The product: R. W. Knudsens Pomegranate Juice.

The claim: Proponents tout this nectar, loaded with antioxidants, as an effective way to guard against heart disease. The buzz about pomegranate juice may just be beginning as researchers explore whether it can help prevent some cancers, such as breast and prostate.

Price: $4.99 for 32 ounces.

Other sources: Once found mainly in Middle Eastern stores, it is now appearing in health food stores. Some aficionados caution that juice stored too long may taste musty or develop sediment.

How it works: With this product, as with so many now grabbing the organic limelight, it’s the antioxidants. Plentiful in the pomegranate, antioxidants neutralize oxygen-free radicals that can lead to disease. One study suggests antioxidants in pomegranates pack a punch three times as powerful as those in red wine or green tea, two other antioxidant-rich products.

Scientific evidence: Recent small studies by Israeli researchers suggest some validity to the claims. In one study, mice and humans with arteriosclerosis were fed pomegranate juice. Their arteriosclerosis progressed less severely than the condition of those given no juice. A study on a small number of patients with high blood pressure found that those who drank the juice for just two weeks had lower blood pressure. Other studies have suggested that pomegranates might help fight breast cancer by attacking cancer cells that rely on estrogen to survive. Trials are underway to determine whether it can curb prostate cancer.

Possible dangers: Few to none.

Bottom line: While many are dubbing this the “new blueberry juice” for its purported health qualities, the research is scant. But if you’re seeking antioxidants, it may be wiser to go the juice route rather than seeking out the actual pomegranate fruit. What with all those tiny seeds, the fruits propensity to tartness, and the lack of availability in supermarkets, consuming pomegranates regularly enough to derive any benefit from them can be a challenge. Quaffing a glass of juice might prove just the answer.