Pure, meaning only having 1 ingredient, pomegranate juice is something you may want to consider adding to your diet if you don’t drink it already.  Read the ingredient list on the label to make sure the ONLY ingredient is pomegranate.  Why should you add it you ask? Well, some experts think that pomegranate juice can block or slow the build-up of cholesterol in our bodies.

Pomegranate juice contains antioxidants (these are the things that protect us from free radicals…wasn’t free radicals also a band?…anyway, I digress).  One antioxidant pomegranate juice contains is phytochemicals.  Phytochemicals protect plants from harmful elements in the environment, like pests and ultraviolet radiation. They also provide plants with their sensory characteristics such as flavor, smell and color.  Polyphenols are an important class of phytochemicals.  Tannins (punicalagin, anthocyanins and ellagic acid) are all members of the polyphenol family.  While many fruits have some of these antioxidants, pomegranates have all three. The antioxidants in pomegranate juice are greater than in other types of juice.

Antioxidants provide heart-protecting benefits, including reducing LDL (the bad) cholesterol.

If you are on any medication, ask a doctor if it’s okay to drink pomegranate juice on a regular basis before you start drinking it.  Some medicines may have a food/drug interaction associated with pomegranate.