Pomegranate Fruit Shown To Slow Cartilage Deterioration In Osteoarthritis

Pomegranate fruit extracts can block enzymes that contribute to osteoarthritis according to a Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine study published in the September 2005 issue of the Journal of Nutrition. The study looked at the ability of an extract of pomegranate fruit against Interleukin-1b (IL-1b), a pro-inflammatory protein molecule that plays a key role in cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis. Current treatments for osteoarthritis – which affects 20 million people nationwide, according to the National Institutes of Health – offer limited effectiveness and do little to slow joint destruction and disease progression.