Clinical investigation of the acute effects of pomegranate juice on blood pressure and endothelial function in hypertensive individuals

Background: pomegranate juice (pj) is rich in bioactive phytochemicals with antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective functions. the present trial investigated the acute effects of pj consumption on blood pressure and markers of endothelial function. methods: in this single-arm study, thirteen hypertensive men aged 39–68 years were recruited. included subjects were assigned to natural pj (150 ml/day) following a 12 hour fast. systolic blood pressure (sbp), diastolic blood pressure (dbp), and flow-mediated dilation (fmd), along with serum concentrations of c-reactive protein (crp), intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (icam-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (vcam-1), e-selectin and interleukin-6 (il-6) were measured at baseline and 4-6 hours after pj consumption. results: comparison of pre- vs. post-trial values revealed a significant reduction in both sbp (7%; p = 0.013) and dbp (6%; p < 0.010). however, changes in fmd (20%) as well as circulating levels of crp, icam-1, vcam-1, e-selectin, and il-6 did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.172). conclusion: pj has promising acute hypotensive properties. consumption of pj could be considered in the context of both dietary and pharmacological interventions for hypertension.