Consumption of pomegranate juice decreases blood lipid peroxidation and levels of arachidonic acid in women with metabolic syndrome

BACKGROUND Pomegranate juice is a rich source of polyphenols and is thus a promising dietary antioxidant with numerous health-promoting effects. These include a beneficial impact on cardiovascular health that could be partly attributed to the effects of polyphenols on lipid metabolism. The aim of this study was to investigate whether consumption of pomegranate juice for 6 weeks could modify lipid peroxidation and phospholipid fatty acid composition of plasma and erythrocytes in subjects with metabolic syndrome. Twenty-three women, aged 40–60 years, were enrolled and randomly assigned into two groups: the intervention group, in which each participant consumed 300 mL of juice per day for 6 weeks; and a control group. RESULTS A statistically significant decrease in the relative amount of arachidonic acid (P < 0.05) and an increase in the relative amount of saturated fatty acids (P < 0.05) were observed in the intervention group at the end of the consumption period. In addition, pomegranate juice significantly increased the relative amount of total mono-unsaturated fatty acids (P < 0.05), and significantly decreased the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in erythrocytes (P < 0.05). The status of blood lipids and the values for blood pressure were not changed during the study. CONCLUSION The results obtained indicate a positive impact of the consumption of pomegranate juice on lipid peroxidation and fatty acid status in subjects with metabolic syndrome and suggest potential anti-inflammatory and cardio-protective effects