Pomegranate juice is a delicious and nutritious drink, but what exactly are the benefits of pomegranate juice for men?
The fact is, not many people are aware of just how many amazing benefits this fruit has to offer. To name just few, this antioxidant-packed superfood has been shown to boost sexual performance, increase testosterone, improve heart health, lower blood pressure, and much more.
Pomegranate contains 300% more antioxidants that either green tea or red wine (1). Antioxidants are able to improve blood circulation, reduce inflammation, decrease the risk for heart disease, and protect against free radicals that lead to illness and aging.
Pomegranate is also a great way to improve your sexual health. Improving your sex life is as easy as consuming pomegranate juice, seeds and supplement extracts.
Keep reading to discover the top 9 health benefits that pomegranate juice can offer for men’s sexual function and overall well-being.
1. Increases Testosterone
Testosterone is the hormone responsible for your facial hair, lower voice, muscle growth and sexual function. A reduction in testosterone levels can result in all manner of problems, including depression, lack of energy, decreased sex drive, loss of muscle mass, poor mental function, weight gain, and even more.
I typically recommend trying a natural testosterone booster before resorting to expensive and inconvenient testosterone replacement therapies. However, one of the best natural ways to support healthy testosterone levels is to drink pomegranate juice every day.
One reason for this is that pomegranate has been shown to inhibit estrogen production and the conversion of androgens into estrogens (2).
This is crucial for T-levels. Excess estrogen can cause a decrease in libido, erectile dysfunction, and weaken bones. Estrogen can also block testosterone production altogether, causing testosterone to drop further and creating an unhealthy hormonal imbalance which is harmful to men’s sexual health.
A study conducted by Queen Margaret University in Scotland showed that men drinking one glass of pomegranate juice daily for just 2 weeks experienced a 24% average increase in testosterone (3).
Other psychological effects that correlate with increased testosterone were noted, such as enhanced mood and self-confidence, and reduced feelings of anxiety, depression, and shyness.
2. Treats Erectile Dysfunction
Because pomegranate juice may increase testosterone levels, this powerful beverage appears to be and excellent treatment for ED, since erectile dysfunction can be a side effect of low testosterone levels. Furthermore, research found not just an increase in testosterone when drinking pomegranate juice, but also an increase in mood and a greater sense of well-being.
It’s an established fact that erectile dysfunction can be caused by psychological factors, such as anxiety, stress, depression, and low self-esteem. Because pomegranate may be able to address the psychological issues that can lead to erectile dysfunction, it can help to treat the symptoms of ED.
Additionally, pomegranates help correct three of the main physical causes of erectile disorder: heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and restricted blood flow.
One of pomegranate’s main benefits is to increase nitric dioxide (NO) levels. NO causes blood vessels in the penis to relax and widen, which allows an erection to occur. One study saw an increase of nitric oxide levels and reduced oxidant damage in the circulatory systems of participants after drinking pomegranate juice (4).
Another study revealed that consuming pomegranate juice significantly helped to reduce the effects of erectile dysfunction. Half of the participants drinking the juice reported an increase in erection quality (5). Researchers believe that the high antioxidant content in pomegranates may prevent free radicals from reducing blood flow to the penis.
By enjoying pomegranate juice and its amazing combination of benefits, such as reduced blood pressure, enhanced cardiovascular health, and increased testosterone and nitric oxide levels, you can experience remarkable improvements in erection quality.
3. May Prevent Type 2 Diabetes
In terms of the top health threats to men in America, type 2 diabetes comes in at number six. Research conducted in Japan found that a compound in pomegranates called ellagic acid lowered resistin levels in mice.
Resistin is a hormone that leads to insulin resistance. Men with blood sugar issues may find the ellagic acid in pomegranates useful as a preventive measure.
4. Lowers Blood Pressure
Chronic high blood pressure can cause damage to your arteries by making them thicker, or even causing them to rupture. Hypertension can reduce blood flow to the penis and cause erectile dysfunction. Ironically, erectile dysfunction can also be caused by blood pressure medications.
Research showed that participants who had high blood pressure experienced a significant drop in blood pressure after drinking 5 oz. of pomegranate juice per day over just a two-week period. Similar results have were observed in other studies, particularly for systolic blood pressure (6,7).
