Can pomegranate juice lower stress levels at work?

A new study shows 'a significant reduction in the level of stress' with 500ml of daily pomegranate. What else would help?

Can pomegranate really lower stress levels? What else might help at work? Photograph: Adrian Mueller - Fabrik Studios/Getty
I got properly drenched on the way to the station this morning, then my train was delayed by 20 minutes en route to the office – hardly the most becalming of starts to the week. So having arrived at my desk holding a large, caffeinated cup of coffee, my eye was turned by a study from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, claiming my stress levels at work could be reduced by drinking more pomegranate juice.

For the study, 60 volunteers were asked to drink 500ml per day of a specific brand of pomegranate juice – Pomegreat Pure – over a two-week period. The research apparently concluded that daily consumption caused "a significant reduction in the level of stress hormone cortisol in saliva and a significant reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in all volunteers."

From reducing the risk of prostate cancer to lowering cholesterol levels, Alzheimer's to arthritis, pomegranates and their many supposed health benefits have been well documented (read my colleague Oliver Thring's affectionate ode to this fascinating fruit here). Much of this research is paid for by juice manufacturers, so it comes as no surprise to find this particular study is funded by Pomegreat Pure.

No doubt consuming more fruit (and perhaps some juices) will help you achieve a healthier lifestyle, and therefore feel better. I've got nothing in particular against Pomegreat Pure, even though it does apparently contain more sugar than Coca-Cola, and the Edinburgh researchers are planning to present some of the results at a conference in Barcelona later this year so maybe there is something to the theory. (Or then again, maybe not.)

But I sometimes wonder if studies like this aren't obscuring a more serious problem. The biggest causes – and therefore moderators – of stress at work are the same as they have always been: hard issues surrounding long, inflexible working hours, lengthy commutes, overwork, low pay, discrimination, the threat of redundancy and so on.

How to Lose Weight and Burn Fat Fast

It’s no secret that eating the right foods and taking regular exercise helps maintain good health and facilitates weight loss. In fact, certain foods eaten at specific times can help you get the most out of your workouts... and jump- start your body’s fat-burning engine.

Below are three handy tips to help you get maximum benefits from your exercise programme and to optimise your weight loss potential:

* Exercise first thing: Exercising on an empty stomach (first thing in the morning), forces the body to burn more fat. This happens because your body's fat burning mechanism is controlled by your sympathetic nervous system (SNS), and your SNS is activated by exercise and lack of food.

* What to eat afterwards: If you fail to feed your muscles at the right time after exercise, the catabolic process (the chemical process necessary for the maintenance and growth of cells and muscles) will go too far and can potentially damage your muscles. That is why it is important to eat a fast assimilating protein-rich meal within 30 minutes following your workout. Many people make the mistake of drinking a protein shake before a workout. Protein is digested more slowly than carbohydrates, so consuming too much pre-workout protein can give you stomach cramps.

A recent study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that eating a low-carbohydrate meal after aerobic exercise enhances your insulin sensitivity. This is highly beneficial, since impaired insulin sensitivity, or insulin resistance, is the underlying cause of type 2 diabetes and a significant risk factor for other chronic diseases, such as heart disease.

* Avoid so-called ‘health’ drinks at all cost: Energy drinks, sports drinks, most energy bars and even so- called healthy drinks like vitamin water, contain sugar, including fructose, which will sabotage all your efforts to lose weight. The irony of these fructose-containing foods is that fructose rapidly leads to weight gain and abdominal obesity (beer belly), decreases ‘good’ HDL cholesterol, increases ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol, elevates triglycerides (blood fats) and elevates blood sugar levels. If you need to quench your thirst during or after exercise, water wins hands down every time.

Much as exercise is a key element to losing weight, many of us don’t have the time to dedicate hours at the gym to burn off our excess fat by running on the dreaded treadmill... The good news is, you don’t have to become a gym rat to get results, nor do you have to follow a faddy diet...

How to lose those extra pounds once and for all...

