Will a pomegranate a day keep the doctor away? Or at least atherosclerosis at bay?

A recent study by the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology showed that subjects who drank six ounces of pomegranate juice a day for three months experienced a reduced risk for atherosclerosis, which accounts for 80 percent of all deaths among those with diabetes.

In most juices, sugars are present in free—and harmful—forms,” says lead researcher Michael Aviram, DSc, a professor of biochemistry at Technion, in Haifa, Israel. “In pomegranate juice, however, the sugars are attached to unique antioxidants, which actually make these sugars protective against atherosclerosis.”

For those with diabetes, sugar intake is obviously a concern. But Aviram—whose research was the first to show that consuming red wine reduces cholesterol oxidation and atherosclerosis—notes that the subjects in the study showed no averse impact on diabetes parameters, including blood sugar levels. Linda Van Horn, RD, professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and spokesperson for the American Heart Association, says that people considering pouring themselves a glass must still take care.

“Any juice that has fructose is of concern to a diabetic person. It is also a highly caloric product that can contribute to weight gain,” she notes. “People hear, ‘Oh, it’s good for you,’ but they don’t hear, ‘Oh, by the way, it has more calories than a can of Coke.’ If it’s something you enjoy, great. It’s a fine alternative to something like high-fat smoothies. But the calories are not insignificant. And pomegranate is not a cure-all by any means.”