Liquid Nutritionals Side Effects Series - Will Pomegranate Juice interact with your meds?
by Ask a Healer
Related Article:
Mixing Natural with Drugs
This is part of a series on antioxidant juices and potential drug interactions. This page contains information about Pomegranate Juice benefits, safety and possible drug interactions.
What is a Pomegranate? The Pomegranate fruit comes from a small tree called Punica granatum, which grow naturally in various locations around the world including India and are also grown and cultivated in the United States, in California.
The best juice formulas from this fruit will be those that do not contain added sugar or other lower-quality juices but are 100 percent pomegranate juice. A concentrated liquid nutritional such as pomegranate juice is thought to have health benefits for many. For example, most recently, there was a study that showed pomegranate juice had a very beneficial and documented effect on atherosclerosis. There was a study which was done in Canada which showed "substantial reductions in levels of oxidative stress and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 in atherosclerotic plaques in the aortic sinus and coronary arteries". More on pomegranate for atherosclerosis. Certain precautions may apply if you take prescription drugs and also take pomegranate juice on a regular basis. More information below and also, check with your doctor.
Pomegranate Juice - Potential Drug Interactions
Pomegranate was listed on a report I read, by those who do such reports every year, as one of the top 5 most healthy foods. Walnuts were one of the top 5 too, by the way. I keep them handy for snacks.
Pom is a very popular juice brand but Pomegranate ( often mispelled Pomegrante ) is also popping up in non-liquid formulas including the newest fatburner, Fucothin, as well as nutritional products besides just as a juice.
Potential health benefits of drinking pomegranate juice include:
* helping reduce cholesterol
* helping inhibit cancer cell growth
* helping to prevent the formation of arterial plaque
This particular liquid nutritional is considered also an iron tonic and appears to have other cardiovascular health properties as well.
The latest health buzz regarding pomegranate is for arthritis. According to a study where mice were "chemically induced" to develop rheumatoid arthritis (interesting that scientists know how to create arthritis but not how to un-create it), the mice in the study which had been given pomegranate juice had far less incidence of rheumatoid arthritis.
Actually, every one of the mice who received water instead of pomegranate developed arthritis and, of those on the pom juice, 2 out of 3 developed it. Even if the pom drinking mice did get it, their symptoms appeared later in the six-week study than their unfortunate mice buddies who were only given water, and their symptoms were less severe. In addition, the mice that were given pomegranate juice prior to the chemical inducement of rheumatoid arthritis showed less internal inflammation. That corresponds to less pain when it comes to arthritis.
Prescription Drug
Interactions Alert:
This healthy beverage may be contraindicated if you are on certain medications for high blood pressure.
Drinking Pomegranate / Pomegrante juice could cause an unhealthy drop in blood pressure, if you are taking certain types of blood pressure medications. Only your doctor and your pharmacist can tell you if the meds you are on pose such a risk.
This juice contains oxalic acid which, in high doses, could interfere with absorption of calcium. Also, it's probably not the best choice for anyone prone to kidney stones.
Additionally, read the disclaimer at the bottom on diabetics and pregnant women. Diabetics must always be careful of sugar levels and pregnant or nursing women should always check with doctor before adding nutritionals, natural remedies or meds.
Health Disclaimer: Any fruit juice has sugars, including pomegranate. If you have any condition where sugar levels matter, check with your doctor. Diabetics should definitely check sugar content and discuss the use of antioxidant juices fully with their doctor. Although I found no specific contraindications to drinking pomegranate juice if pregnancy or nursing, check with your doctor if pregnant or nursing before adding liquid nutritionals.
