In the future, we might not look for remedy alleviating heart and circulatory problems in the medicine cabinet, but in the pantry, the garden, or in forests, meadows, mountains and orchards – in other words, in the natural world.
Pomegranate has been proven to stop the further progression of coronary artery diseases
A new study published in the magazine “Atherosclerosis” reiterates that pomegranate extract may prevent or turn around the tendency for cardiac mortality that accompany primary heart and circulatory diseases; in other words, it can prevent atherosclerosis caused by the accumulation of fatty material in the coronary arteries.
Three week old mice made susceptible to spontaneous coronary artery obstruction received pomegranate extract in their drinking water for two weeks. Despite the fact that initially pomegranate extract increased the level of cholesterol in the mice’s body by increasing the density of lipoprotein particles, by the end the treatment reduced the amount of atherosclerotic plaque in the sinus of the aorta, and it also reduced the amount of occlusive atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary arteries.
Notably, the researchers also stated that pomegranate extract treatment had the following benefits:
- Reduced oxidative stress
- Reduced amount of monocyte chemotactic protein-1, a chemical messenger that is accompanied by inflammation processes in the arteries
- Reduced t lipid accumulation in the heart muscle
- Reduced macrophage infiltration in the heart muscle
- Reduced heart muscle fibrosis
- Reduced heart enlargement
- Reduced EKG variances
How can the extract of a fruit be as effective in the treatment of coronary artery diseases as the above study shows? The answer lies in the fact that our ancestors have evolved along with food (especially fruits) for so long that not sufficient intake of such food leads directly to deteriorating organ functions. For example, Linus Pauling, two time receiver of the Nobel Prize claimed that vitamin C deficiency is the reason for diseases of the heart and the circulatory system simply because of the fact that our far ancestors had access to fruit all around the year, and they have lost their capacity to synthesize vitamin C.
This study increases the pile of existing clinical research material that proves the helpfulness of pomegranate in eliminating plaque deposits in the arteries. For example, in 2004 the results of a three year long clinical research were published in “Clinical Nutrition” which proves that daily consumption of pomegranate juice may reduce the stenosis of the carotid arteries by as much as 29%. It is remarkable that the amount of plaques grew by 9% in members of the control group, proving the fact that the positive effect of pomegranate on the arteries was even more significant than the amount revealed after the first round of experiments.
As proven by research, pomegranate has a wide range of positive effects on the heart and circulatory system.
Pomegranate is an anti-inflammatory: as in many degenerative chronic diseases, inflammation plays a significant role in causing diseases of the heart and the circulatory system. Many studies prove the beneficial effects of pomegranate in combatting such diseases.
Pomegranate reduces blood pressure: pomegranate juice is a natural angiotensin converter enzyme inhibitor and it increases the amount of sodium dioxide; this way, it reduces blood pressure in two well-known ways. Also, pomegranate extract is rich in punikalagin, which reduces the effect of stress in arterial segments with a disturbed blood flow.
Pomegranate has an antibacterial effect: plaque depositing in the arteries is often accompanied by secondary viral and bacterial infections, Hepatitis C and Chlamydia pneumonia among else. Pomegranate has antibacterial and antiviral properties, so it can be effective against such infections.
Pomegranate is an antioxidant: oxidation is one of the ways blood fat becomes aterogenic and it causes a heart disease. For example, the LDL can be high, but it is harmless as long as it doesn’t oxidize. Pomegranate has been proven to reduce the oxidative stress in the blood. A study performed on mice suffering from atherosclerotic deformations measured a 44% decrease of the oxidative stress.