Rachael Linkie, editor of Health Sciences Institute, has put together a special report ‘EAT THE FOODS YOU LOVE, LOSE THE FAT YOU HATE — The 36 best kept weight-loss secrets to make you look and feel like $1 million’, in which she exposes the reasons why most diets and weight-loss aids fail so miserably... all because they’re missing ONE key element.

Even though you may initially lose weight fast by following popular diets, the weight just piles back on the minute you start eating normally again…

We’ve all been there... There’s even a name for it: Yo-yo dieting!

The secret to successful weight loss isn’t starving yourself, nor is it limiting your food choices or following a rigid pattern of eating... nor does it require endless hours of exercise. The truth is, most diets won’t work for a lot of people as there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to weight loss.

You’re about to discover the real reason why you can’t lose weight and will find out how to shift those extra pounds once and for all, in the report that the obesity industry doesn’t want you to read...

To find out more about Rachael’s 36 weight loss secrets, click here. Best yet, by reading this report, you’ll find out why you don’t have to give up the foods you love in order to lose the fat you hate.

Continues below...
*Highly Recommended*


Discover Natural Alternatives that Will Help Get Rid of Fatigue in No Time!


Do you recognise any of the following symptoms?

Reduced libido, weight gain, poor concentration, memory loss, irritability, feelings of depression, impaired judgement and decision making?

If Yes, you may be suffering from fatigue...

But guess what...You’re not alone! In fact, tiredness is the number one cause of GP visits in the UK.

Whilst it’s comforting to know that you’re not alone it doesn’t get to the bottom of your fatigue problem. That’s why HSI commissioned a special report: ''From Burnt Out To Buzzing: 78 Secrets to Boost Your Energy Levels and Fight Fatigue'.

Click here, to find out how this special report will help you get your energy and zest for life back on track.

Low Salt Diet For High Blood Pressure

Several researches have proved that heart diseases cause the largest number of deaths in the US. Hypertension which is commonly known as high blood pressure among people is one reason behind all these heart ailments. Thus if people get rid of hypertension, such ailments can be prevented. Elevated blood pressure in some of the cases is incurable but it can surely be managed to a large extent by bringing certain essential changes in the lifestyles.

One of the most common measures towards the control of blood pressure includes limiting the daily salt intake. Sodium is essential for the human body and the most common source includes salt but excessive amounts can lead to ailments such as hypertension and thus it should be taken within limits. There are several foods such as the packaged and processed foods do not depict the actual amounts of sodium contained within them, these quantities are hidden actually.

One must be very careful that they check the food labels before taking them. They should thus go for low sodium or salt free foods. Baked foods that are prepared using the baking powder have really high amounts of sodium and thus people suffering from hypertension should avoid such food items. Other food items that need to be avoided include smoked meat, frozen, canned, and pre packaged food. These people should consume required amounts of potassium as they work towards regulation of the body blood pressure. Fruits like bananas, oranges, watermelon, cantaloupe, etc supply great amounts of potassium.

Best Way To Lower Your Blood Pressure Without Drugs

Though medications seem to be the first choice of people suffering from hypertension, there are several other measures available that can help lower down the blood pressure without such drugs. Lifestyle plays the most vital role in treating not only high blood pressure, but all other diseases as well. It is very important that people follow the right lifestyle so that such health disorders can be avoided.

Given below are some of the most effective ways for reduction of high blood pressure without actually going for the medications:

Losing those extra pounds can really help control hypertension as blood pressure seem to increase with the increasing body weight. More weight one loses, the lower their blood pressure gets. Weight reduction also helps the medications in terms of making them even more effective.
Regular exercises too help in controlling high blood pressure. A daily exercise if at least half an hour helps lower the blood pressure and it does not require that much of an effort as all one needs to do is remain physically active.
Following a healthy diet including the whole grains, vegetables, fruits, low fat dairy products, and foods that have less cholesterol and saturated fats helps lower the body blood pressure. Such a plan is called Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet plans that are abbreviated as DASH.
One needs to reduce the salt intake in their daily diets. In order to do this one must keep a track of their salt intake, read the food labels very carefully for getting an idea about their sodium concentration, and eating less amounts of processed foods.
Other possible measures include limiting alcoholic consumption, reduction of stress, and give up smoking.

