Snack Review: POM Wonderful Juice

Despite POM’s multitude of health claims, I’ve never been as excited about their juice as I have been about their packaging. For instance, they used to sell POM in tall glass bottles at my university’s cafe, which thrilled me to no end. Sure, you paid more for your POM than you did for your lunch, but you got a free glass with your purchase! I loved imagining what I could do with my new glass after I’d finished my overpriced juice. I could fill it with water! Or milk! Or sea monkeys! My God - the possibilities were endless.

Nowadays, POM uses plastic containers rather than glass ones, but I still prefer their packaging over their product. Although their smaller, curvier bottles would make terrible sea monkey homes, they remain seductively hip - which means I’m still tempted to buy POM products, despite the steep price tag and mediocre flavor. Of course, this is the essence of POM’s success. If you’re not swayed by its dubious health claims or bitter flavor, you still might give in to its cool factor. (Don Draper taught me that.)

Anyway, let’s start with the flavor, then move to the health “benefits.” POM is made from pure pomegranate juice, which tastes like a combination of grape and cranberry juice. So, if you’re the type of person who’s habitually torn between your morning juice options, this is the beverage for you. A word of warning, however - this juice tends leaves its sweet/bitter taste lingering on the back of your tongue, so be prepared to savor all that POM wonderfulness for a full half hour after you’ve drained your bottle.

Now for the health benefits. One of the central tenets of the POM doctrine is that excess free-radicals (read: atoms with unpaired electrons) can do serious harm to your cells, thereby increasing your risk of getting heart disease, cancer, or a number of other unspecified illnesses. Products full of antioxidants, like POM, are supposed to combat free-radicals and produce a healthier, longer-living you.

The medical research on antioxidants is extremely inconclusive. Some studies suggest a marginal increase in health benefits, while others insist that antioxidant products are the modern-day version of snake oil. Really, nobody knows – so if your primary reason for buying POM is its health benefits, you might want to think twice before you shell out another $4 for it. However, if you buy POM for the tart taste, then the possible health effects are just a bonus anyway. Because who knows? Maybe some of their website’s health claims really will come true. You’ll have a stronger heart, cleaner arteries, and, for the fellas, better erections (yep, it says that).

Or… you’ll just have a lighter wallet and a cool-looking bottle. It’s kind of a toss up.

• POM Wonderful Website

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