Pomegranate Juice and POMx Yield the Same Health Benefits

13/07/06 Three years after introducing consumers to the health benefits and delicious taste of the world's first refrigerated, super-premium pomegranate juice, POM Wonderful announced today that it has developed a concentrated form of pomegranate antioxidants known as POMx. POMx, already being noted by medical researchers as an important natural ingredient, is so concentrated that only a small amount is needed to obtain an optimal level of daily antioxidants. For consumers who are not seeking additional calories and sugars, this is an important product benefit. POMx comes from the same Wonderful variety of pomegranates that are used to make POM Wonderful's healthy pomegranate juices. It also has a similar biochemical profile to pomegranate juice since both contain a diverse range of phytochemicals, of which polyphenols make up a large proportion. POMx is currently an active ingredient in POM Tea, a refreshing, healthy, ready-to-drink iced tea that is available in retail stores nationally.

According to Michael Aviram, DSc, Professor of Biochemistry and Head Lipid Research Laboratory, Technion Faculty of Medicine and Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel, who was at the forefront of the initial research on pomegranates, the research on POMx looks very promising. In 2006, Aviram led a study on POMx, which was recently published (Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, 2006 54:1928-1935). Commenting on this research, Professor Aviram remarks, "The results showed that POMx is as potent an antioxidant as pomegranate juice and just like pomegranate juice may protect against cardiovascular as well as other diseases."

The POMx research comes as the benefits derived from the Wonderful variety of pomegranate are, once again, being noted by the worldwide medical community. Recently, the American Association for Cancer Research published research that indicates that a daily pomegranate regimen has a positive effect for men with prostate cancer. Specifically, drinking 8 ounces of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice daily prolonged post-prostate surgery PSA doubling time from 15 to 54 months (Clinical Cancer Research, July 1, 2006). PSA is a protein marker for prostate cancer and the faster PSA levels increase in the blood of men after treatment, the greater their potential for dying of prostate cancer.

David Heber, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Director, UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, provided additional commentary on POMx as it relates to prostate cancer. "Basic studies indicate that the effects of POMx and POM Wonderful pomegranate juice on prostate cancer are the same. The most abundant and most active ingredients in pomegranate juice are also found in POMx."