The Potential for Pomegranate Juice to Ameliorate Endothelial Dysfunction

This study will be a randomized, double-blind, crossover intervention to investigate the health effects of acute ingestion of pomegranate juice when consumed with a high fat meal. After one week of controlled dietary intervention, subjects will consume a high fat morning meal supplemented with either pomegranate juice or a juice-free sweetened beverage. After consumption of the breakfast meal, subjects will be assessed for endothelial function and postprandial meal response.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Men and women between the ages of 25-70 years
• Body mass index (BMI) ≥ 19 and ≤ 38
• Willingness and ability to make scheduled appointments at clinical site as required by study protocol

Exclusion Criteria:

• Known (self-reported) allergy or adverse reaction to study foods
• Presence of kidney disease, liver disease, gout, untreated or unstable hyperthyroidism, untreated or unstable hypothyroidism, certain cancers, gastrointestinal disease, pancreatic disease, other metabolic diseases, or malabsorption syndromes
• Type 2 diabetes requiring the use of oral antidiabetic agents or insulin
• Fasting triglycerides > 300 mg/dL
• Fasting glucose > 126 mg/dL
• Use of cholesterol lowering medication
• Blood pressure > 180/100 or hypertension treated with calcium channel blockers, direct acting vasodilators, or beta blockers
• Fingernails longer than 0.25 inch beyond the finger tip, or unwillingness to cut fingernails to this length during endothelial function testing
• History of bariatric or certain other surgeries related to weight control
• History of major surgery within 3 months of enrollment
• Smokers or other tobacco users (during 6 months prior to the start of the study)
• Antibiotic use during the intervention or for 3 months prior to the intervention period
• History of eating disorders or other dietary patterns which are not consistent with the dietary intervention (e.g., vegetarians, very low fat diets, high protein diets)
• Volunteers who have lost 10% of body weight within the last 6 months
• Unable or unwilling to give informed consent or communicate with study staff
• Self-report of alcohol or substance abuse within the past 12 months and/or current acute treatment or rehabilitation program for these problems (long-term participation in Alcoholics Anonymous is not an exclusion)
• Other medical, psychiatric, or behavioral factors that in the judgment of the Principal Investigator may interfere with study participation or the ability to follow the intervention protocol