Recipes · Health Shot
Pomegranate Mint Lemon Shot
Reader ratingsFreshly pressed ruby pomegranate juice, a squeeze of lemon and a handful of mint — tart, cooling and nothing like the syrupy bottled kind.
Pomegranate juice and syrup are staples of Persian, Levantine and Indian cooking, and pomegranate is an old symbol of abundance across the Mediterranean and Middle East.
Safety
- Pomegranate juice lowered blood pressure in trials, so mention it to your prescriber if you take blood-pressure medicines or your pressure already runs low.
- A small trial found pomegranate juice did not slow clearance of midazolam the way grapefruit juice does, but case reports link it to changes in warfarin control and to rhabdomyolysis in a man on rosuvastatin. If you take warfarin or a statin, check with your prescriber before drinking it regularly.
- Fruit juice is sugar even when it is fresh: a 2 oz shot has roughly 2 teaspoons, so count it if you manage diabetes, and rinse your mouth afterwards because it is acidic. Pomegranate allergy is rare, but stop if you notice itching, hives or swelling.
- A shot is a small extra, not a substitute for a meal.
Why it’s good for you
Pomegranate is rich in polyphenols, including punicalagins and the anthocyanins that give it its deep red color, and fresh pressing keeps the juice free of the added sugar in many bottled blends.
Evidence
Limited evidence
Mostly small, early, or laboratory studies.
Meta-analyses of randomized trials found pomegranate juice lowered systolic blood pressure by about 5 mmHg (8 trials in 2017; 14 trials and 573 people in 2023), though the 2023 analysis found the benefit only in trials of two months or less, and a separate systematic review of 8 trials (619 people) judged the evidence weak because results varied and reporting quality was mixed. A trial lasting up to 18 months in 289 people at moderate heart-disease risk found 8 oz of juice a day made no difference to overall artery-wall thickening. Trials typically used 8 oz (240 mL) or more of juice a day, at least four times a 2 oz shot, and none tested a shot with mint and lemon.
General information from research and traditional use — not medical advice, and not a treatment for any condition. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition, check with your clinician first, and seek care for symptoms that are severe or do not improve.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cut the crown off each pomegranate and score the skin into quarters. Submerge each one in a large bowl of cold water and break it open with your thumbs, rubbing the arils loose. The arils sink and the white pith floats.
- Skim off the pith, then drain the arils in a colander. You should have about 3 cups.
- Tip the arils and mint into a blender and pulse 4 or 5 times, one second each, just until most arils burst. Longer blending crushes the seeds and makes the juice gritty and bitter.
- Pour through a fine sieve set over a bowl and press gently with the back of a spoon. Do not grind the seeds. You should have about 1 1/2 cups (12 oz) of juice.
- Stir in the lemon juice and taste; add a splash more if the juice is very sweet.
- Pour into a sealed glass bottle and chill. Drink one 2 oz shot at a time, with or after a meal.
Tips
- Bottled shortcut: stir 10 torn mint leaves and the lemon juice into 1 1/2 cups of 100% pomegranate juice, chill for 30 minutes, then strain out the mint.
- Keeps 4 days in a sealed glass bottle in the fridge; shake first. Freeze in ice-cube trays for longer.
- Pomegranate juice stains badly. Work over a bowl, wear an apron, and breaking the fruit open underwater keeps most of the splash in the sink.
- Top a shot with sparkling water for a ruby spritzer. The trials typically used 8 oz or more of juice a day, so a 2 oz shot is a much smaller dose.
Reader ratings & reviews
– out of 5
Loading ratings…
Rating breakdown
- 5 stars 0
- 4 stars 0
- 3 stars 0
- 2 stars 0
- 1 star 0
Made this? Please rate it.
Check your email
We sent a sign-in link to . Click it and you’ll come straight back here, signed in. It expires in 15 minutes; check your spam folder if it doesn’t show up. Thank you for helping the community!
Your review
Reviews are personal experiences. Every review is read by our team before it appears.
More health shots
Fresh Ginger Lemon Shot
A bright, warming shot of fresh ginger and lemon softened with a little honey — the classic for an unsettled stomach.
Moderate evidence
Golden Turmeric & Black Pepper Shot
Fresh turmeric with a generous crack of black pepper and sweet orange juice — a sunny, earthy shot built around how curcumin is absorbed.
Limited evidence
Apple Cider Vinegar, Honey & Cayenne Shot
A tangy, gently spicy shot of diluted apple cider vinegar, honey and a pinch of cayenne — the old-fashioned pre-meal tonic.
Limited evidence
Lemon, Ginger & Cayenne Fire Shot
A hot, sour, sharp shot that wakes you up — plenty of ginger, a good squeeze of lemon and a pinch of cayenne for the burn.
Traditional use
Have a recipe of your own? Share it with us. We read every one before it goes on the site.