Researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland gave extracts of pomegranate, equivalent to a 175-mililiter tumbler of pomegranate juice, to rabbits, and found it reduced inflammation, one of the most common triggers of arthritis, by almost half.
The team, which published its findings in the Journal of Inflammation, believes that eating pomegranates or drinking the juice could have the same effect on humans. If so, it could lead to a new treatment that avoids the side effects of current anti-inflammatory drugs, which can include nausea and bleeding in the stomach.
Further research on how the extract is absorbed into the bloodstream is needed, according to lead researcher Tariq Haqqi.
For more information, visit www.journal-inflammation.com/content/5/1/9/abstract.
