You can tell the competence of your doctor and hospital if they implemented watermelon in their hospitals from way back in November 2011. Is watermelon better than pomegrantes? A competent? doctor would know that answer immediately!
Watermelon juice reverses hardening of the arteries Nov. 2011
The latest here:
Eating More Of This Fruit May Reduce Plaque Buildup In Arteries
Pomegranates have long been considered a heart-healthy food, thanks to their high levels of plant compounds called polyphenols. But the real benefit might not come from the fruit itself. It may come from what your gut bacteria do with it after you eat it.
A new study explored how one of these gut-made compounds affects artery health in mice1, with results that could change how we think about diet and heart disease.
About the study
Pomegranates are packed with polyphenols, but your body can't absorb most of them directly because they're too large. Instead, your gut bacteria break them down into smaller molecules called urolithins. Researchers at Cardiff University wanted to figure out which of these compounds actually helps protect arteries.
They tested the original pomegranate polyphenol along with several of its breakdown products on human cells in the lab, looking at whether these compounds could reduce cell damage, calm inflammation, and stop cells from absorbing harmful cholesterol. Urolithin A came out on top across the board.
So the researchers took the next step: they gave urolithin A to mice that were prone to clogged arteries and fed them a high-fat diet for 12 weeks.
Smaller plaques and less inflammation, without changing cholesterol
The mice that received urolithin A had noticeably less buildup in their arteries. Their plaques were smaller, and their arteries were less blocked compared to mice that didn't get the compound.
What really stood out was what was happening inside those plaques. The urolithin A group had fewer immune cells, specifically the types that drive inflammation and make plaques more likely to rupture. At the same time, their plaques had more of the stabilizing components (muscle cells and collagen) that help keep them intact and at a lower risk of a dangerous break.
None of this had anything to do with cholesterol levels. The mice showed no changes in total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, or triglycerides. The protection came entirely from reduced inflammation and less cell damage, not from lowering fats in the blood.
What this means for humans
This study was done in mice, so we can't say for certain that the same plaque-shrinking effects would happen in people. But there are reasons to be cautiously optimistic.
The dose the researchers used translates to roughly 4 mg/kg/day in humans, a level that's already being tested in clinical trials for other benefits like muscle health and aging. Human trials have used doses of around 1,000 mg/day for periods ranging from 28 days to four months, showing improvements in muscle function and mitochondrial health. So we know the compound is safe and bioavailable in people; we just don't have human data specifically on artery plaques yet.
The mechanisms urolithin A affected (inflammation, oxidative stress, immune cell activity) are the same ones involved in human heart disease. And the fact that protection wasn't dependent on cholesterol changes is actually encouraging: it suggests a different, complementary route to heart protection beyond the standard "lower your cholesterol" approach.
Why your gut bacteria may determine how much you benefit
Urolithin A isn't actually in pomegranates. Your gut bacteria have to make it for you after you eat the fruit's polyphenols.
And not everyone's gut does this equally well. Some people have the right bacteria to produce lots of urolithin A; others don't. This might explain why studies on pomegranate and heart health have had mixed results. The same fruit could have very different effects depending on who's eating it.
Pomegranates are one of the richest dietary sources of the polyphenols that can be converted into urolithin A. While this study tested the isolated compound rather than whole fruit, the biological pathway is clear: pomegranate polyphenols are broken down by gut bacteria into urolithin A in certain individuals.
For those who want a more direct route, urolithin A supplements have been tested in humans for muscle health and mitochondrial function, though not yet specifically for artery health.
The takeaway
This research suggests that pomegranate's heart benefits may depend less on the fruit itself and more on whether your gut can turn it into urolithin A. In mice prone to artery disease, the compound shrank plaques and reduced inflammation without touching cholesterol levels. Human studies on artery health are still needed, but the findings point to an intriguing gut-heart connection worth watching.
