Could Pomegranate Extract Provide Cardiovascular Benefits?

Pomegranate extract effectively lowered blood pressure and provided some atheroprotective benefits, but has no effect on inflammation, oxidative strength, or muscle strength, according to a new study.

In order to examine the effects of oral pomegranate extract supplementation on cardiovascular risk, researchers followed 33 hemodialysis patients, randomized to either pomegranate or placebo.
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Patients taking pomegranate were given a 1000 mg capsule of pure pomegranate polyphenol extract every day for 6 months.

At baseline, researchers measured the participants brachial blood pressure, assessed cardiovascular risk, and collected blood samples to assess inflammation, oxidative stress, and antioxidant capacity. They also measured strength and physical function. All measurements were taken again after 6 months.

Overall, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were reduced by 24±13.7 and 10±5.3 mmHg, respectively, in participants taking pomegranate supplements, but the differences were not significant after controlling for baseline blood pressure.

“Pomegranate supplementation had no effect on any other metrics of cardiovascular risk or physical function in our patients,” researchers commented.

“Taken together, these data suggest that pomegranate extract supplementation may provide limited benefits in terms of reducing the development or progression of comorbidities in patients with chronic renal failure."

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Wu P, Fitschen PJ, Kistler BM, et al. Effects of pomegranate extract supplementation on cardiovascular risk factors and physical function in hemodialysis patients.  Journal of Medicinal Food. September 2015, 18(9): 941-949.