ally against inflammation and cardiovascular risk

Pomegranate extract rich in polyphenols and high in punicalagin, a powerful antioxidant, can reduce inflammatory markers and blood pressure in older adults, both normal weight and overweight, according to a clinical trial carried out by researchers from Manchester Metropolitan University, the Queen’s Institute of Medical Research and the University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom).

The study, published in Nutrientsevaluated 86 adults from among 55 and 70 years, of which 76 completed the trial, divided into two groups. During 12 weeks, one of the groups received placebo capsules every day and the other, identical capsules but with pomegranate extract from fruits grown in Alicante and Murcia, with a content of 30% of punicalagin and a 50% of polyphenols.

Throughout the trial, periodic measurements of blood pressure, anthropometric parameters and blood tests were performed, and serum inflammatory markers, blood glucose and lipid levels were measured. Although the participants were initially an apparently healthy population with no diagnosed pathologies, the study indicates that a significant number presented elevated levels of inflammatory markers and systolic blood pressure at baseline.

According to the results, the group that was administered the pomegranate extract saw a decrease in interleukin-6 (IL-6), one of the main markers of chronic inflammation associated with aging; the inflammatory cytokine IL-1B; and systolic blood pressure at -5.22 millimeters of mercury (mmHg), a clinically relevant decrease associated with a decrease of around 10% at risk of cardiovascular events.

Also, if compared with the placebo groupthese participants also showed a clear anti-inflammatory direction with positive trends in CRP and TNF-a, although without reaching statistically significant values.

“These results position punicalagin as a very interesting tool within a comprehensive approach to healthy aging,” highlighted the emergency physician at the Reina Sofía Hospital in Murcia. Juan José Cervantesdoctor specializing in regenerative, integrative and anti-aging medicine.

Chronic low-grade inflammation, although it can last for months or years without manifesting obvious symptoms, is associated with the loss of function of many physiological and pathological processes and the progressive deterioration of tissues and organs. It is also implicated in the development of serious diseases such as diabetes, heart problems, cancer, autoimmune disorders or cognitive impairment, increasing morbidity in older adults and significantly affecting healthy aging.

In this sense, researchers have concluded that pomegranate extract rich in punicalagin can be a valuable non-pharmacological strategy to promote healthy aging. Even so, they have pointed out that more studies, of longer duration, are needed to address the limitations of this three-month work, including the overrepresentation of participants with normal weight.