The effects of pomegranate juice consumption on blood pressure and cardiovascular health.

Hypertension (HTN) is the most common disease found in patients in primary care [JNC-7 Guidelines. The seventh report of the joint national committee on prevention, detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood pressure. Hyper 2003;42:1206.]. It eventually requires medication if lifestyle modifications are not initiated or do not control the blood pressure well enough. The majority of patients would prefer not to have to be medicated to manage their disease, and HTN can be found to be a comorbidity along with diabetes, CAD, and many other cardiovascular diseases. Adverse effects, forgetfulness and patient ignorance are multiple reasons for the hesitancy to begin drug management. Pomegranate juice is rich in tannins, possesses anti-atherosclerotic properties, has anti-aging effects, and potent anti-oxidative characteristics. As some antioxidants have been shown to reduce blood pressure, the purpose of this review was to discover the effect of pomegranate juice consumption on blood pressure and cardiovascular health. Pomegranate juice consumption may reduce systolic blood pressure, inhibits serum ACE activity, and is convincingly a heart-healthy fruit [Aviram M, Dornfeld L. Pomegranate juice consumption inhibits serum angiotensin converting enzyme activity and reduces systolic blood pressure. Athero 2001;158:195-8.]. More clinical research is needed as a number of the studies discussed include small sample sizes and few studies seem to have been undertaken in the recent 5-10 years.