There was a rat study done in 2014 that showed pomegranate juice aggravated the effects of toxic insult causing parkinsonism. Since then there have been at least three rodent studies showing pomegranate juice protected against toxic insult. None of these were strong studies – every one of them either pretreated or simultaneously treated the animals with pomegranate juice prior to or during the application of toxic insult. So I do not rate this as significant evidence of the benefit of pomegranates, however, three studies showing some benefit outweighs one similar study showing harm.
I do not know why they came up with differing results. It is possible differing sources of pomegranate juice had something to do with it. Since I only consume the fruit that issue is avoided. Since becoming aware of the 2014 study I had been avoiding pomegranates. Based on the current research I will no longer be avoiding them
Neuroprotective Effects of Pomegranate Juice against Parkinson’s Disease and Presence of Ellagitannins-Derived Metabolite—Urolithin A—In the Brain 2019
In conclusion, the results provide evidence for the beneficial effect of pomegranate juice in rotenone-induced PD and suggest that ellagitannins-derived metabolite—urolithin A—may be a plausible active compound.
This was one of the studies I was referring to. Rats were pretreated with pomegranate juice prior to being subjected to rotenone:
"Group IV: Rats treated with pomegranate juice in a dose of 500 mg/kg b.w./day (i.g.) and injected with rotenone from the 11th day, designated as pomegranate juice + rotenone group (PJ + ROT)."
In actual Parkinson's, the toxic insult already happened and the damage already done. Protection against toxic insult does not accurately model the reality of Parkinson's.
“In particular, Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila), a gram-negative bacteria located mainly in the mucus layer of the intestinal epithelium and producing mucin-degrading enzymes, that has an important role in maintaining intestinal barrier homeostasis and exerts competitive inhibition on other pathogenic bacteria that degrade the mucin [130,131]. Its abundance in the human intestinal tract is inversely correlated to several disease states such as obesity [132–134], while an increase of the relative abundance is consistently reported in PD patients [49,135]. A. muciniphila is capable of inducing a wide range of immune-modulatory responses in vitro including induction of cytokine production and activation of Toll-like receptors 2 and 4 (TLR2 and TLR4) [136], indicating that it cannot be strictly defined as anti- or pro- inflammatory, but may instead have a more complex role in preserving the balance of the immune gut microenvironment. Nevertheless, an increased abundance of genus Akkermansia and an increased intestinal permeability in PD may expose the intestinal neural plexus directly to oxidative stress or toxins”
So... “Pomegranate ellagitannins stimulate the growth of Akkermansia muciniphila in vivo” PLUS "an increased abundance of genus Akkermansia and an increased intestinal permeability in PD may expose the intestinal neural plexus directly to oxidative stress or toxins” EQUALS Pomegranate BAD?
No, not necessarily and it'll depend on the level of gut dysbiosis affliction that may skew the balance. If you read the pdf article, it states after the above, "Thus, even if there is evidence that its presence is beneficial for normal gut function, and is being considered a good probiotic [137,138], the maintenance of steady state levels of Akkermansia may be a pre-requisite for gut homeostasis."
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Some thoughts on Gluten sensitivity
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