A study on the health benefits of pomegranate juice has revealed that it not only promotes longevity but also reduces the risk of fungal infection.

For the study, researchers tested the effects of the juice on a species of fruit fly called ‘Drosophila Melanogaster.’ The flies were put on two different diets. While one set of flies was put on a routine nutrient medium, the other set was fed with pomegranate juice. It was found that the flies fed on pomegranate juice lived longer, 23 days versus 20.8 days when compared to the first set of flies.
The number of offsprings produced were two times higher in the second set. They were also more resistant to fungal infection by 'Candida Albicans' than flies fed with the normal medium. The study was published in the journal, Frontiers in Public Health. It was conducted by researchers from the Foundation for Revitalization of Local Health Traditions, Transdisciplinary University and the Department of Molecular Reproduction, Development and Genetics, IISc.

Pomegranate juice is used in the Rasayana discipline of Ayurveda that deals with methods to rejuvenate, improve quality of life and delay ageing.

“Rasayanas are said to improve Agni (digestion and metabolism), nutrient quality (Rasa) and enhance bio-availability of nutrients through micro-circulation,” said Prof Venkatasubramanian from Trans-Disciplinary University.