AMAZING Health Benefits of the Pomegranate
PRESENTING… A WONDER FRUIT!
If you have been shopping at stores that promote health products, the word “pomegranate” should be familiar to you. This is a humble fruit that has found its way into every health-promoting product, ranging from health foods and snacks, to topical creams and beauty supplements. The pomegranate is one of the oldest known fruits in the world. It is a nutritious, antioxidant-rich fruit which has been valued as a symbol of health, fertility and eternal life in many places around the world.
WHAT IS IT LIKE?
If you have not seen a pomegranate before, that is because it is not as commonly found in supermarkets as other fruits such as apples and oranges. The pomegranate is a red fruit with a tough covering. Only the juice and the seeds inside the fruit are edible. When kept in a plastic bag, pomegranates can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. Try tossing the seeds in a salad for an exceptionally colorful, tasty, crunchy and nutritious addition!
SMALL BUT MIGHTY!
Seeding a pomegranate may seem like a lot of work to consume just one piece of fruit, but it is well worth it! The pomegranate is a nutrient dense food source rich in phytochemical compounds. Pomegranates contain high levels of flavonoids and polyphenols, potent antioxidants offering protection against heart disease and cancer. One glass of pomegranate juice actually contains more antioxidants than green tea, blueberries and cranberries!
Some special compounds that can only be found in pomegranates are known as punicalagins. They have proven to benefit the heart and blood vessels. Punicalagins are largely responsible for the popular antioxidant and health benefits of the pomegranate. They do all the right things. What does this mean? Well, the pomegranate reduces high cholesterol and lower blood pressure while increasing the speed at which heart blockages are cleared.
The pomegranate can effectively prevent the onset of breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, leukemia and tumor growth in lab animals. It therefore has the potential to benefit human beings in similar ways. Studies are currently being carried out, and scientists hope that the effects are just as positive on the human body.
If what you have read so far is not enough to impress you, do note that pomegranate juice contains phytochemical compounds that stimulate serotonin and estrogen receptors. In other words, the pomegranate has the potential to improve symptoms of depression and increase bone mass in lab animals. Once again, scientists are working hard to find out if these effects are present in humans as well.
In the meantime, all the evidence that has been gathered from studies thus far is sufficient to convince us that the small but mighty pomegranate is one fruit that you certainly cannot afford to exclude from your diet!
Here is a suggested recipe that you might like to try out, while exploring how you may include the pomegranate in your new diet.