Health Benefits of Pomegranate
Pomegranates are one of those fruits that went largely unnoticed for generations in many areas and then seemed to explode in popularity. This dark red fruit with the odd looking insides is said to be the next ‘super fruit’ that can help to dramatically improve your health. It is sold as a whole fruit, juice and even concentrated into pill form. With all this attention it is easy to see why many people question whether or not the health benefits of this fruit are real. While the pomegranate won’t turn back time or allow you to become immortal, it will provide you with a wide range of benefits. Read through some of the best studied and proven reasons why you should add this interesting fruit to your regular diet.
Nutritional Makeup of the Pomegranate
First, let’s look at what nutrients you will get out of the pomegranate. The following is the breakdown of one cup of the inner flesh (properly called the arils) and the nutrients it contains.
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Protein – The pomegranate contains three grams of protein, which is excellent for any fruit.
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Fiber – You’ll get 7 grams of natural fiber in each cup of pomegranate.
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Vitamin C – 30% of your daily recommended amount of vitamin C is contained in one cup.
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Vitamin K – 36% of your RDA of vitamin K can be found in a serving of this fruit
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Folate – You’ll benefit from 16% of your total RDA.
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Potassium – 12% of your RDSA for potassium.
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Sugar – This suite fruit contains 24 grams of sugar in each cup so make sure you watch out for this.
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Antioxidants - The pomegranate contains as much as three times the total antioxidants of green tea or wine according to reports. As you’ll see in some of the below benefits, antioxidants can reduce the risk of many cancers and a variety of other health issues too!
Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
Inflammation is one of the leading causes of quite a few diseases including heart disease, cancers, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s and more. There have been several studies (see
here,
here and
here) on how well the pomegranate can help to reduce inflammation in the digestive tract as well as in breast and colon cancer cells. When looking at the inflammatory markers in those with diabetes, one
study found that 250 ml of pomegranate juice per day for 12 weeks lowered them by 23% (for CRP) and 30% (for interleukin-6)! These are very significant numbers that could dramatically improve the quality and length of life for diabetics.
Fighting Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer, which is the most common form of cancer in men, has been shown to be negatively impacted by the pomegranate. In fact, when exposed to pomegranate extract in a
lab, cancer cell reproduction was significantly slowed and in some cases the cancer cells even
died!
Treating Erectile Dysfunction
While we’re on the topic of conditions affecting men, let’s look at how pomegranate juice can help treat erectile dysfunction. The nutrients have been shown to improve blood flow throughout the body, including the erectile tissue. A
study was conducted with 53 men who suffered from erectile dysfunction. They were given pomegranate juice and there did appear to be some benefit. While not a ‘miracle cure’ men with this issue may want to try it or add it to other treatments to help get the best possible results.
Reduction in Breast Cancer Risk
The pomegranate is not just helpful for men, ladies can benefit from its ability to help fight off or even help cure breast cancer. Studies (study
1,
2 and
3) have shown that exposing breast cancer cells to pomegranate extract reduces their growth and may even kill some cells (similar to the prostate study). While these studies are only done in a lab and further research is certainly needed, the results clearly point to significant benefits for preventing and fighting breast cancer.
Fighting Bacterial and Fungal Infections
Pomegranates can also help your body to fight off certain types of bacteria and yeast that cause issues like gingivitis, periodontitis, denture stomatitis and even yeast infections. The
studies have primarily focused on how pomegranates can restrict or stop the growth of yeast Candida albicans.
Fighting High Blood Pressure
Millions of people suffer from high blood pressure (hypertension) and it can cause heart problems as well as strokes. Fortunately, pomegranate juice has been shown to be a very fast way to bring your blood pressure back to healthy levels. The
studies showed that within two weeks there were significant improvements. This is a good indication that in addition to reducing blood pressure that is already high, it can serve as an effective preventative.
Help Fighting Heart Disease
Will several of these health benefits have included heart health; there have also been some studies that specifically looked at the benefits to the heart. These are especially important because heart disease is the number one cause of premature death around the world. A
study of people with high cholesterol and triglycerides found that 800 mg of pomegranate seed oil per day over the course of four weeks resulted in significant improvement to the triglyceride:HDL ratio. This ratio is a key indicator of heart health. In addition, there have been a number of
studies that have shown that pomegranate juice can protect LDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) from oxidation. Oxidation can cause heart disease so this is a major health benefit.
Add Pomegranate to Your Healthy Diet
As you can see, there are many health benefits associated with pomegranates. Adding them to your diet can help you to take advantage of these benefits. You can buy pomegranate juice from any major supermarket or you can buy the fruit whole. To remove the seeds simply slice into the fruit to segment it into quarters and then soak it in cold water. After soaking it for a time, slide your fingers through the seeds to loosen them so they fall into the water. When done you can remove the seeds from the water and eat them or store them in a refrigerator to enjoy later.
