This elegant fruit is famous for its gorgeous color and juicy, spheric seeds. Its bright red flesh and crimson red interior are unlike any other food on earth. Native to Asia, pomegranates spread all over the world and wound up in the courts of kings and paintings of still-life artists. Pomegranates are both s and juicy, sweet and tart. They can be sprinkled over yogurt for desert, or paired with main courses like fish and leafy greens. Best of all, they are packed with antioxidants and nutrients. Just be aware that because pomegranates are high in sugar, to eat in moderation!
Here are the top 10 health benefits of pomegranate:
- High in Fiber Each pomegranate contains 7 grams of fiber.
- Aid in Health Coagulation They give you 36% of your daily value of Vitamin K, which promotes healthy blood and circulation. Vitamin K is also useful for protein modification and plays an important role in protecting bones from osteoporosis.
- Anti-inflammatory Properties Pomegranates have anti-inflammatory properties that help with heart-disease, fortify your immune system, and aid with digestion. A recent study claims that the Ellagic acid, a natural phenol antioxidant found in fruits and veggies and prevalent in pomegranate juice, is responsible for pomegranate’s anti-inflammatory effect in the gastro-intestinal tract.
- High in Antioxidants Punicalagin is the ellagic acid found in forms alpha and beta in pomegranate. Punicalagin contributes to pomegranate’s amazing antioxidant effects.
- Help protect against Prostate Cancer Pomegranates are one of the best defenses against prostate cancer, an extremely common form of cancer that affects 220,800 Americans every year. A cancer.gov report suggests that pom juice and extract can inhibit the proliferation of prostate cancer cells in vitro.
- Lowers Blood Pressure Pomegranate juice lowers blood pressure, which is good news for just about everyone. This is due to the Vitamin K, Potassium, Folic Acid, and Sodium content found in the fruit.
- Lowers Cholesterol In a study in 51 people with high cholesterol and triglycerides, 800 milligrams of pomegranate seed oil per day for 4 weeks was shown to significantly lower triglycerides and improve the triglyceride:HDL ratio (23).
- Reduce risk of Stroke You need potassium and there’s plenty of it in pomegranates. Foods that are rich in potassium reduce the risk of hypertension and stroke.
- Reduce Breast Cancer Risk Breast cancer requires high levels of estrogen to grow. Luckily, pomegranates contain six chemicals that suppress aromatase, an estrogen-producing substance. Therefore, pomegranates are a proven way of reducing the spread or formation of breast cancer.
- Good for Colon Health The ellagic acid flowing throughout pomegranates promotes mitochondrial growth in colon cells, fortifying them against cancer and decreasing your risk of colon cancer.Pomegranates are notoriously messy to de-seed, but placing the fruit in water is a great way to get the seeds out easily.
