Pomegranates health benefits – Pomegranate is the healthiest fruit on earth. For those of you who want to be healthy, then don’t miss this fruit in your diet. Pomegranate is a fruit that is rich in various compounds that are beneficial for health.
Research on pomegranates says that the fruit which is soaked with the name “rumman” in Arabic has many benefits for human health. In this article, we are going to explain everything related to pomegranate. Starting from the health benefits of pomegranate, pomegranate recipes, to how to eat pomegranate properly. Keep up with our article!
Amazing Health Benefits of Pomegranate
Below are some of the health benefits of pomegranate, may inspire us to consume it.
1. Contains two plant compounds with great benefits
Pomegranate actually contains unique compounds called punicalagins and punicic acid, both of these compounds are said to be beneficial for health.
Punicalagins
Punicalagins are compounds that act as very powerful antioxidants. It is useful in eliminating and curing many diseases. This important compound is present in pomegranate peel and in pomegranate juice.
The antioxidant power in pomegranate is so strong, it can even match up to three times as much as the antioxidants in red wine and green tea.
Pomegranate powder and pomegranate extract are made from the peel, because the skin is the accumulation of antioxidants and punicalagins.
Also read: List of Tasty and Healthy Foods for Low Blood Sufferers
Punicic Acid
The second compound in pomegranate is punicic acid. This type of compound is present in pomegranate seeds, and it acts as the main fatty acid in arils. Punicic acic is a conjunctivated lenoleic acid with biological effects.
2. Pomegranate is a storehouse of essential nutrients for health
Furthermore, the health benefits of pomegranate cannot be separated from the content of many important nutrients in it. The fruit, called pomegranate, or Punica granatum, is a shrub-shaped plant and the fruit is red with various seeds. There are white, red and even blackish red.
This large pomegranate is also classified as a berry, its diameter can reach 5 to 12 cm. The fruit is round, almost the same as a grapefruit, but it has a slightly tough skin and a bitter taste. The seeds are red, white and some are black, depending on the variety we plant.
Inside the fruit there are many seeds and even hundreds of seeds surrounded by a watery membrane with an extraordinary sweet taste. Pomegranates can be eaten raw (immediately after being taken from the tree) or processed into sweet and refreshing pomegranate juice. However, pomegranate skin cannot be eaten.
Pomegranate has an astounding nutritional profile, so it’s only natural that the health benefits of pomegranate are also surprising. One cup of pomegranate measuring 174 grams contains the following nutrients:
- Fiber: 7 grams
- Vitamin C: 30% of the RDI
- Protein: 3 grams
- Vitamin K: 36% of the RDI
- Potassium: 12% of the RDI
- Folate: 16% of the RDI
The aroma of pomegranate juice is very fresh, sweet, where in one cup of pomegranate juice contains 144 calories and 24 grams of sugar.
Pomegranate is truly rich in nutrients which lead to its immense health benefits.
3. Pomegranate is a storehouse for anti-inflammation
Inflammation is the cause of many chronic diseases, so it is very important to eat foods rich in anti-inflammatory and pomegranate is a fruit rich in anti-inflammatory nutrients.
Among the diseases that occur due to inflammation are Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and obesity.
Also see: Benefits of Carrot Juice, Preventing and Overcoming Cancer
The anti-inflammatory in pomegranate is largely due to its antioxidant properties and the content of punicalagins.
A study on the reaction tabugn proved that pomegranate is beneficial for inflammation of the digestive tract. Pomegranate is also useful for inflammation in breast cancer and colon cancer.
A study of diabetics showed that consuming a 250 ml cup of pomegranate daily decreased markers of inflammation of CRP and interleukin-6 by between 32% and 30%, respectively.
Bottom Line: If you want to reduce inflammation in the body, then consuming pomegranate or pomegranate juice is the best alternative for you.
4. Pomegranate is useful for treating breast cancer
Based on research, pomegranate is said to be beneficial in fighting cancer. It not only prevents cancer, but also fights several breast cancer cells. Breast cancer is a type of cancer that many women experience. Consuming lots of pomegranates can be useful for preventing breast cancer by preventing it and even fighting the cancer cells.
Until now, this evidence was limited to laboratory experiments. We still need a lot of other research related to pomegranate, then we can claim that pomegranate can eliminate breast cancer.
5. Pomegranate can fight prostate cancer
Unlike breast cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. Based on research, cancer cells can be slowed down by consuming pomegranate extract. Even the benefits of pomegranate extract can induce apoptosis, and can kill cancer cells.
The Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) is blood that is a marker for prostate cancer. Men with a lot of PSA blood have a high risk of prostate cancer.
Very interesting research results on the benefits of pomegranate for health. Where it is mentioned that humans who consume pomegranate as much as 8 ounces or 237 ml of pomegranate juice every day are able to slow down the addition of PSA.
6. The benefits of pomegranate can lower blood pressure
The benefits of pomegranate not only prevent cancer, but are very good for lowering blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major cause of heart disease and stroke (blockage of brain blood vessels).
There are studies, where people with high blood pressure consume pomegranate extract is beneficial in lowering blood pressure significantly. This happened after eating 5 ounces of pomegranate every day for two weeks. So, it is highly recommended to consume 5 ounces of pomegranate juice every day to fight high blood pressure.
