Pomegranates may help slow progression of heart disease

• Italian and American scientists report that pomegranate juice helped keep fatty deposits from collecting on artery walls in mice, and kept human heart cells healthier.
• "Mice that drank pomegranate juice were able to significantly reduce the progression of atherosclerosis, [by] at least 30 percent," said study co-author Dr. Claudio Napoli, a professor of medicine and clinical pathology at the University of Naples School of Medicine in Italy.
• The fruit contains crunchy seeds surrounded by juicy pulp and is a good source of potassium, vitamin C and antioxidants, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
• The researchers found that heart cells treated with pomegranate juice had a 50 percent increase in nitric oxide production, and that mice given pomegranate juice reduced the rate of plaque buildup by about 30 percent.
• The researchers don't know the exact reason why pomegranate juice appears to protect artery walls from fatty deposits, but they suspect that the increased nitric oxide production may play a role, and that polyphenols -- powerful antioxidants contained in pomegranates and other foods -- may directly protect the arteries by reducing oxidative stress.
• Other fruits and juices that contain polyphenols include blueberries, cranberries, oranges and grapes.
• Heller pointed out that while pomegranates are very healthy and high in antioxidants, they can be expensive and aren't always easy to find.
• But, she added, "the phytochemicals in pomegranates, which are also present in other fruits and vegetables, are really very good for us, and do help prevent certain chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer."
• Napoli said that while it is hard to extrapolate data from mice to humans, an equivalent amount of pomegranate juice for humans would be the equivalent of about 16 ounces daily.