Thursday Oct 31, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- Taking pomegranate extract supplements may help fight memory dysfunction at least in patients receiving heart surgery, according to a study in Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

The pilot study led by S. A. Ropacki from Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System in Palo Alto, California and colleagues shows patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft and/or valve surgery but taking pomegranate extract daily before and after surgery suffered less memory dysfunction, compared with those who went through the same surgery but did not take the supplement.

Exactly, for the trial, patients were given either 2 grams of pomegranate extract (in 2 POMx pills) or placebo daily for one week before surgery and six weeks after surgery. 

Patients who go through coronary artery bypass graft and/or valve surgery are expected to suffer memory dysfunction because they need subject to a procedure called mircoemboli, which induces a diffuse ischemic state, which in turn leads to memory dysfunction due probably to oxidative stress.

Pomegranate extract contains polyphenols and antioxidants that may neutralize the induced oxidative stress and prevent memory loss and help improve memory retention postsurgery in patients receiving coronary artery bypass graft and or valve surgery.

In comparison, the patients given placebo experienced significant deficits in postsurgery memory retention and pomegranate extract not only protected against memory loss, but actually improved the memory retention for as long as six weeks postsurgery, compared with the performance at baseline.

Pomegranate is believed to contain the highest levels of antioxidants, even higher than blueberry.   Pomegranate health benefits include the following:

Pomegranate juice may prevent advanced breast cancer, skin cancer, and prostate cancer; helps cure impotence; reduce heart disease risk in diabetics; slow or stop tumor growth; slow cartilage deterioration and help babies resist brain injury. (Jimmy Down)