CLEVELAND, June 13 (UPI) -- Eating pomegranate extract reduces the production of chemicals that cause inflammation -- linked to several diseases -- U.S. researchers suggest.

Study leader Tariq Haqqi of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland said tests showed that blood samples collected from rabbits fed pomegranate extract inhibited inflammation.

Pomegranate extract is already used as a treatment in alternative medicine for inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis. The equivalent of 175mls -- about 6 ounces -- of pomegranate juice was given to rabbits orally.

The levels of anti-oxidants were measured in blood samples obtained after the rabbits drank the pomegranate extract and compared to blood samples collected before it was ingested.

The extract also significantly reduced the activity of proteins that cause inflammation, specifically cyclooxygenase-2.