Red pomegranates and their Middle Eastern sister, luscious toffee-like dates, are not only delicious and increasingly trendy, but they are healthy.

Researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology found that when consumed together, Red pomegranates and dates are a winning combination in the war against heart disease. Just half a glass of pomegranate juice a day with a handful of dates can provide maximum protection against atherosclerosis (plaque buildup or hardening of the arteries), which can cause a heart attack or stroke.

A number of risk factors are involved in the development of atherosclerosis, including cholesterol oxidation, which leads to accumulation of lipids in the arterial wall. Natural antioxidants can slow down the oxidation process in the body, and serve to reduce the risk of heart attack.

Going into the most recent study, the team was aware of the individual benefits provided by pomegranates and dates. Pomegranate juice, rich in polyphenolic antioxidants (derived from plants), has been shown to most significantly reduce oxidative stress. Dates, which are rich sources of phenolic radical scavenger antioxidants, also inhibit the oxidation of LDL (the so-called "bad cholesterol") and stimulate the removal of cholesterol from lipid-laden arterial cells.

In a trial performed on arterial cells in culture, as well as in atherosclerotic mice, researchers found that the triple combination of pomegranate juice, date fruits and date pits did indeed provide maximum protection against the development of atherosclerosis because the combination reduced oxidative stress in the arterial wall by 33 percent and decreased arterial cholesterol content by 28 percent.

The researchers conclude that people at high risk for cardiovascular diseases, as well as healthy individuals, could benefit from consuming the combination of half a glass of pomegranate juice (4 ounces), together with 3 dates.

The findings are detailed in the journal Food & Function.