Recently published in the USA and work of Prof. David Heber, Director of the Department of Medicine at the Center for Human Nutrition at UCLA University:


According to the book “Bioactive Compounds and Cancer”, bioactive substances found in the pomegranate play a useful role in the prevention of common forms of cancer.

•    The pomegranate contains 124 different phytochemical compounds and its antioxidants have an anti-inflammatory effect upon cancer cells.

•    Pomegranate juice made from the whole fruit has a higher concentration of ellagitannins; as well as punicalagins, the polyphenol with the greatest antioxidant capacity known with regard to its molecular weight.

•    Freshly squeezed pomegranate juice Granatum Plus Complex natural, is made from parts of the pomegranate that are not directly consumed from the fresh fruit and which are made into a product that is unique on the European market.

•    Granatum Europa joins forces from Catalunya, the Canary Isles, the Valencian Community and the Murcia Region, in collaboration with German and Dutch food and agriculture companies, to lead the European pomegranate juice, nectar and extract market.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit is widely consumed as fresh fruit and juice. Because of its potential for health benefits, pomegranate fruit extracts have been commonly marketed as dietary supplements in recent years. The objective of the present study was to investigate potential adverse effects, if any, of a standardized pomegranate fruit extract in rats following subchronic administration.

Pomegranates have made headlines in the past for being helpful in fighting prostate cancer and benefiting the heart. Now researchers find that eating the fruit may reduce the incidence of hormone-dependent breast cancer.

Pomegranates are a rich source of a type of phytonutrient (plant-based nutrient) called ellagic acid, which belongs to a larger group of compounds known as ellagitannins. Ellagitannins are water-soluble, which makes them easy for the body to absorb. When naturally occurring ellagitannins (found in fruits such as pomegranates, raspberries, and others), they are broken down into ellagic acid, glucose, and other substances.

Pomegranate growers in Karnataka and Maharastra (India) who were exporting the fruit and were facing some problems in recent years can expect some relief. The farm scientists are drawing up new strategies to overcome the problems. India is the largest producer of pomegranate next only to Iran. During 2007-2008 pomegranate had covered an area of 122,000 hectares with a production of 858,000 tonnes and the productivity was 7 tonnes per hectare. The area under the crop has increased in Karnataka and Maharastra at a rapid pace during the past few years. The fruit is fetching a lot of foreign exchange for the country as a sizeable quantity of fruits is being exported from these states. India exported 35.2 thousand tonnes of fruits valued at Rs 911 million. Till recently there were no serious constraints in its production but the problems of wilt and bacterial blight have caused its area to dwindle suddenly.

Australia’s first variety of home grown Royal Pom pomegranates is hitting Australian fresh produce aisles this March. Grown by family owned business PMG Agriculture and brought to market by Australian company Perfection Fresh, they are the first pomegranates produced commercially on Australian soil.

Pomegranates are well known for their nutritional benefits, especially their high antioxidant levels, which assist in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, and can reduce cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Pomegranates are also a high source of dietary fibre, folic acid, potassium, iron and Vitamin C and B.

Enzyme-blocking chemicals in pomegranates may reduce the risk of estrogen-fueled breast cancers, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
Health
An acid found in pomegranates appears to block aromatase, an enzyme that converts androgen to estrogen, a hormone that plays a role in the development of breast cancer, the researchers wrote in the journal Cancer Prevention Research.

Google search for the keywords “pomegranate juice health benefits” returned over half a million entries. Putting a slight damper on this exuberance, a PubMed search (a public repository of expert-reviewed biomedical literature) returned only seven entries. This discrepancy may simply imply that there has not yet been the time or funding to launch careful studies, which generally require careful planning, years of study and large financial commitments.