LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Pomegranate Juice is Useful for the Management of Hypertension and the Improvement of Cardiovascular Health

Abstract

Price and availability of pomegranate juice (PJ) are indeed two major issues. The daily cost of PJ consumption is ranging from 0.5 to 1 $ per day, according to the dose used. PJ is available in almost all Western and several Asian countries. PJ is preserved in deep refrigeration and is readily available during the entire year. PJ circulates mainly in two forms: pure juice in 200 to 500 mL bottles (adulteration is practically impossible, because the color and the taste are unique) and in 1 L bottles, blended with purple grape juice without added sugar. The later contains resveratrol, a type of natural phenol and a phytoalexin, found in the skin of red grapes with definite antidiabetic effects and proposed but not proved yet anti-aging and anticancer effects. Resveratrol treatment has shown beneficial effects on glucose and lipid metabolism in some, but not all studies [2,3]. Study population, resveratrol source, and dose vary widely, potentially explaining inconsistency of findings among studies. Enhancement in endothelial function, systolic blood pressure, and markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in several studies have been reported [2,3].