CLAIM:
Eating pomegranate can strengthen heart muscles and increase the force of the heart’s contraction. It is suggested to have effects similar to certain allopathic medicines used for improving heart function.
FACT:
Pomegranate may support heart health by improving blood flow, lowering blood pressure, and reducing oxidative stress. However, there is no clinical evidence that it increases the heart’s pumping strength or works like medicines that strengthen heart muscle contraction.
In a viral reel posted by Dr Rohit Madhav Sane, Founder and Managing Director at Vaidya Sane Ayurved Lab Ltd, who has over 1.86 lakh followers on Instagram, claims have been made about the heart-strengthening effects of pomegranate. The reel, which has garnered over 23.8k views, has sparked interest among viewers for its comparison between natural foods and conventional medicine.
In the video, Dr Sane claims that pomegranate has a direct impact on heart function, suggesting that it can strengthen the heart muscles. He explains that while allopathic medicines are typically used to increase the force of the heart’s contraction, consuming pomegranate seeds could have a similar effect.
“Pomegranate is super strong for your heart,” he says, adding that “if I eat pomegranate seeds, it will have the same effect on my heart to increase the force of contraction.” He further suggests that regular consumption can make the heart muscles “powerful.”
What research says: Does pomegranate help strengthen heart muscles?
Across studies, pomegranate consistently shows cardioprotective benefits, including better blood flow, reduced oxidative stress, and lower blood pressure. However, there is no clinical evidence to support the claim that it increases the force of heart contraction or directly “strengthens” heart muscles in the way certain cardiac medicines do.
A 2005 randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study examined the effects of daily pomegranate juice consumption in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Researchers found that after three months, stress-induced myocardial ischemia improved in the pomegranate group, while it worsened in the placebo group. As the study notes, “daily consumption of pomegranate juice may improve stress-induced myocardial ischemia in patients who have CHD.”
However, the benefit was observed without changes in core cardiac parameters like blood pressure or medication use, indicating improved blood flow rather than stronger heart muscle contraction.
For your daily dose of medical news and updates, visit: HEALTH
Building on this, a 2013 review highlights the fruit’s antioxidant and anti-atherosclerotic properties. It explains that pomegranate polyphenols help reduce oxidative stress and plaque formation by acting on cholesterol and immune cells. The study states that “pomegranate juice consumption decreased oxidative stress… and the extent of Ox-LDL uptake by macrophages,” contributing to improved vascular health. These findings reinforce its protective role in the cardiovascular system, but do not suggest any direct effect on myocardial contractility.
Further clinical evidence comes from a 2017 study involving patients with ischemic heart disease. The study found that pomegranate juice led to reduced intensity, frequency, and duration of angina, along with lower levels of cardiac injury markers. Researchers concluded that the juice showed “protective effects… against myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury.”
Again, the benefits relate to reducing damage and improving heart conditions, not increasing the force of heart contractions.
More recent research also points in a similar direction. A 2024 meta-analysis of 22 randomised controlled trials found that pomegranate consumption significantly reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The pooled results showed a drop of “−7.87 mmHg in SBP and −3.23 mmHg in DBP,” although researchers noted variability across studies and called for more high-quality evidence. Lower blood pressure is a key factor in heart health, but it works through vascular mechanisms rather than strengthening heart muscles directly.
Another 2024 systematic review exploring pomegranate’s effects in athletes and healthy individuals found improvements in antioxidant status, cardiovascular markers, and exercise recovery. The analysis reported “notable improvements in markers such as aspartate transaminase (AST), high density lipoprotein (HDL), malondialdehyde (MDA), lactate, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP),” suggesting broader health benefits. While these findings hint at enhanced physical performance and recovery, the review emphasises that more research is needed to fully understand its mechanisms.
What experts say?
Dr Sanjay Bhat, Senior Consultant in Interventional Cardiology at Aster CMI Hospital, Bengaluru, says there is “no strong clinical evidence that pomegranate can increase the force of heart contraction like inotropic drugs used in conditions such as heart failure.”
He explains that while pomegranate may support heart health by improving blood flow, lowering blood pressure, and reducing oxidative stress, these effects are “mild and supportive, not comparable to medicines that directly act on heart muscle cells.”
Dr Bhat emphasises that pomegranate does not directly strengthen heart muscles or boost pumping power. Instead, it works indirectly by addressing risk factors like cholesterol and circulation. “It should be seen as part of a healthy diet, not a treatment for improving heart contractility,” he adds.
He further cautions that pomegranate cannot replace prescribed medications, explaining “because it does not act directly on the heart to treat serious conditions like heart failure, high blood pressure, or irregular heart rhythms, and there is no strong clinical evidence showing it can replace medicines; its benefits are mainly indirect, such as improving blood flow, lowering cholesterol, reducing blood pressure slightly, and providing antioxidants, so it should only be seen as a supportive dietary addition that helps overall heart health, rather than a treatment.”
He also advises that people with heart disease should continue their prescribed medications and consume pomegranate only as part of a healthy diet, after consulting their doctor.
This story is done in collaboration with First Check, which is the health journalism vertical of DataLEADS
