Pomegranate Juice and Arteriosclerosis
The commonly available juice of the pomegranate may have some uncommonly good effects on the human circulation. A 3 year study in Israel concluded that daily consumption of 8 oz. of this juice resulted in reduction of carotid artery plaque, a frequent cause of mini-strokes. Changes in the artery wall were measured by ultrasound. Over the first year, the control group not drinking the juice had a 9% increase in thickness, likely attributable increasing plaque. Those consuming the juice showed a decrease of 35%, with the first 13% reduction occurring as early as 3 months. There was also a gradual reduction in blood pressure. This study was quite small, with only 10 patients in the treatment group. But they all had severe carotid artery narrowing. The positive results of this study mirror those of a previous study in rats which showed a 44% reduction in arteriosclerotic lesions. Like red wine and green tea, pomegranate juice contains multiple antioxidants, so it is not clear exactly how it works, or what the active ingredients are that enable reduction in plaque. At present, the cost of supplementing your diet with 8 oz of pomegranate juice will be about $1.50 per day. No doubt, a flood of capsules will be coming on the market soon, and some are already available, but we won’t be certain they will be as effective as the juice until more studies are done. The juice is available at Costco.

I generally don’t advise the consumption of juices because I feel that they provide an inordinate amount of natural sugars, unlike simply eating the whole fruit. Furthermore drinking calories in this way is a problem for many who are trying to watch their weight. However if you have carotid or generalized arteriosclerosis and have managed to get close to your ideal weight, or can compensate for these extra calories in your diet by cutting back on other foods or exercising more, then I would say this research looks very promising, and you should give pomegranate juice a try. Be sure that you purchase a brand that contains no added extraneous sugar or sugar derivatives. I think that without ultrasound testing of artery thickness as was done in the study, the only way you are going to know if anything good is happening is if your blood pressure comes down noticeably. Obviously the use of this juice should only be one small part of a comprehensive natural medicine approach to the problem of clogged arteries. Putting other natural therapies like chelation therapy, and phosphatidylcholine IVs to work for you will speed and enhance your results, providing multiple body wide benefits as well.