Drinking pomegranate juice can help slow the aging process, and even make you look younger, according to a new study.
Researchers at the ProbelteBio laboratories in Spain have found that regular consumption of pomegranate juice or supplements actually slows the natural aging of DNA.
And while the company has an interest in selling you on pomegranates – they are grown on land owned by the parent company, ProbelteGrupo – the findings are consistent with other studies that demonstrate the fruit’s health benefits.
In this study, researchers gave pomegranate extract, including the pith, peel, and seeds, to 60 people every day for a month. Others were given a placebo.
They found that those who’d taken the pomegranate extract had a significant decrease in a chemical linked to cell damage which can impair brain, muscle, liver and kidney functioning, and also speed up aging of the skin, causing wrinkles.
The researchers say they believe the decrease in this chemical slows down the oxidation of the DNA cells which occurs naturally as people age.
Pomegranate juice has also been shown to help lower cholesterol and blood pressure.