By James Lemire, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

 July 31, 2015

• Watch out for corrupt super foods
• 20% more antioxidant power than other açaí or green tea
• Enjoy pomegranate to neutralize 9 threats to your heart

One year you hear that green tea is a healing miracle. The next year it’s açaí berries or pomegranate juice.

Well, you won’t find me arguing with any of that. All of these contain very powerful antioxidants.

What I will take a stance on is the way food manufacturers and marketers grab onto these super foods and use them to make unhealthy food products.

These corporate giants are driven by fads, and will do anything to add to their coffers.

The next thing you know we have green tea cocktails, açaí cheesecake and pomegranate ice cream.

Turning these otherwise healthy foods into alcoholic beverages and sugar or dairy-laden treats is sure to destroy any positive effects they have on your health.

But just because the food industry corrupts these otherwise healthy foods, it doesn’t detract from the very real benefits you can get from these super foods when they’re in a more natural state.

For example, in Monday’s issue I shared some very important news about the effect pomegranate can have on your risk of prostate and breast cancer. Today, I’d like to delve into the many heart-healthy benefits you can get from this fruit.

Pomegranate is probably even more powerful than you would imagine.

In juice form, pomegranate has at least 20% more antioxidant power than açaí, cranberries, blueberries and green tea. And that’s saying a lot.

What excites me most about pomegranate is the mountain of evidence showing it works in many ways to protect your heart and blood vessels.

This amazing fruit can actually counteract – and even reverse – much of the damage that occurs in your cardiovascular system over the years.

Here’s what happens when your cardiovascular health becomes compromised:

Inflammation and high blood pressure injure the walls of your blood vessels. This allows oxidized LDL cholesterol and fats to collect, resulting in plaque build up and blockages. If the two innermost walls of your arteries have thickened over time, that also contributes to the buildup.

All of this damage reduces blood flow to your heart. And we all know what that means…Suddenly you’re a heart attack waiting to happen.

That’s where the amazing pomegranate comes in. This incredible fruit…

• Raises nitric oxide which lowers blood pressure and reduces inflammation
• Cuts oxidation of LDL cholesterol and decreases plaque in the arteries
• Improves endothelial function and reduces arterial thickness
• Relaxes arteries and boosts blood flow to your heart
• Increases antioxidant status by about 130%

These are some mind-blowing benefits. And when you add them up, they neutralize almost every threat your heart faces.

So if you enjoy the taste of pomegranate, indulge yourself. You can eat the fruit or drink the juice. If you don’t like the taste, it’s easy enough to pick up a pomegranate supplement.

Make sure to look for juice that doesn’t contain any added sugar. And if you’re supplementing, I recommend 100 mg capsules.

Most importantly, beware of unhealthy products that jump on the pomegranate bandwagon. They might taste good, but they don’t deliver much in the way of pomegranate goodness.

Sources:
Seeram NP, et al. Comparison of antioxidant potency of commonly consumed polyphenol-rich beverages in the United States. J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Feb 27;56(4):1415-22.

Asgary S, et al. Clinical Evaluation of Blood Pressure Lowering, Endothelial Function Improving, Hypolipidemic and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Pomegranate Juice in Hypertensive Subjects. Phytother Res. 2013 Mar 21.

Aviram M, et al. Pomegranate juice consumption for 3 years by patients with carotid artery stenosis reduces common carotid intima-media thickness, blood pressure and LDL oxidation. Clin Nutr. 2004;23(3):423-433.

Sumner MD, et al. Effects of pomegranate juice consumption on myocardial perfusion in patients with coronary heart disease. Am J Cardiol. 2005;96:810-4