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Get juiced!

Posted June 6, 2007 at 05:05 PM by Bridget Sullivan

Section: Her Health, Her Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Her News

My husband has a drinking problem.

Every time I turn around, he is sucking down a funny looking purple beverage.  At first, I didn’t think much of it, but then the other day at the grocery store – as he popped a few of these tasty beverages into our cart – he asked me if they were good for him.  Without an ounce of hesitation, I replied, “Yes!  Of course they are good for you.” Duh . . .

But then I had an “uh-oh” moment.  I knew that these popular drinks recently garnered national attention and endorsements from health gurus and nutritionists alike, but I couldn’t remember why (aside from the fact that I was convinced they were good for you).

And so the hunt began. 

The pomegranate is an exotic ruby red, seeded fruit booming with antioxidants, vitamins C and E, flavonoids, and polyphenals.  It’s symbolic and medicinal roots stretch back to biblical and ancient times; in the Old Testament, pomegranates symbolized righteousness, but in ancient India they were used as heart tonics.  Greeks and Egyptians thought they boosted fertility, and Hippocrates believed they aided digestion. 

Scientists today laud the pomegranate as an antioxidant-rich cancer-fighting fruit. Preliminary laboratory tests reveal that pomegranate juice may be effective in fighting prostate cancer and in decreasing heart disease risk factors.  Studies show that pomegranate juice can protect LDL (bad) cholesterol from oxidative damage, and that it may slow the progression of plaques in people with atherosclerosis. 

And that’s not all: pomegranate juice has also been linked to fighting osteoarthritis, diabetes, dental plaque, and lymphoma.  Although researchers caution that pomegranate juice may interact with certain medications (like grapefruit juice does), they remain hopeful about the powerful benefits of the pomegranate juice. 

If you’d like to try this wonder juice, check out POM Wonderful juice beverages.

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Tags: antioxidants, atherosclerosis, diabetes, flavonoids, heart disease, ldl cholesterol, lymphoma, osteoarthritis, polyphenols, pomegranate, pomegranate juice, prostate cancer, vitamins c and e

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