The dangers of high cholesterol levels are widely known and range from angina to an increased risk to suffer a stroke or heart attack. There are many factors that play into the own cholesterol levels and unfortunately you cannot influence all of them. However, cholesterol levels are diet-related and living by a good diet and with much physical activity can significantly benefit you. Before considering positive effects of eating pomegranates on our cholesterol, it is necessary to understand what its different components mean to us.
There is good and bad cholesterol:
The good one is called high-density lipoprotein (HDL). High levels benefit you, as they run through your body and carry extra cholesterol back to your liver.
The bad one is called low-density lipoprotein (LDL). High levels will harm you, as they stick to your arteries, reduce the blood flow and can cause a blockage.
Does pomegranate juice benefit your HDL and LDL cholesterol levels?
There is research supporting that the bad LDL levels are reduced when drinking pomegranate juice. A study by the “National Nutrition and Food Technology and Research Institute” in Tehran revealed that drinking concentrated pomegranate juice over a period of 8 weeks reduced total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL). Another study found that patients who drank pomegranate juice for only two weeks already had an 18% decrease of their LDL levels.
But not only is there research supporting the reduction of LDL, but it is also widely supported that pomegranate juice does raise the good cholesterol HDL.
How does pomegranate juice benefit cholesterol levels?
Pomegranates, as many other fruits, contain antioxidants (in particular polyphenols). The amount of antioxidants in pomegranates is however much higher than in other fruits. Those antioxidants have a variety of positive effects on your body, one of which is lowering your bad cholesterol (LDL) levels.
High levels of LDL and low levels of HDL fortune the buildup of a dangerous blockage in your arteries, potentially leading to a stroke or heart attack. Drinking pomegranate juice can prevent this risk. According to some sources it might even have the strength to reverse established blockages.
