is healthy(kahramonglu & usanmaz 97). One may take numerous glasses of pomegranate juice in order to save more funds in the future as prevention is better than cure.

Conclusion

The cardiovascular benefits associated with Pomegranate juice are not to be underestimated. From studies already undertaken, pomegranate juice has been shown to have incredible anti-oxidative capabilities that make it an excellent fruit (kahramonoglu & usanmaz 96). People taking the juice daily, stand a better chance of controlling any future cardiovascular diseases from developing. Those already with any heart conditions be it atherosclerosis or any other condition, can be administered the drink to better their conditions (kahramonoglu & usanmaz 96). Besides, the fruit also controls other conditions such as blood pressure as well as diabetes that also aggravate cardiovascular diseases.