Patent ID: 8221806

Claim:
A method of treating hypertension comprising: preparing a pomegranate beverage comprising a pomegranate juice component and an amount of a pomegranate extract component comprising at least 30 to 3000 μmols of polyphenols, wherein said pomegranate juice component is prepared by crushing and squeezing whole fruits of pomegranate including inner and outer peels and seeds to yield a juice component and an insoluble by-product component, wherein said juice component separated from said insoluble by-product component to obtain said pomegranate juice component; and wherein said beverage is prepared by a process comprising: resuspending said insoluble by-product component in an aqueous medium; mixing said resuspended insoluble by-product component and said aqueous medium; separating an aqueous extract from said insoluble by-product component to obtain said pomegranate extract component, wherein said aqueous extract comprises polyphenols resulting from said insoluble by-product component; administering said composition periodically for a period of time to treat high blood pressure in a person with hypertension; and determining a measurable reduction in said person's blood pressure following said administration period.