Pomegranate juice could be as effective as a performance enhancer for men, according to US researchers. It could also stem the growth of prostate cancer.
Difficulty in accessing Viagra? Don’t worry. You may comfortably settle for the pomegranate. A glass of pomegranate juice a day could do the trick, say University of California scientists. It has also been found that the fruit can also stem the growth of prostate cancer.
Lead author Dr Christopher Forest says that the juice is rich in antioxidants, which increases blood supply to the genitals. For the study, the team tested 53 men with libido problems. They found that nearly half the men who drank it for a month said they found it easier to perform."Pomegranate juice has great potential," Forest said.
Pomegranates grow wild from Iran to northern India, but they are cultivated throughout India, the Middle East, southern Europe and California. Scientists in Israel have been conducting research on the health benefits of pomegranates and pomegranate juice for years, and now others have joined in.
Researchers also report that they are rich in antioxidants that can keep bad LDL cholesterol from oxidizing (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May 2000). This degradation of LDL seems to be an initial step in the development of atherosclerosis. In addition, pomegranate juice, like aspirin, can help keep blood platelets from clumping together to form unwanted clots.
Besides eight ounces of pomegranate juice daily for three months improved the amount of oxygen getting to the heart muscle of patients with coronary heart disease (American Journal of the College of Cardiology, Sept. 2005). Other researchers report that long-term consumption of pomegranate juice may help combat erectile dysfunction (Journal of Urology, July 2005).
Investigators are also excited about the possibility that pomegranate compounds might prevent prostate cancer or slow its growth. In mice, treatment with pomegranate extract delayed the development of tumors and improved survival (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Sept. 26, 2005). Other research reports suggest that pomegranate juice might help reduce the risk of breast cancer.
Source-Medindia
LIN/M
