Pomegranate juice is potentially better than apple juice in improving antioxidant function in elderly subjects.

Department of Nutrition, Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Tianjin, 300050, PR China. [email protected]

In
the present study, 26 elderly subjects were recruited and randomly
divided into 2 groups, that is, apple (low in antioxidant capacity) and
pomegranate (high in antioxidant capacity) groups, and 250 mL of juice
was consumed daily for 4 weeks. Changes in plasma antioxidant capacity,
activity of antioxidant enzymes, contents of ascorbic acid, vitamin E,
reduced glutathione, malondialdehyde, oxidized low-density lipoprotein
and carbonyls, and the degree of DNA damage in mononuclear blood cells
were measured. Urine samples were collected for determination of
8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine content. Increased plasma antioxidant
capacity and decreased plasma carbonyl content were demonstrated after
daily consumption of pomegranate juice. In comparison, apple juice
consumption presented a less significant effect on antioxidant function
in elderly subjects. It is concluded that daily consumption of
pomegranate juices is potentially better than apple juice in improving
antioxidant function in the elderly. Because the plasma ascorbic acid,
vitamin E, and reduced glutathione contents did not differ
significantly between the 2 groups in this study, the phenolics may be
the functional components contained in pomegranate juice that accounted
for the observations.

 SOURCE: PubMed