pomegranate/conjugated fatty acids

[Guest guest]

was enjoying my occasional treat of a fresh pomegranate (yum!) and

googled upon this, found it very interesting...

main points of interest:

1. CLA-like FA's are concentrated in pomegranate.

2. pomegranate has highest known concentration of (phyto?)estrogens

in plant foods. (damn!)

3. pomegranate is a source gamma-tocopherols

4. pomegranate is loaded with antioxidants like polyphenols (not

mentioned in this article, but widely reported elsewhere)

BTW you can buy dried pomegranate seeds ( " anardana " ) cheaply at

Indian shops. Nice sour flavor, useful spice seed.

Also, strange anecdote: in the past year or so I've seen **several**

full-size billboards on major interstate highways advertising

pomegranate juice! Not your typical billboard fare...

Mike

SE Pennsylvania

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Organic Cold-Pressed

Pomegranate Seed Oil:

Nature's Ultimate Nutraceutical Oil?

by

Ephraim Philip Lansky, M.D.

Founder and Chairman,

Rimonest Ltd.

In the 1980's, scientists studying the biochemistry of beef and dairy

products made an extraordinary, accidental discovery. It had been

known for years that highly charred meat harbored cancer-causing

chemicals. In trying to understand the transformations in the meat

which led to the formation of these compounds, those workers

serendipitously came upon a kind of fatty acid which had not

previously been known, and which actually was a powerful cancer

preventive! Now called conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, this 18-

carbon fatty acid with alternating double bonds proved to be one of

the most powerful cancer preventive chemicals ever found in a natural

product.

Fat, for the most part, is made of building blocks of carbon chains

connected to organic acid groups. These chains are called fatty

acids, and the usual bonds between the carbons are called " single

bonds, " or " saturated, " because they attract hydrogen atoms which

cause the fats to be solids at room temperature. If these bonds lose

their hydrogen atoms, they are said to become " unsaturated, " and the

single bonds redouble, resulting in " double bonds, " causing these

unsaturated fats to behave as liquids at room temperature.

Typically, such bonds exist on the same sides of the carbon chains,

but in the case of CLA, they occur on alternate sides and are

called " conjugated. "

Further studies on CLA, including numerous clinical trials,

highlighted the many advantages of this class of compounds for human

health. Not only does CLA prevent different types of cancer, it also

is a powerful fighter of arteriosclerosis (hardening of the

arteries), and further, helps normalize obesity. Today CLA,

extracted from bovine sources, is taken by people worldwide on a

daily basis to fight cancer, fat buildup in the blood and

overweight. Because of its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory

properties, CLA has also begun to be incorporated into natural

cosmetics and cosmeceutical products.

Conjugated fatty acids like CLA are almost completely unknown in the

plant world. One recent survey listed only six botanical species

worldwide that contained even traces of conjugated fatty acids.

These included, for example, some rare medicinal herbs that harbor

conjugated fatty acids in small amounts in their roots. However, one

relatively common plant, the pomegranate (granatapfel) with the Latin

name Punica granatum (the " seeded apple " ), contains almost 80%

conjugated fatty acids in the oil of its seeds! The principle

conjugated fatty acid in pomegranate seed oil is called " punicic

acid. "

In fact, punicic acid is a type of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)

similar to those found in the charred meats and milk products of

cattle. Unlike the CLA's from beef, however, which contain two

alternating double bonds, the 18-carbon chain of punicic acid

contains three double bonds, a fact which theoretically may provide

this vegetarian type of CLA to have even more biochemical power to

fight cancer, fatty plaques on the arteries and obesity.

However, though pomegranate is one of the world's most ancient and

well-known fruits, and its peels and even juice have been employed in

herbal medicine throughout the world for millenia, there is virtually

no experience with the seed oil. This is in spite of the facts that

pomegranate figures so prominently in world mythologies (the Greek

goddess Persephone became bound to her husband Hades by eating six

pomegranate seeds), the Coats of Arms of British medical societies,

and the sacred iconography of Christianity, Judaism, Islam,

Zoroastrianism and Buddhism.

Pomegranate seed oil comprises up to 20% by weight of dried

pomegranate seeds, and is readily obtained by " cold " expeller

pressing. In addition to its conjugated fatty acids, the oil also

contains some other useful phytochemicals. One is a rare form of

Vitamin E, called gamma-tocopherol (in contrast to the more common

alpha-tocopherol) which is known to stimulate the self-destruction

(apoptosis) of cancer cells. Pomegranate seed oil also contains the

important phytosterols campestrerol, sigmasterol and beta-sitosterol,

all known to lower cholesterol and to fortify the immune system. And

finally, pomegranate seed oil is known to contain estrogens identical

to those found in mammals (such as estrone) in concentrations higher

than found in any other plant source.

The combination of conjugated fatty acids, rare vitamin E, sterols

and estrogens results in a unique natural product with a powerful and

beneficial effect when applied topically to the skin. In one

application, the user quickly experiences a deep emollient,

protective and anti-aging influence. Pomegranate seed oil, which is

somewhat heavy, is readily diluted with other carrier oils such as

almond, sesame or grape seed.

The need for pomegranate seed oil in human nutrition has not yet been

established, however initial studies show that pomegranate seed oil

exerts strong and specific actions against human cancers, both as

protection and possible treatment. Nutritionists prescribing CLA from

cattle usually recommend that CLA comprise about 1% of a person's

total fat intake, so perhaps this could also be a useful departure

point for experimenting with pomegranate seed oil. Workers in Japan

have already shown pomegranate seed oil to be effective in improving

a person's cholesterol balance, and have begun to incorporate

pomegranate seed oil into " functional foods " such as cheese spreads

(mixing the pomegranate seed oil with cheddar cheese).

In short, pomegranate seed oil holds all the promise for being one of

the most powerful and valuable nutraceutical oils ever discovered.

Humans have safely eaten pomegranates for thousands of years, often

chewing and swallowing the seeds that contain the oil. And in the

past ten years, I have supervised the use of this oil for the

external treatment of numerous skin conditions such as chronic

inflammation, irritations and discoloration. The oil has

consistently proven itself to be both safe and highly effective in

relieving many of these problems.

Please note, however, that except for the beginning studies and tests

mentioned above, experience with pomegranate seed oil in humans is

extremely limited. Therefor, we are not making any specific health

claims for the use of pomegranate seed oil in human beings.

For more information about pomegranate seed oil, including how to buy

it and suggestions for use, please contact us at Rimonest Ltd., Box

9945, Haifa, Israel, www.rimonest.com.

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