7. Pomegranate is useful for treating joint pain and arthritis
Inflammation of the joints or arthritis is a problem experienced by many people in western countries. Arthritis has many types, but generally it is inflammation and pain that occurs in the joints.
The plant compounds present in pomegranate are said to be beneficial for anti-inflammatory properties. So it is very true, if he can treat arthritis. In laboratory studies, pomegranate extract can prevent enzymes that damage joints. This is common in people with osteoarthritis.
In experiments on mice, pomegranate extract is also useful in relieving arthritis. However, the evidence from human studies is still very limited, and it needs to be tested in more humans so that we know how pomegranate extract can affect inflammation or arthritis.
8. Pomegranate juice is useful for overcoming erectile dysfunction
Oxidation damage can impair the smooth flow of blood in various places throughout the body. Thus, erectile dysfunction often occurs. Pomegranate juice is said to have been shown to be medicinal to increase blood flow and this can improve erections in guinea pigs.
Also read: 10 Benefits of Basil Leaves
This study was also tested on 53 men who experience erectile dysfunction. As pomegranate has great benefits for men’s health.
9. Pomegranate is useful for reducing the risk of heart disease
Heart disease is a disease that is common in modern men. This is a complicated disease, there are many factors that cause heart disease to occur.
As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, pomegranate contains Punicic acid. These are the main fatty acids in pomegranate that are beneficial against heart disease.
Another study states that pomegranate juice has good effects for people with type 2 diabetes and people with high cholesterol (LDL).
Various studies later concluded that the health benefits of pomegranate can reduce high blood pressure so that it can prevent heart disease.
10. Pomegranate reduces bacterial and fungal infections
Pomegranate contains plant compounds that are good for fighting various bad microorganisms that cause many diseases.
For example: Pomegranate has been shown to fight several types of bacteria and yeast Candida albicans. The anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties in pomegranate are beneficial for health in protecting mouth inflammation and infection. Among them are gingivitis, periodontitis and denture stomatitis.
Thus the health benefits of pomegranate that need to be known, the goal is to increase our willingness to increase consumption of pomegranates.
Also see: 6 Best Fruit Juice During Pregnancy
11. Pomegranate May Help Improve Memory
There is a lot of evidence showing the benefits of pomegranate for boosting memory. Pomegranate, which is given as much as 8 ounces per day to surgery patients, is said to be able to maintain good memory health.
Likewise with the mice that were given pomegranate extract, it was stated that the mice avoided Alzheimer’s disease.
12. Pomegranate is useful for improving exercise performance
The reason for eating lots of pomegranate is good for exercise is because of the presence of food nutrients, these substances are known to increase enthusiasm and exercise performance.
There has been research done on running athletes. They are given 1 gram of pomegranate every 30 minutes, this can drastically increase their blood flow. Slows down fatigue and can maximize exercise.
How to Eat a Pomegranate
How to eat pomegranate, for years we’ve been trying to figure out the best and easy way to eat pomegranate. Are the seeds eaten too or set aside. Of course, you also have to eat the seeds because a lot of the nutrients are stored there. Below we look at how to peel pomegranate easily and how to eat pomegranate.
How to Cut Pomegranate
Cut the pomegranate should not be cut in half directly in the middle. This will crush the pomegranate seeds which eventually become messy and juicy. If the seeds were broken this would be very unpleasant. We haven’t seen an effective way to open pomegranate this way. There are other ways you can follow, so that the pomegranate seeds don’t break. In this way you can make sure that it is not broken.
This method of cutting pomegranate doesn’t take long, in just a moment you can open it and produce lots of pomegranate seeds that are pleasing to the eye, without even breaking.
1. Thinly slice the bottom pomegranate. Using a sharp knife, place the sliced pomegranate on a cutting board to stabilize it. The crown of the pomegranate should be on top.
2. Then the other part, the pomegranate crown is also sliced like that, slice it in a circle until it is cut and loose.
3. Then make a shallow cut along the body of the pomegranate. Slice from top to bottom with shallow slices, avoiding getting the pomegranate seeds inside.
To make it easier to peel the pomegranate, you should make about 6 shallow slices on the outside of the pomegranate skin. Watch out, don’t cut the seeds in the pomegranate skin.
4. Use your finger to open it. Do this carefully, until the pomegranate is peeled and into 6 pieces. Open the pomegranate in a bowl or in it, when the seeds come off they are immediately stored in the bowl.
5. Now that the pomegranate is peeled, your job now is to remove the seeds from the skin membrane. Use your fingers to remove all the seeds.
You can also fill a bowl with water, when a pomegranate seed peels, it immediately sinks into the water. Likewise with the skin membrane, it will float and easily get rid of.
Read more: Health Benefits of Sunflowers and Its Seeds
How to Make Juice from Pomegranate Seeds
To make pomegranate juice, add a cup of pomegranate seeds and blend to break up the seeds and bring out their aroma and color. Just blender it for a while, don’t let the inner seeds crack because it’s bitter. Then strain it in a cup or glass, use a rubber spatula to press a little so that all the pomegranate juice comes out through the filter into your glass.
Add sugar as desired, two large pomegranates can make one cup of pomegranate juice.
Note: The pomegranate is very large, it reacts with aluminum and carbon steel.