5. Lowers the Risk For Heart Disease
Heart disease is the number one cause for death among men in the US, and is most likely to occur if you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Research has shown that regular consumption of pomegranate juice may reduce these risk factors.
Because it is so high in antioxidants, polyphenols, and other nutrients, pomegranate juice can greatly improve your heart health compared to other juices. For example, participants in one study who consumed pomegranate juice daily for one year saw a 30% reduction in arterial plaque and a 9% drop in blood pressure, while those who didn’t drink it had a 9% increase in arterial plaque.
A review published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice found that pomegranate juice consumption provides significant anti-arterial plaque, anti-hypertensive, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects in both human subjects and mouse models (8). Researchers believe this happens because pomegranate juice decreases systolic blood pressure, which leads to an overall positive effect against atherosclerosis and the development of coronary heart disease.
Another study found that pomegranate juice can lower “bad” LDL cholesterol in people with both type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol (9).
6. Prevents Obesity
Many health problems affecting men (such as erectile dysfunction, low testosterone, hormonal imbalances, diabetes and heart disease) can all be tied to being overweight. Pomegranates may be able to help prevent obesity by reducing hunger pains and increasing satiation.
Researchers in one study observed that participants who took a daily pomegranate supplement felt less hungry and were more satisfied sooner while eating compared to those who were given a placebo. It is believed that these effects are due to the fruit’s polyphenols, which may act as an appetite suppressant (10).
Pomegranates are also known to improve exercise performance. This can help you lose weight and build muscle faster (see below).
7. Reduces Risk of Prostate Cancer
Nearly 12% of men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. However, it may be possible to prevent what seems like an inevitable disease simply by drinking pomegranate juice. Research indicates that pomegranate may be useful for the prevention of cancer cell formation in the prostate.
One study examined just how pomegranates might have this effect on prostate cancer. The results indicate that certain substances found in pomegranate could prevent prostate cancer cells from spreading and could even kill them.
The researchers found that when pomegranate juice was applied to laboratory-cultured prostate cancer cells, they were unable to adhere (adherence is necessary for cancer cells to spread and form new tumors). Researchers believe that testosterone in the prostate can trigger cancer cells to spread, but that the compounds in pomegranate juice can hinder this process (11).
8. May Improve Sperm Quality
Research in Turkey showed that rats who were given pomegranate extract had substantially higher levels of healthy sperm. This includes improvements in sperm count, motility, morphology and overall fertility (12).
Healthy sperm are more likely to penetrate and fertilize an egg, and produce a healthy embryo. So if you’re trying to get pregnant with your partner, you might want to add a glass of pomegranate juice to your daily routine.
The researchers also discovered an increase in the levels of natural antioxidants found in the blood and sperm. This further supports the idea that pomegranate juice can help to deliver nutrients directly into bloodstream to combat the damage from oxidation.
9. Improves Exercise Performance
Pomegranates have the ability to improve cardiovascular health, and also contain high amounts of nitrates that aid in the production of nitric oxide. This allows for significantly increased blood flow to the body, especially the muscles. The increased blood flow to the muscles can enhance exercise efficiency, endurance, and overall performance.
In one study,1,000 mg of pomegranate extract was given to athletes 30 minutes prior to running on a treadmill. Researchers noted a significant increase of blood flow in the participants, resulting in less fatigue, greater endurance, and increased exercise efficiency (13).
References:
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23790554_Pomegranate_juice_A_heart-healthy_fruit_juice
- https://aacrjournals.org/cancerpreventionresearch/article/3/1/108/48701/Pomegranate-Ellagitannin-Derived-Compounds-Exhibit
- http://www.endocrine-abstracts.org/ea/0028/ea0028P313.htm
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC555721/
- https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/770292
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24575134/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21457902/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1744388110000769?via%3Dihub
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17048194/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4153032/
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mc.21995
- https://www.clinicalnutritionjournal.com/article/S0261-5614(07)00207-5/fulltext
- https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/apnm-2014-0137
Mark McIntyre is the founder of MaleHealthReview.com and acts as it’s chief contributor. He is a fitness trainer and avid mountain biker who also enjoys camping, hiking and fishing. Besides managing Male Health Review, Mark is also a guest columnist for several blogs related to men’s health. More about this author…
