Pomegranates Prevent Infections
Pomegranates are quickly emerging as one of the world’s best super fruits. They are loaded with antioxidants that can reduce the damage caused by free radicals in the body. And another huge benefit of pomegranates is that the juice tastes amazing, so it’s not difficult to drink a couple times a week.
A recent Israeli study shows exactly how much of an impact pomegranate juice can have on the body. This study used 101 kidney disease patients and randomly assigned half of them to drink pomegranate juice and the other half to drink a placebo three times a week for a year. Throughout that time the rate of infection and hospitalizations were recorded.
It was discovered that those drinking pomegranate juice visited the hospital less in that year and also had significantly lower levels of inflammatory molecules in the blood. One of the reasons for this may be because those who are on dialysis have tons of free radicals in their body. Once those free radicals are taken care of with the antioxidants the body can more easily heal and prevent infections from forming.
How do antioxidants help to prevent infections? The antioxidants help to alter free radicals so that they are no longer harmful within the body. Without antioxidants kidney patients frequently suffer from infections and disease. With the added protection they are able to avoid visiting the hospital due to infections.
Pomegranates provide loads of antioxidants that have a positive impact on other parts of the body as well. They have been shown to prevent and even reverse heart disease, guard against breast cancer, and protect the prostate. In other words, there is something for everyone included in this magical little fruit.
Many people have tried to use other fruits that have antioxidants as a replacement for pomegranate juice. But in the past three years it has been shown to contain the highest levels of polyphenols when compared to several different products.
Even red wine has fewer benefits than you would receive after using pomegranate juice. In this particular study, Dr. Batya Kristal discovered that hospitalizations due to infection were reduced by 40% in the placebo group and an astounding 80% in the pomegranate group.
Another recent study indicates that pomegranates have a hand at reducing inflammation and preventing tissue damage. This has huge implications for anyone suffering from kidney disease. Using a juice high in antioxidants can prevent many of the complications of kidney disease thus reducing health care costs.
Many times people would have you believe that the only way you can get positive benefits with regards to kidney disease or prostate health is by taking a pill. But most of the time there is also a natural method that you can employ to get similar, if not greater, results.
By using pomegranate juice to support a healthy prostate and kidney you reduce many side effects that are associated with pharmaceutical drugs. You also get a product that can improve your health from several different angles as opposed to taking a pill for each problem you face.
Most people are looking for the best way to live a healthy life. When you are trapped to a dialysis machine it can feel as though you can’t ever be free. But if you have the potential to avoid many of the infections that would usually require hospitalization perhaps you can get some of the freedom back that you thought had been lost through years of dialysis.