Wellness fruit Pomegranate has side effect on pharmaceutical drugs

Pomegranates have long been known to have beneficial properties, and have been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times. In fact, they are one of the most ancient foods, named in many ancient texts from the Book of Exodus in the Torah, the Bible, the Homeric Hymns, and Mesopotamian records, to name a few.

The long history of the pomegranate has seen it feature in art, myths and religion, and it doesn’t stop there. In more recent years, scientists have started to dig deeper in to the properties of pomegranates, to remarkable result.

Pomegranates contain high levels of flavonoids and polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that offer protection against heart disease and cancer. A glass of pomegranate juice has more antioxidants than red wine, green tea, blueberries, and cranberries.[1]

Another study looked at heart patients with severe carotid artery blockages. They were given an ounce of pomegranate juice each day for a year. Not only did study participants' blood pressure lower by over 12 percent, but there was a 30 percent reduction in atherosclerotic plaque. Alternatively, participants who did not take the pomegranate juice saw their atherosclerotic plaque increase by 9 percent.[2]

Pomegranates have also been found to contain potent antioxidant compounds that reduce platelet aggregation and naturally lower blood pressure, factors that prevent both heart attacks and strokes.[3]

Not only are pomegranates good for your heart and blood vessels but they have been shown to inhibit breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, leukemia and to prevent vascular changes that promote tumor growth in lab animals.[4,5,6,7] Several in vitro studies have shown this remarkable anti-cancer effect.[8,9,10,11] Additional studies and clinical trials currently taking place are hopeful to reveal this fascinating effect on humans.

Also of note, pomegranate juice contains phytochemical compounds that stimulate serotonin and estrogen receptors, improving symptoms of depression and increasing bone mass in lab animals.[12]

POMEGRANATE AS A HEALTH AND WELLNESS NUTRITIONAL FRUIT MAY LEAD TO UNWANTED MEDICATION INTERACTIONS REPORTS A CHIROPRACTOR IN GLEBE AREA

However, another recent study has also found that pomegranates contain substances that may interfere with some prescription drugs. These pharmaceuticals include those that treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart rhythm abnormalities and depression. The fruit juice also interferes with anticonvulsants and anticoagulants.

It is thought some foods that contain some of the same properties as pomegranates could also have a similar effect.

The study looks at how the three major active components in pomegranate interfere with the delivery of drugs via proteins known as solute carrier transporters. They also play vital roles in the elimination of toxic molecules by helping transport toxins to the liver and kidney where they can be eliminated from the body.

However, co-administration with other drugs have been reported to be problematic possibly due to drug and food interactions, which lead to altered performance of the drugs in body.

"Our study confirms the... pomegranate components can impact on these transporters, which means if there are other drug molecules going into the cells through these transporters, then the presence of those pomegranate components is going to interfere with the drugs," says Zhou.[13]

What Do You Do if You Are Taking Medications and Pomegranate?

So if you are taking prescription medicine, check with your medical doctor before cracking a bottle of pomegranate juice, or popping the seeds into your mouth. If, on the other hand, you aren’t taking medication, you should consider adding pomegranates to your diet. It just might help keep you from needing the medication later.

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1. Seeram NP, Aviram M, Zhang Y, et al: Comparison of antioxidant potency of commonly consumed polyphenol-rich beverages in the United States. J Agric Food Chem 2008, 56:1415-1422.
2. Aviram M, Rosenblat M, Gaitini D, et al. Pomegranate juice consumption for 3 years by patients with carotid artery stenosis reduces common carotid intima-media thickness, blood pressure and LDL oxidation. Clin Nutr 2004;23(3):423-33.
3. Aviram M, Dornfeld L, Rosenblat M, et al. Pomegranate juice consumption reduces oxidative stress, atherogenic modifications to LDL, and platelet aggregation:studies in humans and in atherosclerotic apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;71(5):1062-76. Aviram M, Dornfeld L. Pomeganate juice consumption inhibits serum angiotensin coverting enzyme activity and reduces systolic blood pressure. Atherosclerosis 2001;158(1):195-8.
4. Kim ND, Mehta R, Yu W, et al. Chemopreventive and adjuvant therapeutic potential of pomegranate (Punica granatum) for human breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2002;71(3):203-17. Kohno H, Suzuki R, Yasui Y, et al. Pomegranate seed oil rich in conjugated linolenic acid suppresses chemically induced colon carcinogenesis in rats.Cancer Sci 2004;95(6):481-6.
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7. Kawaii S, Lansky EP. Differentiation-promoting activity of pomegranate (Punica granatum) fruit extracts in HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells. J Med Food 2004;7(1):13-8.
8. Adams LS, Seeram NP, Aggarwal BB, et al: Pomegranate juice, total pomegranate ellagitannins, and punicalagin suppress inflammatory cell signaling in colon cancer cells. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemis ry 2006, 54:980-985.
9. Toi M, Bando H, Ramachandran C, et al: Preliminary studies on the anti-angiogenic potential of pomegranate fractions in vitro and in vivo. Angiogenesis 2003, 6:121-128.
10. Sartippour MR, Seeram NP, Rao JY, et al: Ellagitannin-rich pomegranate extract inhibits angiogenesis in prostate cancer in vitro and in vivo. Int J Oncol 2008, 32:475-480.
11. Adams LS, Zhang Y, Seeram NP, et al: Pomegranate ellagitannin-derived compounds exhibit antiproliferative and antiaromatase activity in breast cancer cells in vitro. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 2010, 3:108-113.
12. Mori-Okamoto J, Otawara-Hamamoto Y, Yamato H, Yoshimura H. Pomegranate extract improves a depressive state and bone properties in menopausal syndrome model ovariectomized mice. J Ethnopharmacol 2004;92(1):93-101.
13. Zhen Li, Ke Wang, Jian Zheng, Florence Shin Gee Cheung, Ting Chan, Ling Zhu, Fanfan Zhou. Interactions of the active components of Punica granatum (pomegranate) with the essential renal and hepatic human Solute Carrier transporters. (doi: 10.3109/13880209.2014.900809)