Follow Spanish Investment Immigration and Life in Spain: Autumn is the harvest season for pomegranates. A new study announced at the European Society of Cardiology annual meeting found that consuming pomegranate appropriately helps maintain vascular health, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Researchers at the Catalan Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences in Spain conducted experiments on a polyphenolic compound found in pomegranates—punicalagin. They discovered that after excessive feeding of high-fat foods, experimental animals exhibited significant endothelial damage, reduced vascular elasticity, and decreased levels of endothelial relaxing factors, among other symptoms of cardiovascular diseases. However, after daily supplementation with a nutritional supplement containing 200 milligrams of punicalagin, the symptoms of vascular damage were significantly alleviated, and other heart health indicators also improved.
Dr. Lina Badimon, the lead researcher, stated that punicalagin is a key polyphenolic substance in pomegranates that has the effect of preventing or slowing down endothelial dysfunction, thereby reducing the risk of diseases such as atherosclerosis and stroke. Early studies have also found that appropriate consumption of pomegranate juice helps lower blood pressure and reduce levels of stress hormones in the body. For patients with thrombosis and hyperlipidemia, drinking a cup of pomegranate juice daily can improve heart blood flow by more than one-third.