ABSTRACT
The field of pomegranate research has experienced tremendous growth in the last eight to ten years. It started with a very small group of researchers, but their exciting preliminary results attracted additional scientists with varied backgrounds. Surprisingly at first, they started to see effects in a number of different disease areas, with multiple, sometimes overlapping, mechanisms of action. Evidence grew with further research, showing that beyond its potent effects in several diseases, the pomegranate is extraordinary because of its multifunctionality. This complements a trend in our understanding of illness today — that pathologies are intertwined with one another. Medical science has discovered links between obesity and diabetes, heart disease and erectile dysfunction, poor diet and cancer. That the pomegranate can impact illness in many ways makes it a highly valuable tool. Its multifunctionality also makes it an ideal research pathway for understanding the common underlying mechanisms of the major diseases facing us today, and how phytochemicals can intervene. The pomegranate is truly a twenty-first-century natural medicine.
