Pomegranate Juice: Blood Pressure Fighter?

Have issues with your blood pressure? A new study offers up a potential, all-natural solution: pomegranate juice.

Researchers at Queen Margaret University in Edinburg, Scotland found that drinking pomegranate juice could lower blood pressure, Express UK reported. In the study, when an undisclosed number of people drank 500 ml (16 ounces) of pomegranate juice a day for four weeks, there was a "significant" fall in blood pressure for 90 percent of the group. Drinking pomegranate juice was also linked to "lower levels of unsaturated fatty acids, which are linked to the storage of stomach fat," according to Express UK, though unsaturated fats can have dietary benefits.

Despite its underworld associations, the pomegranate has a number of health benefits. Pomegranate juice has long been linked to blood pressure regulation, thanks to its potassium, sodium and folic acid content. The fruit is also rich with antioxidants, more so than most fruit juices according to the Mayo Clinic, which is good for heart health.

But before you run to the store to buy a case of pomegranate juice, talk to your doctor: The tart juice has been known to counteract or create dangerous side effects when it interacts with certain types of medicines (check out Mayo Clinic's list of precautions when drinking pomegranate juice).