By Derek Henry, Holistic Health Coach for Healing the Body
One of the oldest known fruits, the pomegranate, is an original native of Persia. This nutrient dense, antioxidant rich fruit is well respected as a symbol of health, fertility, and eternal life. Unfortunately, people often steer clear of this fruit due to perceived complications of getting at the seeds, but once you know how to do it effectively, you’ll take the time to enjoy the healing benefits of pomegranate.
Nutritional Profile of Pomegranate
The primary source of a pomegranate’s benefits comes from its high antioxidant content. In a study that compared the potency of 10 different polyphenol-rich beverages, pomegranate juice was found to be at least 20% more potent than any other juices tested, including Concord grape juice, acai, and blueberry juice. The reason it beat them is that it contained almost every type of antioxidant!
In addition to these antioxidants, pomegranates also boast the following nutritive properties:
- An excellent source of vitamin C and K
- A good source of folate, thiamin, pantothenic acid, B6, and riboflavin.
- A great source of copper, manganese, potassium, and phosphorus.
- A decent form of fiber.
- An extraordinary source of punicalagins (a very powerful antioxidant) and punicic acid (a conjugated linolenic acid).
With such a high antioxidant content and nice mix of vitamins and minerals, pomegranates are a fruit you should definitely consider consuming on a more regular basis.
Healing Action of Pomegranates
Pomegranates have plenty of healing action, and much of it is generated from its antioxidant content. Some proven benefits of eating pomegranate or drinking the juice include:
- Improved heart health by lowering cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, reducing platelet aggregation, and reducing atherosclerotic plaque.
- Inhibits breast, prostate, and colon cancer as well as leukemia.
- Improves symptoms of depression through stimulation of estrogen and serotonin receptors.
- Protects against osteoporosis.
- Potent anti-inflammatory.
- Reduces symptoms related to arthritis and joint pain.
- Helps increase blood flow, and may improve erectile dysfunction.
- May help improve memory.
- Helps fight bacterial and fungal infections.
With all of these potential healing effects, it’s probably time to consider how to get this super fruit into our bodies on a daily basis!
How to Use Pomegranates in Your Diet
With a sweet, slightly tart taste and a nice crunch, pomegranates have many useful applications in recipes. Different ways you can incorporate pomegranate into your diet include:
- Sprinkled on top of vegetable salads, yogurt, and vegetable dishes.
- Put into smoothies.
- Made into juice or into this powerful kefir.
- Make it a part of a healthy fruit salad
To make these pomegranate recipes worth the effort, I suggest you watch this video to learn how to get the seeds of a pomegranate out quickly and easily.
