Pomegranate Juice, a Natural Way to Lower Cholesterol and Blood Pressure?
One of the major risk factors for heart disease that most of us are aware of is cholesterol. We see commercials on television for cholesterol lowering meds, advertisements in magazines and education materials everywhere we turn urging us to lower our cholesterol.
I have to admit that I used to get just a bit impatient with all the ads and hype about cholesterol. It seemed a bit like overkill. That is, I felt like that until I started writing about women’s heart issues and understood the very serious nature of heart disease as it relates to our future longevity.
Since longevity and beating the odds on heart disease sounds like a good thing to me, I’m always on the lookout for anything that will help all of us sisters keep from being one of the statistics on heart disease. I came across an interesting string of articles about pomegranates and their beneficial impact in lowering blood cholesterol. I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve never eaten a Pomegranate. In fact, I’m not really certain that I’ve ever seen a pomegranate down at the local grocery store but if it could help lower my cholesterol levels, I wanted to know more.
Pomegranates originated from the Mediterranean, Indian and Southeast Asian parts of the world. They were introduced into California by Spanish settles in the mid-1700s. They are about the size of an orange, with a reddish outer rind or skin which is very tough. The interior of the pomegranate is filled with red pulp (very juicy) and hundreds of seeds. Unlike some fruits, you only consume the pulp and the seeds and do not eat the rind/skin. Pomegranates are similar to an apple in that they have a long storage life (7 months if stored between 32° - 41° F).
According the California Rare Fruit Growers, Pomegranates are like a fine wine – they get better with age, becoming juicier and more flavorful the longer they are stored.
Pomegranates are also filled with flavonoids and polyphenols, which are major antioxidants. Antioxidants shield plants from environmental toxins and help to repair environmental damage. They also protect against free radicals and the damage that they cause.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
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Just to let my dear readers know, I went out and bought a pomegranate. It cost $3.49 BUT I've been eating on the "fruit" for over a week now. I've tried eating it plain and in salads. I even tossed a handful into one of my shrimp dishes the other evening and it was great. I liked the pomegranate so well that I just bought another one yesterday. I've also found a place local that sells the trees and am going to order one and grow my own. I give the pomegranate a 2 thumbs up!
November 25, 2009 - 1:44pmThis Comment