Dr. Howard Murad, M.D.

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Pomegranate's Internal and External Role In The War Against Environmental Aging
and Disease
By Howard Murad, M.D.

Introduction

Each and every day, the skin – our body’s largest organ – is bombarded with environmental assailants. In addition to external aggressors such as pollution, smoke, and ultraviolet radiation from the sun, the body’s own metabolism causes cells to sustain one thousand hits of free radicals daily, triggering the release of inflammatory mediators which break down collagen and damage cell barriers. In fact, internal damage caused by free radicals not only leads to the esthetic concern of wrinkled skin and hyper pigmentation, studies have shown this to be one of the main factors contributing to the formation of cancerous cells.

Since my early days as a dermatologist, I have been studying the ability of various antioxidants, such Vitamin C, Coenzyme Q 10, Alpha Lipoic Acid, and Vitamin E and herb extracts such as Burdock Root, Echinacea, Yellow Dock Root, and Grape Seed Extract to repair and protect the skin against such damage. While all are extremely beneficial, I found the most potent antioxidant power to date comes from Pomegranate Extract, and specifically the polyphenol, Ellagic Acid contained within the pomegranate.

In this paper, I would like to demonstrate pomegranate’s ability to boost not only skin’s external defenses against harmful free radicals and environmental stressors, but also demonstrate that a standardized extract of pomegranate extract derived from the whole pomegranate fruit, has potent polyphenols that stimulate an increase in the body’s own built-in antioxidant, glutathione, and increases the topical SPF of sunscreens.

Historical Implications of Pomegranate

A native plant of Northern Africa, pomegranate (Punica granatum L) is one of the oldest natural remedies known to man. P granatum was mentioned in the papyrus Ebers of Egypt written in about 1550 BC. Hippocrates described its medicinal powers. Doctors in Greece prescribed pomegranate juice as a remedy with multiple activities: anti-inflammatory; as a potent anthelmintic (acting to expel or destroy intestinal worms), chronic diarrhea, dysentery, and cough suppressant.

In Mediterranean and Caucasian folk medicine, pomegranate extract is used to strengthen the human capillary system, for anti-atherosclerosis, as an anti-asthma agent, and for tonsillitis and bronchitis. Several scientific groups have reported anti-bacterial activity of polyphenols extracted from pomegranate and when mixed with aloe extract, pomegranate extract has been shown to activate bone tissue regeneration after injury.

Pomegranate extract is rich in a different group of polyphenolics, including anthocyanidins such as pentoside of malvidine and petunidin, delphinidin 3-glucoside and cyandin 3, 5 diglucoside. The analysis of biochemical composition performed at several Russion and Spanish Universities indicates that polyphenols (35-40%) and Ellagic Acid (5% -10%), are the main constituents of pomegranate extract.

Ellagic acid is a naturally occurring phenolic constituent of many plants that are important in the human diet, especially fruits and nuts. Interest in Ellagic acid has increased greatly during the last decade due to its effectiveness as an antimutagen and anticarcinogen and its potential as an inhibitor of chemically-induced cancer.

Efficiency of Pomegranate Extract, Topically and Internally

Topically, pomegranate extract is especially effective in protecting cells from free radical damage by inhibiting the formation harmful enzymes that cause cells to grow out of control. The ellagic acid, found within pomegranate extract is also thought to strengthen the cell membrane, making it less susceptible to free radical damage and preventing water loss. Such properties have important implications in terms of cancer prevention, as out-of-control cell division is a hallmark of cancer.

Indeed, research continues to support the anti-cancer and healing benefits of topically applied Pomegranate Extract. In a South Dakota State University study entitled Chemopreventative Effects of Pomegranate Seed Oil on Skin Tumor Development, Pomegranate Extract was applied to topical skin tumors on mice. After five weeks, the study concluded that topical application of pomegranate oil inhibited papilloma incidence and activity.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin, evaluated pomegranate's anti-skin tumor effects by comparing topical application of pomegranate extract on neonatal mice against TPA-induced markers (12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate), a strong promoter of chemically induced skin cancer. Applying pomegranate extract onto the skin of neonatal mice 30 minutes prior to TPA application significantly inhibited TPA-mediated increases in skin edema and hyperplasia, they said.

They also tested the pomegranate extract on TPA-induced skin tumor promotion. The animals pretreated with pomegranate extract showed substantially reduced tumor incidence and lower tumor body burden. In the TPA treated group, all mice developed tumors at 16 weeks, whereas only 30 per cent of the mice treated with pomegranate extract exhibited tumors at that point.

