 |
Pomegranate Seed 40% Ellagic Acid Powdered Extract (Punica granatum) 1 kg (2.2 lbs): Q
The pomegranate has a long history of herbal use dating back more than 3,000 years. One pomegranate delivers 40% of an adult's daily vitamin C requirement. It is also a rich source of folic acid and of antioxidants. Pomegranates are high in polyphenols. The most abundant polyphenols in pomegranate are hydrolysable tannins, particularly punicalagins, which have been shown in many peer-reviewed research publications to be the antioxidant responsible for the free-radical scavenging ability of pomegranate juice. Many pomegranate extracts are essentially ellagic acid, which is largely a by-product of the juice extraction process. Ellagic acid is a polyphenol antioxidant found in numerous fruits and vegetables including raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, walnuts, pecans, pomegranates and other plant foods. Many food and dietary supplement makers have found the advantages of using pomegranate extracts (which have no sugar, calories, or additives), instead of the juice, as healthy ingredients in their products. In several human clinical trials, the juice of the pomegranate has been found effective in reducing several heart risk factors, including LDL oxidation, macrophage oxidative status, and foam cell formation, all of which are steps in atherosclerosis and heart disease. Tannins have been identified as the primary components responsible for the reduction of oxidative states which lead to these risk factors. Pomegranate has been shown to reduce systolic blood pressure by inhibiting serum angiotension converting enzyme (ACE). Research suggests that pomegranate juice may be effective against prostate cancer and osteoarthritis. Research in cell cultures and lab animals has found that ellagic acid may slow the growth of some tumors caused by certain carcinogens. Ellagic acid seems to have some anti-cancer properties. It can act as an antioxidant, and has been found to kill cancer cells in the lab. There are also reports that ellagic acid may help the liver to break down or remove some cancer-causing substances from the blood. Some supporters have claimed these results mean that ellagic acid can prevent or treat cancer in humans. This has not been proven.
|
