Pomegranate juice is made from the fruit of the

pomegranate The pomegranate (''Punica granatum'') is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae, subfamily Punicoideae, that grows between tall. The pomegranate was originally described throughout the Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean re ...

. It is used in cooking both as a fresh juice and as a concentrated syrup.

Possible health benefits and risks

Various primary studies have been conducted into possible health benefits derived from drinking pomegranate juice, but there is no strong evidence to suggest any effect in blood pressure management, cancer treatment, glucose and insulin management, or heart disease. Any potential benefits also need to be balanced against its high caloric content derived from its natural sugars. Drug interactions may also be possible. A 48-year-old man with possible underlying myopathy was uneventfully treated with ezetimibe 10 mg/day and rosuvastatin 5 mg every other day for 17 months. After three weeks of drinking 200ml pomegranate juice twice a week, he presented urgently with thigh pain and an elevated serum creatine kinase level indicating rhabdomyolysis. Doctors suspected competitive inhibition of P450 enzymes in the liver by the pomegranate juice (much like grapefruit juice).

Marketing

The health benefits of pomegranate juice were promoted by POM Wonderful, a pomegranate products manufacturer. As of September 2010, the company and its principals were the subjects of a

false advertising False advertising is defined as the act of publishing, transmitting, or otherwise publicly circulating an advertisement containing a false claim, or statement, made intentionally (or recklessly) to promote the sale of property, goods, or servic ...

complaint by the

Federal Trade Commission The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil (non-criminal) antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. The FTC shares jurisdiction o ...

(FTC). In May 2012, after a hearing, the administrative law judge issued an opinion upholding certain false advertising allegations in the FTC's complaint—based on implied as opposed to express claims—and finding for POM Wonderful on other points. , POM Wonderful's action in the U.S. District Court was pending consideration.

Pomegranate molasses

Pomegranate molasses is a

fruit syrup Fruit syrups or fruit molasses are concentrated fruit juices used as sweeteners. Fruit syrups have been used in many cuisines: * in Arab cuisine, '' rub'', ''jallab''; * in Ancient Greek cuisine, ''epsima''; * in Greek cuisine, ''petimezi''; * ...

made from pomegranate juice, not

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalk ...

-derived

molasses Molasses () is a viscous substance resulting from refining sugarcane or sugar beets into sugar. Molasses varies in the amount of sugar, method of extraction and age of the plant. Sugarcane molasses is primarily used to sweeten and flavour foods ...

. It is a reduction from the juice of a tart variety of pomegranate, evaporated to form a thick, dark red liquid. Pomegranate molasses is often used on top of meatloaf or meatballs to give them a shiny glaze and can be also be used for drizzling over rice pudding or oatmeal. It is used in Iranian fesenjān and Turkish

dolma Dolma (Turkish for “stuffed”) is a family of stuffed dishes associated with Ottoman cuisine, and common in modern national cuisines of regions and countries that once were part of the Ottoman Empire. Some types of dolma are made with who ...

and various salads such as çoban salatası. It is called (''rob e ænar'') in Persian, (''dibs rumman'') in

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

, ''nar ekşisi'' in Turkish, ''narşərab'' in

Azerbaijani Azerbaijani may refer to: * Something of, or related to Azerbaijan * Azerbaijanis * Azerbaijani language See also * Azerbaijan (disambiguation) * Azeri (disambiguation) * Azerbaijani cuisine * Culture of Azerbaijan The culture of Azerbaijan ...

References

External links

* {{Fruit juice Arab cuisine Fruit juice Pomegranate drinks Iranian drinks Israeli cuisine Azerbaijani cuisine Turkish condiments Armenian drinks

Possible health benefits and risks

Marketing

Pomegranate molasses

See also

References

Further reading

Articles

Books

External links