Pomegranate Protection against Cardiovascular Diseases

Figure 1

Pomegranate juice (PJ) consumption attenuates atherosclerotic lesion development in the atherosclerotic apolipoprotein E-deficient (E⁰) mice (a)-(b), or in patients with carotid artery stenosis (CAS, c). Twenty E⁰ mice, 4-month-old, with advanced atherosclerosis, or 10 patients with severe CAS were supplemented with PJ concentrate (12.5 μL/mouse/day or 50 mL/day, resp.) for 9 weeks or for 1 year, respectively. Photomicrographs of typical foam cells from 6 months old E⁰ mice administered a placebo (a) or PJ (b) are presented. Effect of PJ consumption on human common carotid artery intima media thickness (IMT, c) is shown. *𝑃<0.01 (mean ± SEM, after PJ versus before PJ consumption).

(a)

(b)

(c) Carotid IMT