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Pomegranate Dietary Supplements: Can You Ever Get Enough?

posted by ChickSpeak
Friday, October 16, 2009 at 6:38pm EDT

Ah, that complex matrix of shiny, ruby red seeds with a pop of sweetness, yet a burst of tang. For some, pomegranates are just so utterly irresistible. And with what doctors and scientists are telling us, they’re also guilt-free.

As the years go by, more and more research is developing about the positive and negative effects of pomegranate dietary supplements and the blend of substances found in the fruit.

So what can a pomegranate supplement do for you? It’s all about the antioxidants! Agro Labs’ 100% natural Naturally Pomegranate dietary supplement indicates this super fruit has two primary contributors.

Punicalagin: Punicalagin is a tannin that is now linked to the presence of antioxidants in a pomegranate. ”Recent university research has shown that this tannin punicalagin contributes significantly to the powerful antioxidant activities found in pomegranate and have been identified as the active compound responsible for maintaining and promoting optimal cardiovascular health,” according to Agro Labs.

Resveratrol: This is simply the powerful antioxidant also contained in red wine, minus the alcohol of course.

These antioxidants not only support cardiovascular health and strengthen your body’s defenses, but also neutralize cell damaging free radicals. Other research indicates the fruit can help heal dry skin, unclog arteries, reduce high blood pressure, alleviate tumor severity and curb weight loss. There’s no doubt about it; pomegranates are definitely good for you.

But this doesn’t answer the most important questions: Does consuming huge amounts of antioxidants or a fruit like pomegranate actually prevent disease and health issues? Are dietary supplements the way to go? After all, a serving size (only two tablespoons) of Agro Lab’s pomegranate supplement contains the antioxidant equivalent of the pulp of 15 pomegranates!

Is too much of anything, regardless of health benefits, a bad thing?

Researchers’ stand on this issue seems to continue to vary. A series of studies in the 1990s testing the effectiveness of antioxidants in large doses found the supplements actually increased risk of disease in some cases. Scientists disagreed on the conclusions made through those studies. However, a singular conclusion seems to remain: it is a combination of antioxidants working together, not one standing alone, that contribute to health, according to the George Meteljan Foundation.

The problem with always seeing antioxidants as “good” is that they have the potential to be prooxidants, meaning they can have the opposite effect in the body. Antioxidants serve to lend compounds an extra electron to neutralize reactivity in free-radicals, as electrons need pairs. When compounds are reactive, they can damage the wall of a blood vessel or cell membrane.

Once antioxidants give their extra electrons away, however, they are then uneven, too; they no longer serve the same helpful purpose, the Foundation indicates.

This is where the need for a variety of antioxidants comes in; the minute one antioxidant loses its electron, it needs to find another antioxidant to lend it an electron. And this sort of “ping pong like” effect continues throughout the body, so you need that teamwork to ensure your body’s health.

The dietary supplement’s bottle does say, “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”

So there you have it. Though there are some good things at work in pomegranates and pomegranate supplements, they can’t promise a disease-free life alone. Therefore, “It’s a mistake to think about antioxidant supplements as a kind of ‘insurance program’ or ‘safety net’ where we’re just building up our army of ‘good guys.’”

Once again, it’s all about balancing our antioxidant sources.

“You don’t get the complete antioxidant team when you take a dietary supplement, no matter how high in quality. Nor do you get the complete antioxidant team when you eat processed foods with artificial flavors and colorings in place of natural flavonoids and carotenoids. It takes a whole, natural foods diet to provide you with complete antioxidant teamwork,” according to the George Meteljan Foundation.

So don’t depend on one singular nutrient to salvage your health; there are no guarantees here.

Kristin Larmore is a recent graduate of Appalachian State University who is very interested in nutrition research, good and bad, surrounding super foods. She loves enjoying a good pomegranate when they’re in season, but has never bought the juice because of the price tag.

Photo from http://www.ayurvedictalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/pomegranate.jpg