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Looking For The Best Walking Shoes? Foot Specialists Share Their Criteria
Have you heard the terms functional shoe and minimal shoe? Many people ask whether these terms are interchangeable, a hot topic of debate in the foot health and gait mechanics research community. Both terms describe a shoe that allows your foot to function in its most natural position, but the difference between a functional shoe and a minimal shoe, in our view, is this: A shoe is functional if it has a wide toe box and a low heel-to-toe drop; a shoe is minimal if it has a wide toe box, zero heel-to-toe drop, and a thin and flexible sole.
Criteria for a Shoe to Be Considered Functional
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- The shoe is shaped like a foot.
- The shoe has a wide toe box.
- The shoe has a low heel-to-toe drop.
Criteria for a Shoe to Be Considered Minimal
- The shoe has all the aforementioned criteria.
- The shoe has zero heel-to-toe drop.
- The shoe has a thin and flexible sole.
All minimal shoes are functional, but not all functional shoes are minimal. If you are wondering why these features matter and how they affect your foot health and ultimately your walking, keep reading.
(Note: There are numerous studies, researcher opinions, and schools of thought on which shoe specifications should be included in these categories. For the purposes of this book, we are using these definitions, which are based on a combination of sources and our experience educating people about this complicated topic. There is not yet universal consensus on the exact ranges of these features, so these labels are not yet applied consistently. We take this approach to keep this simple and aid you in shoe shopping.)
Walking Shoe Feature 1: A Wide Toe Box
Dr. Conley views a wide toe box as a nonnegotiable when selecting footwear. Wearing shoes with a wide toe box is her number one piece of advice for anyone asking which shoe features they should prioritize. The widest part of your shoe should match with the widest part of your foot’s anatomy, the forefoot area near your toes. In order to achieve this, you must select a shoe with a wide toe box. This is not a size wide shoe. The difference between a shoe that is wide in the toe area and a shoe that is size wide is the location of the width. (See Figure 8-2.)
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If a shoe’s toe box is tapered (that is, not shaped like the natural foot), it doesn’t provide enough room for the toes to properly splay. In shoes with a tapered toe box, your toes are compressed and squeezed together, which alters their natural alignment and potentially compromises the function of your foot.
Think about this: If you are trying to balance, walk, or run with a rubber band wrapped around your toes, would it be easy or hard to do? When your toes are squeezed together, activities become much more difficult than when your toes are spread out, because toe splay allows your foot muscles to engage. When toes in restrictive footwear are unable to splay, the function of muscles like the abductor hallucis, the muscle that helps straighten the big toe, and the abductor digiti minimi, the muscle that helps straighten the little toe, may be compromised, as evidenced by the improved strength of these intrinsic muscles in individuals who wear minimal footwear that allows toe splay. These foot muscles play an essential role in your ability to maintain posture and balance, so you do not want to risk compromise of their critical function, which could lead to balance challenges or falls.
When the toes can properly splay, our foot and ankle muscles engage, and we have a stronger, more stable platform from which to propel ourselves forward. When we walk, the forefoot typically bears around 33 percent to 40 percent of our body weight during each step. This percentage increases at faster walking speeds and walking uphill, when more load is applied to the forefoot area. To handle these loads, the forefoot muscles must be strong, stable, and not compressed by a shoe.
If you are considering purchasing a new pair of walking shoes, we urge you to select a shoe with a wide toe box. This is the easiest entry into the world of functional footwear. If you’ve been wearing a less functional shoe with a narrow toe box, you might quickly notice how the wide toe box optimizes your muscle performance and improves your balance. For people with foot issues such as bunions, hammer toes, and neuromas, this simple change can have a profound effect on their symptoms. For those with healthy feet, be proactive and select a shoe with a wide toe box to decrease risk of foot problems in the future. It’s important to note that selecting a shoe with a wide toe box doesn’t mean the shoe will have a sloppy fit. If the shoe correctly fits your foot, you will feel like the middle of your foot is wrapped and secure but like your toes have room to breathe, wiggle, and splay. This may feel different, but it shouldn’t feel sloppy. Fit does matter!
