A unique property of pomegranate juice: a scientific discovery

Science never stands still: new experiments are carried out and new knowledge is gained every day. Scottish scientists have shown that pomegranate juice is useful for more than just raising haemoglobin levels. It has a great many health benefits. Of course, even before this research, it had been known for centuries that the pomegranate is the king of vitamins, the most precious fruit, with a pleasant sweet taste and a touch of acidity. The studies were carried out in Scotland, in Edinburgh, at Queen Margaret University in 2016. Several hundred people of different ages and both sexes took part. The point of the experiment was that specialists observed a group of people who drank pomegranate juice every day and examined how the drink affected their health. The participants spent two weeks drinking half a litre of pomegranate juice a day.

Before the study began, the participants had a medical check-up and tests to establish their emotional state and mood. After the experiment ended, the volunteers noticed that their mood, emotional state, and verbal and visual memory had improved, and that their enthusiasm, activity and diligence had increased. The effect was immediate and proved to be long-lasting. A second medical check-up showed that the participants’ blood pressure, heart rate and pulse had returned to normal.

In addition, based on the results of the study, the scientists found that, with a proper diet, people who drink pomegranate juice every day are less likely to store fat around the waist. As a result, they are at lower risk of various diseases, such as diabetes. Pomegranate juice has a comprehensive effect on the cardiovascular system. Thanks to its high potassium content, the heart rhythm improves; thanks to the high content of vitamin B3 in the juice, the walls of the blood vessels are strengthened and become more elastic, and cholesterol deposits are reduced. A person becomes less prone to stroke, heart attack or kidney failure.

Based on the findings above, the scientists concluded that pomegranate juice or fresh pomegranates should be part of everyone’s diet. With daily consumption of pomegranate juice, the level of haemoglobin in the blood rises, the heart and blood vessels work better, a person’s nervous and emotional state improves, and anxiety disappears. The pomegranate itself, like pomegranate juice, contains fifteen amino acids, so it is recommended that people who eat little protein (vegetarians, for example) include it in their daily diet. Pomegranate juice contains a large amount of organic acids, so it also works against ageing.

The main property of pomegranate juice that makes the drink considered exceptionally beneficial is that it raises haemoglobin levels in the blood and fights anaemia. Drinking it regularly shows good results in cases of haemoglobin deficiency – but not because pomegranates contain a lot of iron, as many people think. The improvement in the blood count when drinking pomegranate juice comes from the absorption of iron and other substances from food, which the juice supports. So if you are anaemic, it is important to drink pomegranate juice together with other foods that contain iron.

It could be said that the secret of the longevity of the people of the Caucasus has been partly revealed – so it is fitting that their mythology holds the pomegranate to be a symbol of eternal life and abundance.