You may have noticed I have been a little behind on my posts recently. I have some really big, exciting things in the works, and have been a bit distracted recently. Don’t worry, I’ll explain in due time.

But for now, I want to focus on these incredible little bottles from a company called POM Wonderful. One of their (umm… wait for it…) wonderful (sorry, I had to) reps sent me these to try out. Only a few months ago, I tried my first pomegranate. It was an interesting (and messy) experience, but all-in-all, I liked it. The portion that you eat are called arils, and they take a bit of work to get out, but have a nice, sweet flavor that added an amazing touch as a topping to a couple of salads I threw together. But, the work involved with picking out those arils was a bit time consuming, especially when you toss in trying to avoid getting any of the juice on my clothes, because it seems like it would easily stain.

Image from wikipedia

So, how do you avoid the tedious work and stained fingers, but still enjoy the sweet nectar from those little arils?

That is where POM Wonderful’s juice comes in. Not only is it all-natural, containing no added sugars, preservatives, colors, or filler juices, but they actually have the only brand that is guaranteed to contain 100% authentic pomegranate juice.

Health Benefits

Let’s face it. In our world of health-conscious news, we are beginning to examine our foods not only for taste, but from a “What else can you do for me” type of stance. Don’t get me wrong, I think that is great. I’d be willing to bet that the people at POM Wonderful think so to. In reading about the nutritional benefits of their juice, it seems as though there may be a correlation between regular consumption of pomegranate juice and improved cardiovascular health (decrease in arterial plaque and improved blood flow to the heart), and improved recovery and prevention of prostate cancer. It is also claimed that pomegranate juice is the most potent antioxidant source in nature. Supposedly, it has more potent antioxidants than red wine, grape juice, blueberry juice, cranberry juice, green tea, vitamin C, and vitamin E. I have been working to change to a more healthy diet, and significantly increasing my intake of antioxidants is high on that list.

Taste

OK, OK, it’s 100% juice, so it’s obviously healthy. But does it taste good? This is going to be one of those “Yes, but…” answers. Yes, I thought it had a delicious, rich, sweet taste, but… you have to be prepared for the tart taste afterward. Having eaten fresh pomegranate, I had an idea of what to expect, imagining it would be similar to fresh, dark grape juice. While I found that to be a close approximation, pomegranates really have their own flavor. While the juice is sweet, there is certainly a bitterness that shows up in the after-taste.

Final Verdict

I really liked the flavor of this pomegranate juice. I’m also really impressed with the super antioxidant powers, but I do have to still point out that it is very calorie dense. Really though, that is true with pretty much any juice. Anyway, I definitely see myself drinking more of this pomegranate juice, but I think it will be in the form of a “spritzer”. I made a few drinks mixing it with different things like sparkling water, club soda, and ginger ale, and found that I preferred using it to flavor things rather than just straight. Depending on your choice of mixer, that helps to cut the calories, softens the bitterness, and provides a very refreshing way to take in all those awesome antioxidants. (See, I didn’t say wonderful again!)