5 Ways Pomegranate Juice Can Support Your Heart Health

Pomegranate provides many healthy plant-based compounds, or phytonutrients. Pomegranate juice may affect blood pressure, cholesterol, inflammation, and the gut microbiome in ways that support heart and blood vessel health when part of a heart-healthy diet.

1. Blood Pressure Regulation

Eating pomegranate or drinking pomegranate juice alongside a heart-healthy dietary pattern may help improve high blood pressure, a leading cause of heart disease:

• Pomegranate juice and seeds are good sources of potassium, a mineral that helps regulate blood pressure.12 Increasing dietary potassium can help lower blood pressure.3
• Polyphenols in pomegranate block angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), similar to how a class of blood pressure-lowering medications called ACE inhibitors work. 4
• A meta-analysis found that drinking 300 milliliters (about 1 and a quarter cups) of pomegranate juice lowered systolic blood pressure by 5 mm Hg, though the impact was not seen beyond two months.5
• The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that more research is needed to confirm blood pressure lowering effect of pomegranate.6

2. Cholesterol Lowering Effect

Pomegranate juice may support healthy cholesterol levels. Abnormal cholesterol, or dyslipidemia, leads to fatty plaque build-up in arteries, known as atherosclerosis. In the heart, this can cause heart attacks, angina, and heart failure.7

Studies show that drinking pomegranate juice may improve high-density lipoprotein (HDL,“good”) cholesterol” and lower triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, “bad”) cholesterol.8

Importantly, pomegranate juice can interact with statins, commonly prescribed cholesterol-lowering medications.9 If you take a statin, talk with your healthcare provider before adding significant amounts of pomegranate to your diet.

3. Protection From Inflammation

The polyphenols in pomegranate have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties.10 Chronic inflammation contributes to the development of atherosclerosis.11

Pomegranate can be part of an anti-inflammatory diet that may help lower overall inflammation and your risk of heart disease. Heart-healthy diets that incorporate lots of fruits and vegetables, nuts and legumes, and limit processed foods, salt, and added sugars can lower inflammation.12

4. Blood Vessel Health

In addition to its potential blood pressure-lowering effect, pomegranate may protect against damage to the inner lining of blood vessels. This lining is known as the endothelium. Endothelial dysfunction contributes to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.13

The antioxidants in pomegranate may reduce oxidative stress (damage from highly reactive molecules) on the blood vessels, which contributes to atherosclerosis. They may also improve nitric oxide availability, which helps relax blood vessels.

5. Promotion of a Healthy Gut Microbiome

The gastrointestinal tract is home to lots of bacteria that are important not just for digestive health, but for overall health. Impairment of the gut microbiome is linked to obesity, inflammatory conditions, and cardiovascular disease.15

Thanks to its polyphenols and fiber content (high in the seeds,2 absent in the juice1), pomegranate may support a healthy gut microbiome by promoting beneficial bacteria while reducing harmful bacteria.16 In the context of an otherwise heart-healthy diet, this can benefit your overall heart health.

Publication : Verywell Health
 
Author :  Angela Ryan Lee, MD