Category Archives: Pomegranate

Pomegranate juice improves cardiovascular risk factors

During the American Society of Nephrology Annual Meeting, researchers at Western Galilee Hospital in Nahariya, Israel, reported that patients on hemodialysis who drank moderate amounts of pomegranate juice saw improvement in lipids, blood pressure, and the number of antihypertensive medications required. Continue reading Pomegranate juice improves cardiovascular risk factors

Reviewing pomegranate research

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) told POM Wonderful that their UK billboard showing a bottle of pomegranate juice and a hangman’s noose, and proclaims the juice can “cheat death” must be taken down.

ASA says “We considered the evidence… but concluded that it fell short of showing any direct relation between consuming the product and a longer life.”

So, what’s the evidence? Continue reading Reviewing pomegranate research

Pomegranate juice doesn’t inhibit cytochrome P450 enzymes in humans

Several years ago a study in human liver tissue and in rats concluded that pomegranate juice inhibited CYP3A — a liver enzyme in the cytochrome P450 system important for metabolizing drugs. The implications were that — just as with grapefruit — people taking drugs such as statins for cholesterol might be exposed to much higher blood levels and greater risk of side effects.

We now find that when studied in healthy volunteers, pomegranate juice is not associated with this risk.

Continue reading Pomegranate juice doesn’t inhibit cytochrome P450 enzymes in humans

Pomegranate and PSA in prostate cancer

The first clinical trial of pomegranate juice in patients with prostate cancer reported a “significant prolongation of PSA [prostate-specific antigen] doubling time” from 15 to 54 months among men with a rising PSA following surgery or radiation for prostate cancer. This was accompanied by other positive changes at the cellular level, according to the researchers from the David Geffen School of Medicine in the July issue of Clinical Cancer Research.

Continue reading Pomegranate and PSA in prostate cancer

Not your typical vacation

Do you have vacation time coming in 2006? Herbalgram.org has listed the 2006 events calendar. Rather than the same Caribbean vacation or week at the Jersey shore, consider linking your vacation to a CAM meeting.

Here’s one that makes my tastebuds tingle.
July 30-Aug 5: Wild Foods Mountain Retreat. A week-long program in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Forage for wild edible and medicinal plants, and prepare tasty and nutritional meals.

Hmm, Hmm, Hmm.

Other must attend meetings.

October 16-17: First International Symposium on Pomegranate and Minor Mediterranean Fruits. Adana, Turkey.

or

October 28-30: The 2nd Internatiomal Symposium on Saffron Biology and Technology (ISSBT). Mashhad, Iran.

Do you think CAM is becoming too specialized?

Want to see more? Go to the Herbalgram.org website.

7/18/06 13:20 JR