Eye Symptoms Of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure can be diagnosed if people are aware towards the warning signs that are experienced during such conditions. There are several such symptoms out of which eye symptoms are quite foreigner as most of the people are not really aware of the fact that such symptoms are also seen and even if they encounter them in any case, they consider it to be related to eye problems rather than associating them with hypertension.

Elevated blood pressure not only produces cardio-pulmonary symptoms, but also show various eye symptoms. Given below are certain steps that might help identify, diagnose as well as treat these eye symptoms:

One should notice any headache or even any kind of difficulty with vision. People must pay attention towards such issues and must get in touch with their physicians. Taking certain pain killers would not help if it is something related to hypertension.
Determining the fact if one has hypertension or not is also very important. If one is aware about this fact, they are quite comfortable treating their eye symptoms thus people should get themselves checked for hypertension in case they experience eye problems on regular basis.
As soon as one encounters any such eye problem, one must consult an optometrist immediately as this confirms whether this is due to hypertension or because of some other reasons.
In order to reduce eye symptoms that are associated with hypertension, one must work towards reduction of stress, sodium intake, fat consumption, and must allow their eyes to rest.

What Is Normal Blood Pressure Range ?

Blood pressure is basically the increase in the energy of the blood flow within the arteries when the heart is pumping blood out. It is the complete reverse of hypotension in which this pressure of blood is low. Blood pressure can be categorized into two primary and secondary. Primary or essential blood pressure is the state where the increase in blood pressure cannot be linked to a source and no cause is established. Around 90 percent to 95 percent of the cases belong to this category.



The leftover cases accounting to about 5 to 10 percent belong to the secondary category where the reason of the increase can be sourced to other health conditions which have an effect on other parts of the body such as heart, arteries, endocrine system and kidneys. Usually a sphygmomanometer is used to measure the arterial pressure. It was earlier measured by the elevation of mercury’s column which reflects the flowing pressure. Even though average levels of arterial force for a defined population can be determined, the normal levels of blood pressure vary with difference age groups.



Various reasons like gender and age influence the average blood pressure level of a person. Children have lower blood pressure level than adults. It can have a doubtful correlation with an individual’s overall health too. But after studies and surveys 112/64 mmHg has been established as the standard blood pressure. Among one year olds this is 95/65 and between the ages of 6 to 9 years this increases to 100/65. For adults the normal level is set somewhere between 110/65 - 140/90.

Best Way To Lower Your Blood Pressure Without Drugs

Though medications seem to be the first choice of people suffering from hypertension, there are several other measures available that can help lower down the blood pressure without such drugs. Lifestyle plays the most vital role in treating not only high blood pressure, but all other diseases as well. It is very important that people follow the right lifestyle so that such health disorders can be avoided.

Given below are some of the most effective ways for reduction of high blood pressure without actually going for the medications:

Losing those extra pounds can really help control hypertension as blood pressure seem to increase with the increasing body weight. More weight one loses, the lower their blood pressure gets. Weight reduction also helps the medications in terms of making them even more effective.
Regular exercises too help in controlling high blood pressure. A daily exercise if at least half an hour helps lower the blood pressure and it does not require that much of an effort as all one needs to do is remain physically active.
Following a healthy diet including the whole grains, vegetables, fruits, low fat dairy products, and foods that have less cholesterol and saturated fats helps lower the body blood pressure. Such a plan is called Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet plans that are abbreviated as DASH.
One needs to reduce the salt intake in their daily diets. In order to do this one must keep a track of their salt intake, read the food labels very carefully for getting an idea about their sodium concentration, and eating less amounts of processed foods.
Other possible measures include limiting alcoholic consumption, reduction of stress, and give up smoking.