Numerous of people nowadays regularly take harmful cholesterol and blood pressure lowering drugs that apparently do not lower the rate of heart disease specific mortality
However, a clinical study which has been hidden for a decade has revealed a rather astonishing truth. Namely, its findings raised the awareness about the capacity of pomegranate to successfully restore health and save numerous of heart disease patients.
Namely, this study reported that:
“Pomegranate juice consumption resulted in a significant IMT [intima media thickness] reduction, by up to 30%, after 1 year.”
Therefore, there is a growing interest in this beneficial fruit, as it is completely natural and has no side-effects, it is inexpensive and able to unclog the arteries.
On the other hand, patients spend their money on expensive drugs, as cholesterol-lowering statins, which fail to deliver positive effects, and have been related to more than over 300 adverse health effects.
Namely, the intima media is, in fact, the middle part of the arteries that get inflamed and full of plaque comprised of immune cells, oxidized fats, and their debris, in the condition commonly known as “blocked arteries.”
As this part gets thicker, the blood contents have smaller space to move through the arteries’ opening (lumen). As soon as the arteries are closed or obstructed, the person may suffer from a disastrous injury or even death.
Hence, anything that can reduce or prevent the thickening of intima media in a natural way is extremely beneficial, as far as obtaining a root cause resolution of atherosclerosis, and by implication can significantly prevent deaths related to cardiovascular mortality.
Therefore, as we are living in a world where the major cause for death is the cardiovascular disease, and millions of patients use drugs that only reduce surrogate markers for cardiovascular disease risk, that is, lipoproteins carrying cholesterol, without reducing the heart disease or the number of deaths, it is quite unbelievable how this potential of pomegranate has been neglected.
Namely, if there is a slightest chance that such a simple dietary intervention may reduce or reverse the major disease of millions of people around the world, it would be disastrous not to use its potential.
Therefore, the goal of this article is to shed light on this clinical trial and its findings in order to focus on the importance of food-based interventions as a way to prevent and even reverse the symptoms of the deadliest disease of the modern era.
Israeli researchers published their study in 2014 in Clinical Nutrition under the title“Pomegranate juice consumption for 3 years by patients with carotid artery stenosis reduces common carotid intima-media thickness, blood pressure and LDL oxidation,” in which they exposed their findings that pomegranate, administered in juice form for a period of a year, reversed plaque buildup in the carotid arteries of subjects with severe, but symptomless, carotid artery stenosis (defined as 70–90% blockage in the internal carotid arteries).
This study included 19 patients, 5 women and 14 men, non-smokers, at the age of 65-75. Ten of these patients consumed pomegranate juice, while 9 were in the control group and received placebo.
All participants had similar blood pressure, blood lipid and glucose concentrations, and took similar medications which involved blood-pressure lowering (like β-blockers, ACE inhibitors, or calcium channel blockers) and lipid lowering drugs (like statins).
Those ten patients received 1.69 ounces (50 ml) of pomegranate juice on a daily basis which included .036 milligrams of total polyphenols (primarily tannins and anthocyanins), for a year. Furthermore, five of these decided to continue for up to three years.
These are the results:
Lowering of Blood Pressure:
Antioxidant properties:
Plaque Lesion Stabilization:
As 2 of 10 patients on PJ (after 3 and 12 months) experienced clinical deterioration, carotid surgery was done and the lesions were examined to determine the difference in composition to those who did not consume this fruit. Thus, 4 distinct positive differences have been noticed:
-Reduced Cholesterol Content: “The cholesterol content in carotid lesions from the two patients that consumed PJ was lower by 58% and 20%, respectively, in comparison to lesions obtained from CAS patients that did not consume PJ (Fig. 3A).”
-Reduced LDL Oxidation:
n by lesions derived from the patients after PJ consumption for 3 or 12 months, was significantly (Po0.01) decreased by 43% or 32%, respectively, in comparison to LDL oxidation rates obtained by lesions from CAS patients that did not consume PJ (Fig. 3D).”
-Increased Reduced Glutathione Content:
“A substantial increase in the lesion reduced glutathione (GSH) content, (GSH is a major cellular antioxidant) by 2.5-fold, was observed after PJ consumption for 3 or 12 months, (Fig. 3C).”
-Reduced Lipid Peroxides:
“The lipid peroxides content in lesions obtained from the patients after PJ consumption for 3 or 12 months was significantly reduced by 61% or 44%, respectively, as compared to lesions from patients that did not consume PJ (Fig. 3B).”
These conclusions show that despite the ability of pomegranate to reduce the lesion size in the carotid arteries, “the lesion itself may be considered less atherogenic after PJ consumption, as its cholesterol and oxidized lipid content decreased, and since its ability to oxidize LDL was significantly reduced.”
Undoubtedly, this result is revolutionary, as currently, the threat of carotid artery stenosis is considered primarily via the size of the lesion and not by its quality.
This agrees with the belief that the sheer quantity of lipoproteins (i.e. “cholesterol”) in the blood cannot accurately indicate whether those lipoproteins are dangerous (atherogenic); but, if they are oxidized (e.g. ox-LDL) they can be threatening (or representative of a more systemic imbalance in the body) while non-oxidized low density lipoprotein may be regarded as entirely benign, if not crucial for heart and overall body health.
Researchers discovered that the pomegranate group had raised triglycerides levels and very low density lipoprotein, again, underlining that the anti-atherosclerotic properties possible have stronger connection to the enhanced quality of the physiological milieu within which all lipoproteins operate than their number.
Beyond any doubt, all participants in the study took conventional, drug-based care for heart disease, like blood pressure and cholesterol-lowering medications.
Findings showed that pomegranate did not interfere with the drugs used, which shows that it can be taken as a complementary/adjunct therapy for those on drugs.
