The juice from a pomegranate offers some of the worlds most

powerful antioxidants. In fact, studies show that

pomegranate juice has more antioxidants than other known

antioxidant drinks such as red wine, green tea, blueberry

juice, cranberry juice and orange juice. In addition,

there are some studies that suggest pomegranate juice my

help in the treatment of prostate cancer and may prevent

some brain injuries in babies. Not bad for a fruit that

many people are not that familiar with.

The Cancer Research

After skin cancer, prostate cancer is next as the cause of

cancer death among men in the United States. A recent

study at UC Los Angeles found that drinking pomegranate

juice helped fight prostate cancer. The study was

performed on 48 men with recurrent prostate cancer. Half

of the men drank 8 ounces of pomegranate juice a day and

the other half did not drink any pomegranate juice. The

men that drank the juice were able to go 37 months before

symptoms reappeared, the non-juice drinkers only went 15

months without symptoms. This study was small and is

certainly not the final word on the subject. However, the

research is promising and certainly warrants giving some

consideration to adding pomegranate juice to your diet.

Brain Injury Research

A new study on mice conducted by the University of

Washington School of medicine in St. Louis could hold

promise for expectant mothers at risk of premature birth.

Pomegranate juice may help their babies resist brain

injuries from low oxygen and reduced blood flow associated

with premature birth. The phenomenon, which is called

hypoxia ischemia, causes brain injury in approximately 2 of

every 1,000 full-term human births.

In this latest study, researchers temporarily lowered brain

oxygen levels and brain blood flow in baby mice whose

mothers drank water mixed with concentrated pomegranate

juice, their brain tissue loss was reduced by 60 percent in

comparison to mice whose mothers ingested other liquids.

What is a Pomegranate?

The pomegranate is a native fruit of the Mediterranean

regions and has been grown there for thousands of years.

The tree was brought into California by Spanish settlers in

the late 1700’s. It’s primarily grown for fruit production

in the drier parts of California and Arizona. The actual

fruit is pink to bright red in color and is the approximate

size of a softball. For those of you on a diet, one

pomegranate is approximately 100 calories. When you open

up a pomegranate there are little fruit sacs inside that

look a little like vitamin E capsules (except they are

red). The fruit is held together by a white, spongy,

bitter tissue. Try not to eat the tissue as it does not

taste very good. You can get the actual fruit in

supermarkets from about October thru January, for the

remainder of the year you will need to buy the juice.

How to Eat a Pomegranate

Pomegranates can get really messy when you open them up.

Be careful as they stain.

1.  Cut off the ends
   

2.  Slice into sections like you would an apple
   

3.  Place sections in a bowl of water and let soak for
   

about 10 minutes

4.  Separate the fruit sacs from the white spongy tissue
   

5.  Throw away the white tissue and drain the fruit.
   

6.  Eat and Enjoy
   

If this is your first time eating a pomegranate you may

find the fruit a little bitter and tart. It reminds me a

little of cranberry. Give this fruit a chance as you will

learn to love it.