Andrea Hughett wrote:
> --- On Sun, 2/1/09, [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>   
>> An ounce of pomegranate juice
>> is only about
>> 4.5 carbohydrate grams.  An ounce of celery is about 2
>> grams, but to my
>> knowledge there are no studies yet to show what a
>> therapeutic dose of
>> celery (for reducing blood pressure) might be, so it's
>> quite possible that
>> you'd end up consuming more carbohydrate in celery than
>> in an ounce of
>> pomegranate juice, and the pomegranate juice appears to
>> have other
>> beneficial effects as well.
>>
>>     
>
>
> You make some good points, Todd. I will definitely look into the pomegranate option further.
>
> Andrea
>   

There was a recent study on pomegranate juice at 50 ml/day (about 2 oz) 
reversing arterial plaque as measured by carotid artery measurements 
(IMT). Also, pomegranate has ACE inhibition properties (lowers blood 
pressure). One can get the benefits of pomegranate juice without the 
sugar content by taking supplements. There are quite a few on the market 
and the pricing has come down significantly. There are other supplements 
that also lower blood pressure with some also having ACE properties. The 
blood lowering properties of celery is that it acts a a diuretic which 
lowers blood pressure. One might have to eat a lot of celery daily however.


http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0261561403002139


    Abstract

Dietary supplementation with polyphenolic antioxidants to animals was 
shown to be associated with inhibition of LDL oxidation and macrophage 
foam cell formation, and attenuation of atherosclerosis development.

We investigated the effects of pomegranate juice (PJ, which contains 
potent tannins and anthocyanins) consumption by atherosclerotic patients 
with carotid artery stenosis (CAS) on the progression of carotid lesions 
and changes in oxidative stress and blood pressure.

Ten patients were supplemented with PJ for 1 year and five of them 
continued for up to 3 years. Blood samples were collected before 
treatment and during PJ consumption. In the control group that did not 
consume PJ, common carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) increased by 9% 
during 1 year, whereas, PJ consumption resulted in a significant IMT 
reduction, by up to 30%, after 1 year. The patients’ serum paraoxonase 1 
(PON 1) activity was increased by 83%, whereas serum LDL basal oxidative 
state and LDL susceptibility to copper ion-induced oxidation were both 
significantly reduced, by 90% and 59%, respectively, after 12 months of 
PJ consumption, compared to values obtained before PJ consumption. 
Furthermore, serum levels of antibodies against oxidized LDL were 
decreased by 19%, and in parallel serum total antioxidant status (TAS) 
was increased by 130% after 1 year of PJ consumption. Systolic blood 
pressure was reduced after 1 year of PJ consumption by 21% and was not 
further reduced along 3 years of PJ consumption. For all studied 
parameters, the maximal effects were observed after 1 year of PJ 
consumption. Further consumption of PJ, for up to 3 years, had no 
additional beneficial effects on IMT and serum PON1 activity, whereas 
serum lipid peroxidation was further reduced by up to 16% after 3 years 
of PJ consumption.

The results of the present study thus suggest that PJ consumption by 
patients with CAS decreases carotid IMT and systolic blood pressure and 
these effects could be related to the potent antioxidant characteristics 
of PJ polyphenols.

--

Steve