Health Benefits of Pomegranate Tea

Perk up the flavor and boost the antioxidants and nutrients by adding some pomegranate juice to your next cup of tea to make pomegranate tea. Use your favorite brand of black, green or even herbal tea.

When you buy pomegranate juice, check the label because the ingredients, vitamins and minerals can vary between brands. Look for 100 percent juice and avoid juice blends which can have added sugars.

Pre-made pomegranate tea bags offer convenience, but you can control the nutritional benefits by brewing your own tea, then adding as much pomegranate juice as you like.

Read more: 5 Health Benefits of Pomegranate Seeds That Pack a Powerful Punch

The amount of nutrients in pomegranate tea depends on how much juice you add to your drink. Add a few tablespoons at a time until your tea is sweetened to your taste.

According to the USDA, 1/2 cup of pomegranate juice provides 10 percent of your daily potassium needs, 20 percent of your vitamin C, 13 percent of your vitamin D and 5 percent of your calcium, based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet.

Potassium helps lower blood pressure and maintain a steady heartbeat, while vitamin C might help reduce risk of some cancers, according to Harvard Health Publishing. Vitamin D helps to maintain blood calcium levels, which in turn strengthens your bones.

Both pomegranate juice and tea contain antioxidants called flavonoids, which are natural, plant-based compounds. Pomegranate juice contains flavonoids called anthocyanins and anthoxanthins.

The flavonoids in green tea are catechins, while black tea is a rich source of theaflavins and thearubigins, reports the Linus Pauling Institute.

One benefit of drinking pomegranate tea comes from the overall increase in antioxidants because pomegranate juice has more antioxidant capacity than green or black tea, according to an article in the January 2010 issue of the Nutrition Journal.

After researchers reviewed 13 completed studies, they concluded that the catechins in green tea help lower blood pressure, according to an article published in the May 2014 issue of the European Journal of Nutrition.

This review also reported that green tea may help reduce blood levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins, or LDL, also called bad cholesterol.

Pomegranate juice could also boost cardiovascular health because by preventing cholesterol from contributing to plaque buildup in your arteries, according to another review in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine in November 2012.

As plaque accumulates in arteries, it can restrict blood flow and raise your risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Read more: Why Pomegranates Are Called a 'Superfood'"

Laboratory research suggests that the flavonoids in green and black tea may help prevent some types of cancer.

The theaflavins in black tea might fight the spread of prostate cancer by causing cancer cells to die, reported researchers of a study published in the August 2013 issue Oncology Reports.

However, clinical research with human subjects is still needed to verify the effectiveness of these compounds in cancer prevention.