Pomegranate Juice Shows Vascular Benefits

WASHINGTON--Pomegranate juice showed cardiovascular benefits in both laboratory mice and in cultured human coronary artery endothelial cells, according to a study published March 21, online ahead of print, in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (www.pnas.org). The scientists reported antioxidant-rich pomegranate juice reduced progression of atherosclerosis by at least 30 percent in mice who were bred to have high cholesterol. Similarly, the cultured heart cells treated with the juice had a 50-percent increase in nitric oxide production, which helps blood vessels relax.