How Long Does It Take for Pomegranate Juice to Work
Pomegranate juice can provide various health benefits, but the time it takes to take effect depends on the specific condition being addressed:
- For improving endothelial function and reducing inflammation, pomegranate juice showed beneficial effects within 4 hours and even greater improvements after 1 month of daily consumption in adolescents with metabolic syndrome. Markers like sE-selectin, sICAM-1 and IL-6 decreased significantly at both the 4-hour and 1-month time points.
- For reducing dental plaque, rinsing with pomegranate extract mouthwash for just 1 minute once or twice daily was effective.
- For lowering blood pressure and improving cholesterol levels in people with kidney disease on dialysis, the effects were inconsistent - some studies showed benefits when drinking pomegranate juice during or after dialysis, while others found no improvements when drinking it before dialysis or taking pomegranate extract for only 4 weeks.
- For erectile dysfunction, drinking pomegranate juice daily for 4 weeks did not improve symptoms.
- For reducing muscle soreness after exercise, the effects were mixed - pomegranate juice reduced soreness in the elbow but not the knee in some studies, while other research found no reduction in elbow soreness.
So in summary, pomegranate juice can have relatively rapid effects on some measures like endothelial function and dental plaque, but may take longer, such as 1 month, to see benefits for other conditions. The effects also depend on the specific health outcome being evaluated. Consulting with a doctor is advised before using pomegranate to treat any medical condition.