Short-term Effect of Fresh Pomegranate Juice on Serum Cortisol and Thyroxine in Patients with type 2 Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The effect of pomegranate juice on type 2 diabetic conditions has been determined in various occasions. However, such an effect on cortisol and thyroxine hormones, which are major controllers of energy metabolism, is not yet revealed. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we intended to measure the short-term effect of fresh pomegranate juice on serum cortisol and thyroxine in patients with type 2 diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was a randomized clinical trial in which 89 fasted patients with type 2 diabetes were supplemented with fresh pomegranate juice at a dose of 1.5 mL kg-1. Blood specimens were then collected before and at 1 and 3 hours after juice administration. Serum cortisol and thyroxine were assessed using commercial chemiluminescent-immunoassay kits. RESULTS: Serum cortisol, but not thyroxine, was significantly (P < 0.0001) lower in patients with type 2 diabetes after ingesting fresh pomegranate juice. In addition, no significant correlation (r2 = 0.00003, P = 0.9569) was observed between cortisol response to fresh pomegranate juice and the level of fasting serum glucose in the recruited patients. Moreover, no significant difference (P = 0.9118) in cortisol response to fresh pomegranate juice was found between recruited males and females. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, fresh pomegranate juice decreased serum cortisol, 1 hour after juice ingestion, but not serum thyroxine 3 hours after juice ingestion, in patients with type 2 diabetes. In addition, cortisol response to fresh pomegranate juice was found not to be affected by patients' gender and the level of fasting serum glucose.

Effect of fresh pomegranate juice on the level of melatonin, insulin, and fasting serum glucose in healthy individuals and people with impaired fasting glucose.

Pomegranate juice (PGJ) is rich in unique bioactive compounds that can be used in the management of various diseases/disorders such as cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer disease, hypertension, and diabetes. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of fresh PGJ on levels of melatonin, insulin, and fasting blood glucose in people with impaired fasting glucose (IFG). The study was a randomized clinical trial in which 28 participants (10 males, 18 females) with IFG were recruited from Irbid Central Laboratory and the Diabetes Clinic of the University Hospital at Jordan University of Science and Technology. Blood specimens from each participant were collected before (-5 min), and 1 and 3 hr after PGJ administration at 1.5 ml/kg of the body weight, and melatonin, insulin, and glucose were measured. People with IFG, but not healthy individuals, had significant antihyperglycemic response (p < .0001) to PGJ 3 hr after ingesting the juice. This response was not correlated with the age of participants (p = .4287). In addition, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance was significantly decreased (p < .0001) among people with IFG 3 hr after ingesting the juice. Moreover, 1 hr after PGJ administration, decreases in melatonin and increases in insulin were significantly observed among healthy (p = .0284, p = .0017) and IFG (p = .0056, p = .0007) individuals, respectively. In conclusion, fresh PGJ lowers melatonin, increases the level of insulin, and ameliorates insulin resistance in people with IFG.