I started making this on the days my concentration goes walkabout, usually around three in the afternoon. There’s something about a glass of that deep purple that feels like a reset. Blueberries and pomegranate are the two fruits that keep showing up in the research on memory, and they happen to taste brilliant together: tart, sweet and nothing like the watery purple stuff in the cartons.
Why these ingredients work
Blueberries are one of the most studied fruits for brain health. A 2010 trial at the University of Cincinnati found older adults who drank blueberry juice every day for twelve weeks scored better on memory tests than the placebo group, and researchers put that down to anthocyanins, the pigments that make berries purple. Pomegranate arils are rich in polyphenols, and a small body of research links pomegranate juice with better blood flow to the brain, which is how your grey matter gets its fuel. The apple adds sweetness and a little malic acid, and the lemon keeps the whole thing bright and stops the juice from browning before you’ve finished the glass. It’s not medicine and it won’t fix a bad night’s sleep, but as a daily drink it’s a genuinely good habit.
FAQ
Can I use bottled pomegranate juice instead of fresh arils?
You can, but you’ll lose a lot of the flavour. Fresh arils are in season from September, which is when this recipe is at its best. If you do use bottled juice, pick one labelled 100% pomegranate with no added sugar and use about 200ml in place of the two pomegranates.
Will frozen blueberries work?
Yes. Thaw them first and tip the extra liquid into the juicer along with the fruit, it just means you may not need the water for the blender method. Frozen berries are picked at their peak, so they’re often sweeter than the fresh ones you find in winter.
Is this juice high in sugar?
There’s about 27g of sugar in a glass, and it’s all natural sugar from the fruit. That’s roughly what you’d get from a glass of orange juice, so treat it as a treat rather than a thirst-quencher, and drink it alongside food if you’re watching your blood sugar.
More brain recipes: see the full Brain collection.
Pomegranate Blueberry Juice
Equipment
- 1 Juicer masticating or centrifugal
- 1 High-speed blender for the blender method
- 1 Nut milk bag or fine-mesh sieve to strain the blender version
- 2 Airtight glass bottles for storing
- 1 Budget cold press juicer a great value alternative
- 1 Budget blender a great value alternative
Ingredients
Juice base
- 2 pomegranates, arils only about 3 cups of arils; pick out any white pith
- 250 g blueberries fresh or frozen, thawed first
- 1 large apple, cored a sweet variety keeps the juice from turning too tart
- 1/2 lemon, peeled the pith is what makes it bitter
- 100 ml cold water only if using the blender method
Instructions
Juicer method
- Cut the pomegranates in half and hold each half cut-side down over a bowl, knocking the skin firmly with a wooden spoon until the arils drop out. Pick out any white pith, it turns the juice bitter.
- Core the apple and peel the lemon half.
- Feed the apple through the juicer first, then the blueberries, then the pomegranate arils. The apple helps push the softer fruit through.
- Stir, pour into two glasses and drink straight away, over ice if you like it colder.
Blender method
- Prepare the fruit the same way: arils picked over, apple cored, lemon peeled.
- Tip everything into a high-speed blender with the cold water and blend on high for 60 seconds, until completely smooth.
- Pour through a nut milk bag or a fine-mesh sieve and squeeze out as much juice as you can.
- Taste, thin with a splash more water if you need to, and serve.