The Not So Good:

 As I watched my roommate pour the remains of this purple goodness into a vodka cocktail (more on that, later), the Nutrition Facts Label caught my eye. While the fat- and cholesterol-free aspects seemed promising, the high sugar, carbohydrate, and potassium content almost blew me away. First of all, one curvy 24 oz bottle harbors 1290 mg of potassium… that’s over one gram and more than 25% of the total recommended potassium intake! (The Dietary Reference Intake, or DRI, for potassium for adults over 19 years of age is 4700 g.) Potassium can be beneficial for athletes who sweat a great deal or for cardiac patients trying to lower their blood pressure using diet. For healthy people, hyperkalemia (or high blood potassium) is generally rare. However, patients with chronic kidney disease or on renal dialysis, and women on certain birth control pills need to carefully monitor their potassium intake. The entire bottle of POM juice will also add 102 g of sugar to your diet, along with 120 g of carbs, almost 40% of the carbohydrate Daily Value. In one serving, POM packs in 160 calories, which is by no means meager. Finally, POM is lacking in protein and fiber, two essential nutrients for anyone, dieting or not.

The Bottom Line: 

The trick with this naturally-sugary, fruity beverage is to limit your intake to about one serving. While you won’t be getting any protein or fiber from this purple passion-fruit juice, the polyphenol content surpasses that of most common fruit juices and green tea, so you will get your fair share of free-radical-fighting antioxidants, with the aforementioned health benefits. With respect to dieting, perhaps it is more useful to consider POM a healthful snack. Personally, I love the aromatic, flavorful kick POM adds to drinks and home-made dressings.  

To get your antioxidant boost, while limiting POM’s sugar content, fix yourself a morning beverage of:

• 1 part POM juice
• 2 parts Light ‘N Healthy Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice (with some pulp)           

This “Light ‘N Healthy” variety of my favorite house-hold-name O.J. has 50% less sugars and calories than regular orange juice, with 120% of the Daily Value of Vitamin C. For an evening cocktail, add a low-calorie vodka for a rich new twist on a traditional Sea Breeze.* 

For a zesty salad dressing, mix together:

• 4 tablespoons pomegranate juice
• 2 tablespoons Enova brand oil
• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

This dressing tastes great with a spinach-leaf salad. Add cranberries, walnuts, and mandarin oranges for a healthful appetizer (see picture in Enova article).

Natural sugars and carb-content aside, POM juice truly does merit its name: POM Wonderful!    

*For those of legal drinking age, only. CitySlim does not promote drinking. If you do drink, please do so responsibly and do not drink and drive.