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Walking Shoe Feature 2: Low & Zero Heel-To-Toe Drop
We’ve discussed the history of narrow toe boxes and their implications, but what about shoes that place the heel and forefoot on differ-ent planes? Anatomically, the foot’s normal position is level, with the heel and toes flat on the same plane. Most modern footwear, including running and walking shoes do not follow this principle.
The average heel-to-toe drop in a walking shoe is about 8 to 12 millimeters, or between a third and a half inch, which is quite elevated compared to our natural anatomy.
Heel-to-toe drop refers to the height difference between the heel and forefoot of the shoe, as measured in millimeters. This shoe feature indicates how much higher the heel sits compared to the toes when the shoe is on level ground (the heel-to-toe ratio). Shoes with a higher heel-to-toe drop (usually 7 mm or more) raise the heel more, whereas functional shoes have a lower drop (1–6 mm) and keep the foot closer to a level position. A drop of 6 millimeters or less is recommended for more natural foot alignment. A minimal shoe puts the heel and toe at the same level (0 mm difference between heel and toe elevation). Altra Running is often credited with coining the term zero drop. The following chart shows the average heel-to-toe drop of the three categories of shoes.
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Like pointed shoes, elevated heels have historical roots. They date back to Persian cavalry, where a raised heel helped keep feet in stirrups. Over time, high heels became symbols of status and power, and fashion again took precedence over function. The footwear industry normalized this design so that even “flats” often have a 4- to 12-millimeter heel-to-toe drop. Our feet have endured a one-two punch of heel elevation combined with narrow toe boxes for centuries, contributing to widespread foot pain and weakness.
The elevated heel position is not natural
Here’s the problem: The elevated heel position is not natural. Imagine having to wear a shirt that holds your arms at a 10-degree bend. You’d see right away that it looks ridiculous and could potentially cause an injury over time. Yet we accept elevated heels as normal for our feet. Why? Because it has become the societal norm and a consumer expectation.
Decades of marketing have trained us to associate higher heel-to-toe drop with fashion and attractiveness. Some people even end up feeling more comfortable in elevated shoes because over time their body has adapted: Calves have shortened, and feet have weakened. Working in Montana for over twenty years, Dr. McDowell has seen this body adaptation in an unexpected patient population: cowboys. Wearing cowboy boots for work and recreation for decades can cause adaptive shortening, and she has worked with numerous gentlemen who spent so many years in an elevated position and then had difficulty walking without boots when they retired.
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When your heel is elevated higher than your toes, your calf muscle is in a shortened position and more load is forced onto the ball of your foot. This is not an optimal position from which to function and can lead to a variety of foot health issues. By mimicking barefoot or natural walking conditions, lower-drop shoes allow for better engagement of the foot’s internal (intrinsic) muscles. When the heel and toe are nearly level, they can accept the body’s weight in a more neutral position, which contributes to a strong, stable foot.
Build lower leg strength
Wearing a minimal shoe with zero drop builds lower leg strength. Walking in a minimal shoe asks the foot and calf to work harder, which helps train the muscles and prevents deconditioning or atrophy, which can occur when a shoe does more of the work of walking. Humans require strength in our feet and ankles to maintain balance, keep us upright, and prevent falls as we age. Wearing a lower-drop shoe allows you to exercise your lower body when you are simply walking throughout the day.
The final consideration with low- to zero-drop features in walking shoes is that they promote more normalized foot mobility and flexibility. Holding the heel more even with the forefoot, lower-drop shoes may allow for greater movement of the foot and ankle, which enables more efficient and natural walking.
If functional footwear is new to you (and to your connective tissues), there is no need to change too many factors at once. Take a staged approach in adopting these features in your walking shoes. Most major shoe manufacturers now include a drop measurement on product information pages. Several brands offer shoes with a wide toe box and a 4- to 5-millimeter heel-to-toe drop. These are great transitional shoes.
Excerpted from Walk: Rediscover the Most Natural Way to Boost Your Health and Longevity -- One Step at a Time by Courtney Conley, DC and Milica McDowell, MS, DPT. Copyright © 2026 by Courtney Conley, DC and Milica McDowell, MS, DPT. Used by arrangement with Balance, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing Group. All rights reserved.
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