Chronic Kidney Conditions, Dialysis, and Pomegranate

Israeli researchers led by Dr. Batya Kristal conducted a study with 101 patients that need dialysis support, randomly chosen for either pomegranate juice or placebo drink. 

The pomegranate group showed remarkable improvements with cardiovascular factors, including reduced blood pressure.  One of the most dangerous risks with chronic kidney conditions is cardiovascular events that lead to death.

That was in 2010 and Dr. Kristal conclusion was that it is the high amounts of antioxidants in the pomegranate that resolved many issues for the dialysis patients.

Jumping forward to 2020 and there are so many different positive findings with pomegranate - beneficial effects on blood pressure, serum triglycerides, cholesterol, inflammation, and even weight loss (Kandylis & Kokkinomagoulos, 2020).

The benefits are actually quite a long list, as you can see in this abstract of the review.

Human Studies

The significance of pomegranate health benefits has been revealed by its adaption in several human-based studies. The consumption of pomegranate juice for a period of eight weeks showed beneficial effects on blood pressure, serum triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, oxidative stress and inflammation in hemodialysis patients. In patients with type 2 diabetes, a consumption of 1.5 mL/kg body weight reduced serum erythropoietin level after three hours while a 200 mL/day consumption for six weeks reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure without affecting the lipid profile. In addition, the daily consumption of pomegranate juice (230 mL) has been associated with the stabilization of the ability to learn visual information over a 12 month period. The consumption of pomegranate juice has also been proposed to athletes, and a systematic study for a 21 day period showed an improvement in malondialdehyde and carbonyls levels, and, thus, a decrease of the oxidative damage caused by exercise. Finally, pomegranate juice has been associated with a reduction of inflammation, muscle damage, and an increase of platelets blood levels in healthy people. A 30 day supplementation with pomegranate extracts in individuals with overweight and obesity beneficially affected body weight, serum glucose, insulin, triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL–C, HDL–C (high-density lipoprotein–cholesterol) and LDL–C to HDL–C proportion, while also acting as an anti-inflammatory agent, lowering inflammatory and lipid peroxidation biomarkers. An eight week supplementation with pomegranate peel extracts attenuated the systolic and diastolic blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes and also presented hypolipemic, hypoglycemic, and antioxidative potential. Finally, clinical studies with pomegranate seed oil in type 2 diabetic patients have resulted in reductions in the levels of fasting blood sugar, interleukin-6 and TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-α); however, no significant changes have been observed in insulin and lipid profiles. Full-Article

Sincerely yours,

Dohrea 

References

• Kandylis, P., & Kokkinomagoulos, E. (2020). Food applications and potential health benefits of pomegranate and its derivatives. Foods, 9(2), 122. Full-Article
• Barati Boldaji, R., Akhlaghi, M., Sagheb, M. M., & Esmaeilinezhad, Z. (2020). Pomegranate juice improves cardiometabolic risk factors, biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation in hemodialysis patients: A randomized crossover trial. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 100(2), 846-854.
• Sohrab, G., Roshan, H., Ebrahimof, S., Nikpayam, O., Sotoudeh, G., & Siasi, F. (2019). Effects of pomegranate juice consumption on blood pressure and lipid profile in patients with type 2 diabetes: A single-blind randomized clinical trial. Clinical nutrition ESPEN, 29, 30-35.

Green Facts:

The Science Daily:  Study for pomegranate and kidney dialysis: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101119083126.htm

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