Pomegranate antioxidants in tea

LOS ANGELES, July 10 (UPI) -- POMx, a highly concentrated form of pomegranate antioxidants, is available to U.S. consumers in POM Tea, a ready-to-drink iced tea.

For consumers who are not seeking additional calories and sugars, POMx comes from the same variety of pomegranates that are used to make pomegranate juices.

The tea also has a similar biochemical profile to pomegranate juice and both contain a diverse range of phytochemicals, of which polyphenols make up a large proportion, according Michael Aviram, of Rambam Medical Center, in Haifa, Israel, who led a study on POMx, recently published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.

"The results showed that POMx is as potent an antioxidant as pomegranate juice and just like pomegranate juice may protect against cardiovascular as well as other diseases," said Aviram.

Pomegranates are in season from October through January and in juice.