The protective and healing properties of the pomegranate are extremely important today, as the rate of skin cancer is increasing faster than any other cancer among Western countries. Applying sunscreen alone isn’t enough. The challenge is to teach our clients to apply enough and re-apply to cover all areas of the skin from head to toe.

Internal Benefits of Pomegranate Extract

Using independent, scientific research methods, I have tested the pomegranate’s ability to improve the sun protection of sunscreen and found a 20 percent boost in SPF when pomegranate is added to a topical formulation. I then set out to test the result of oral ingestion of pomegranate extract.

Perhaps the most extraordinary result of this research is the discovery of pomegranate’s age-proofing capabilities and healing benefits. When taken orally, this radically innovative ingredient boosts the SPF rating of topical sunscreens so that the same SPF protection levels are maintained, using fewer chemicals and more antioxidants.

Pomegranate Extract Study Overview

The following is an overview of a blinded controlled independent study performed by Clinical Research Laboratories, Fairfield NJ

Blinded: The subject is not aware of the identity of the test material they are receiving (placebo or active, benchmark or test material).
Double Blinded: Neither the subject nor the evaluator is aware of the identity of the test material each subject receives.
Controlled: The study has either an untreated control site/group or a placebo site/group.
Monadic: Study in which each subject serves as his own control (e.g. post treatment data is compared to baseline data using paired statistical tests).

Objective

To evaluate the SPF value of four sunscreen formulations following daily ingestion of one of two antioxidants (pomegranate capsules and mixed fruit capsules) for a period of one week.

Test Materials

1. SPF-4 Lotion Homosalate
2. SPF-4 Lotion with antioxidants and Homosalate
3. SPF-8 Lotion with Octyl Methoxycinnamate
4. SPF-8 Lotion with antioxidants and Octyl Methoxycinnamate
5. Pomegranate Capsules
6. Mixed Fruit Capsules

Inclusion Criteria

Male and Female panelists ranging in age from eighteen (18) to sixty (60) years old were selected for the study. Panelists with fair skin (levels I. – III.) were selected, determined with the following guidelines:

I. Always burns easily; never tans (sensitive)
II. Always burns easily; tans minimally (sensitive)
III. Burns moderately; tans gradually (normal)

All panelists signed an informed consent and completed a Panelist Profile/Medical History form provided by Clinical Research Lab prior to the study. Exclusion criteria included subjects with any abnormal reaction to sunlight, known allergies to any of the components in the test article, (fruits or fruit-derived vitamin supplements), subjects who use UVA sunbeds or anyone exhibiting any visible skin disease.

Test Method

Thirty-two subjects who met the inclusion criteria were selected for participation.

Day 1 – determination of Minimal Erythemal Dose (MED).

Using Xenon Arc Solar Simulator (150w), subjects were exposed to light with a continuous emission spectrum in the UV-B range (290-320 nanometers) during the testing. Prior to testing phase, the MED of the unprotected skin of each subject was determined by a progressive sequence of timed UV light exposures, graduated incrementally by twenty-five percent (25%) over that of the previous exposure.

Days 2-3

Sixteen to twenty-four hours after irradiation, the sites were evaluated for erythema.

Days 4-9

Subjects returned to the clinic to ingest their assigned antioxidant. All dosing of the capsules was supervised.

Days 10-11

Testing sites were outlined and irradiation procedure performed, to determine MED.

Results

• Significantly increased SPF of test material SPF 4 Homosalate by 28.8%
• Significantly increased SPF of test material SPF-8 Octinoxate by 22.7%

Conclusion

This is a pilot study demonstrating the potential of oral/internal sunscreen. Based on this research, adding pomegranate extract boosted the SPF of the sunscreen formula by 20 percent. Over and above that, ingesting a tablet of standardized pomegranate extract provides an additional 25 percent improvement in the SPF.

Summary

Topical application of sunscreens containing pomegranate extract is very effective at increasing sun projection. Also, the internal benefits of ingesting 15mg standardized extract of pomegranate extract containing 5% ellagic acid, is so impressive, I have integrated pomegranate extract as a part of the topical and internal skincare of my patients.

Indeed, the protective and healing properties of the pomegranate are increasingly important today, as the rate of skin cancer is increasing faster than any other cancer among Western countries. Further research regarding pomegranate extract is necessary to fully realize the healing and protective properties of this medicinal food.