Moreover, the study found that the condition of the got progressively aggravated (for instance, the mean IMT raised 9% within a year), which indicates that drugs fail to deliver results, and may even speed up the development of the disease.
“Pomegranate juice consumption resulted in a significant IMT [intima media thickness] reduction, by up to 30%, after 1 year.”
Therefore, there is a growing interest in this beneficial fruit, as it is completely natural and has no side-effects, it is inexpensive and able to unclog the arteries.
On the other hand, patients spend their money on expensive drugs, as cholesterol-lowering statins, which fail to deliver positive effects, and have been related to more than over 300 adverse health effects.
Namely, the intima media is, in fact, the middle part of the arteries that get inflamed and full of plaque comprised of immune cells, oxidized fats, and their debris, in the condition commonly known as “blocked arteries.”
As this part gets thicker, the blood contents have smaller space to move through the arteries’ opening (lumen). As soon as the arteries are closed or obstructed, the person may suffer from a disastrous injury or even death.
Hence, anything that can reduce or prevent the thickening of intima media in a natural way is extremely beneficial, as far as obtaining a root cause resolution of atherosclerosis, and by implication can significantly prevent deaths related to cardiovascular mortality.
Therefore, as we are living in a world where the major cause for death is the cardiovascular disease, and millions of patients use drugs that only reduce surrogate markers for cardiovascular disease risk, that is, lipoproteins carrying cholesterol, without reducing the heart disease or the number of deaths, it is quite unbelievable how this potential of pomegranate has been neglected.
Namely, if there is a slightest chance that such a simple dietary intervention may reduce or reverse the major disease of millions of people around the world, it would be disastrous not to use its potential.
Therefore, the goal of this article is to shed light on this clinical trial and its findings in order to focus on the importance of food-based interventions as a way to prevent and even reverse the symptoms of the deadliest disease of the modern era.
Israeli researchers published their study in 2014 in Clinical Nutrition under the title“Pomegranate juice consumption for 3 years by patients with carotid artery stenosis reduces common carotid intima-media thickness, blood pressure and LDL oxidation,” in which they exposed their findings that pomegranate, administered in juice form for a period of a year, reversed plaque buildup in the carotid arteries of subjects with severe, but symptomless, carotid artery stenosis (defined as 70–90% blockage in the internal carotid arteries).
This study included 19 patients, 5 women and 14 men, non-smokers, at the age of 65-75. Ten of these patients consumed pomegranate juice, while 9 were in the control group and received placebo.
All participants had similar blood pressure, blood lipid and glucose concentrations, and took similar medications which involved blood-pressure lowering (like β-blockers, ACE inhibitors, or calcium channel blockers) and lipid lowering drugs (like statins).
Those ten patients received 1.69 ounces (50 ml) of pomegranate juice on a daily basis which included .036 milligrams of total polyphenols (primarily tannins and anthocyanins), for a year. Furthermore, five of these decided to continue for up to three years.
These are the results:
Lowering of Blood Pressure:
Antioxidant properties:
Plaque Lesion Stabilization:
As 2 of 10 patients on PJ (after 3 and 12 months) experienced clinical deterioration, carotid surgery was done and the lesions were examined to determine the difference in composition to those who did not consume this fruit. Thus, 4 distinct positive differences have been noticed:
-Reduced Cholesterol Content: “The cholesterol content in carotid lesions from the two patients that consumed PJ was lower by 58% and 20%, respectively, in comparison to lesions obtained from CAS patients that did not consume PJ (Fig. 3A).”
-Reduced LDL Oxidation:
n by lesions derived from the patients after PJ consumption for 3 or 12 months, was significantly (Po0.01) decreased by 43% or 32%, respectively, in comparison to LDL oxidation rates obtained by lesions from CAS patients that did not consume PJ (Fig. 3D).”
-Increased Reduced Glutathione Content:
“A substantial increase in the lesion reduced glutathione (GSH) content, (GSH is a major cellular antioxidant) by 2.5-fold, was observed after PJ consumption for 3 or 12 months, (Fig. 3C).”
-Reduced Lipid Peroxides:
“The lipid peroxides content in lesions obtained from the patients after PJ consumption for 3 or 12 months was significantly reduced by 61% or 44%, respectively, as compared to lesions from patients that did not consume PJ (Fig. 3B).”
These conclusions show that despite the ability of pomegranate to reduce the lesion size in the carotid arteries, “the lesion itself may be considered less atherogenic after PJ consumption, as its cholesterol and oxidized lipid content decreased, and since its ability to oxidize LDL was significantly reduced.”
Undoubtedly, this result is revolutionary, as currently, the threat of carotid artery stenosis is considered primarily via the size of the lesion and not by its quality.
This agrees with the belief that the sheer quantity of lipoproteins (i.e. “cholesterol”) in the blood cannot accurately indicate whether those lipoproteins are dangerous (atherogenic); but, if they are oxidized (e.g. ox-LDL) they can be threatening (or representative of a more systemic imbalance in the body) while non-oxidized low density lipoprotein may be regarded as entirely benign, if not crucial for heart and overall body health.
Researchers discovered that the pomegranate group had raised triglycerides levels and very low density lipoprotein, again, underlining that the anti-atherosclerotic properties possible have stronger connection to the enhanced quality of the physiological milieu within which all lipoproteins operate than their number.
Beyond any doubt, all participants in the study took conventional, drug-based care for heart disease, like blood pressure and cholesterol-lowering medications.
Findings showed that pomegranate did not interfere with the drugs used, which shows that it can be taken as a complementary/adjunct therapy for those on drugs.
Moreover, the study found that the condition of the got progressively aggravated (for instance, the mean IMT raised 9% within a year), which indicates that drugs fail to deliver results, and may even speed up the development of the disease.
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