Middle-age spread? Drink pomegranate juice, say researchers

New claims for super-food pomegranate juice – can it stop middle-age spread? The already highly regarded fruit juice may have even more health benefits.

Pomegranate juice is already credited with helping prevent cancer and being good for your heart. Recent research has now suggested that regular drinking of the delicious juice may reduce the stored stomach fat known as ‘middle-aged spread’ in women and the ‘spare tyre’ in men.

University of Edinburgh researchers trialled the high anti-oxidant juice over a four-week period with 24 volunteers who were each given a 500ml bottle to drink each day. At the end of the trial, tests were made on the volunteers’ blood pressure and non-sterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels.

Findings showed that more than half the group had lower NEFA levels, indicating that they were much less likely to store fat in the stomach area, and 90 per cent had lower blood pressure, reducing their risk of heart attacks, kidney disease and strokes.

The study’s lead researchers, Dr Catherine Tsang and Dr Emad Aldujaili, stated that there was no doubt about the beneficial effects of pomegranate juice in that it lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering the blood pressure as well as reducing the likelihood of middle-age spread. The two believe the trial’s initial results deserve detailed study, especially in the field of chronic obesity.

The findings will be presented next month at a Functional Food seminar in Oxford. Another suggested benefit of the juice is that it can enhance the sex life as its antioxidants increase blood flow to the genital area.