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The Health Benefits of Pomegranates
Organic pomegranate seeds or refreshing pomegranate juice is a delicious, refreshing snack! This slightly peculiar fruit has been thought to hold legendary powers for centuries. Persians believe Eve actually ate a pomegranate when she plucked from the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden, not an apple. Ancient Egyptians buried their dead with pomegranates because they believed it offered eternal life. This fruit is also featured in mythology and tradition as a symbol of good tidings. Greeks break open a pomegranate at wedding celebrations and the Chinese eat candied pomegranate seeds for good luck.Video: The Health Benefits of Pomegranates
Pomegranate Research
Researchers are discovering the truth surrounding the pomegranate’s powers, proving why this exotic fruit has claimed such a fabled place in cultures throughout the ages. Scientists conducting research on the many health benefits of pomegranates have made some incredible discoveries.
First, organic pomegranates are full of antioxidants. These are compounds and enzymes known for keeping low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol from oxidizing and causing atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries [1]. Organic pomegranate seeds act a lot like aspirin, keeping blood platelets from sticking together and forming dangerous blood clots [2].
Antioxidants also buffer the effects of free radical damage to your cells caused by oxidation. Free radicals are produced by functions within the body and elements outside the body, such as radiation from the sun. You can’t stop free radical occurrence and oxidation but you can consume foods that help neutralize their potential damage.
Research also shows that eating organic pomegranate seeds and drinking pomegranate juice can increase oxygen levels to the heart [3].
Other studies reveal that, over time, organic pomegranates might help combat erectile dysfunction [4]. This super fruit might also reduce the redness of arthritis by slowing the enzymatic activity that breaks down cartilage.
How to Eat an Organic Pomegranate
The pomegranate is an intricate fruit that contains a maze of seeds inside an encapsulation of bark-like, inedible flesh. It may initially look daunting but there is an easy way to get to all those nutritious, sweet and juicy seeds.
- Cut off the crown (you’ll see it) and discard in your compost pile.
- Score and slice the rind all around, but don’t cut the rind all the way through.
- Soak the pomegranate face down in cold water for about ten minutes.
- While the pomegranate is still in the bowl of water, break apart the scored rinds, and remove the seeds from the flesh (the seeds will sink to the bottom of your bowl).
- Remove the rind and membrane from the bowl with a sieve or spoon.
- Drain the seeds with a colander and pat dry with a paper towel.
To get the most out of an organic pomegranate, eat the seeds while they’re at their freshest and juiciest. This is when their therapeutic powers are at their peak!
Some people suck the juice out and spit out the seed. This is a personal choice but most of the beneficial fiber comes from the seed so it is beneficial to eat it and a waste to ignore it. Organic pomegranate seeds are bursting with a delicious, pleasant, slightly acidic flavor that has all the sweetness of cranberries without the tartness.
I suggest sprinkling the seeds on a green salad or a fruit salad. You’ll be surprised at the awesome extra taste sensation this provides. You can add them to any recipe that calls for fruit or seeds, too. Pomegranates are often used in Middle Eastern dishes and make a great cranberry-style sauce.
Organic pomegranate seeds are also perfectly delicious eaten all by themselves.
Health Benefits of Organic Pomegranates
Packed with antioxidants equal to those in green tea and red wine, and especially loaded withvitamin C and potassium, pomegranates are believed to help:
- Lower Risk of Heart Disease [5]
- Lower Risk of Cancer, Especially Prostate and Breast [6]
- Lessen Symptoms of Diarrhea [7]
- Reduce Cholesterol [8]
- Control Your Weight [9]
- Fight Cell Damage [10]
Pomegranates are one of the few fruits where the juice is just as beneficial as the fruit or seeds. The peel, which you can’t eat, contains the most antioxidants, and they are released in abundance when the fruit is squeezed for juicing.
Note: Eating pomegranates might interfere with certain medications in the same way that grapefruit juice does. Be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist about drug interactions.
Pomegranate’s wine-red juice will stain your fingers, clothes, and countertops! Be careful with these.
- Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM
MORE INFORMATION:
http://www.wellcorps.com/MedicinalPropertiesPomegranates.html
explanation for its calming effect is a compound called eugenol, which has been shown to help ease muscle spasms. Research is still preliminary, but laboratory studies also suggest that compounds found in basil may help disrupt the dangerous chain of events that can lead to the development of cancer.
contains alkaloid capsaicin, which relieves pain by blocking the chemicals that send pain messages to the brain. If you eat cayenne at the first sign of any type of headache, with plenty of water as a chaser, this spicy herb may be an effective alternative treatment. Added to food, cayenne perks up appetite, improves digestion and relieves gas, nausea, and indigestion. The herb also thins phlegm and eases its passage from the lungs, thus helping to prevent and treat coughs, colds and bronchitis.
causing bacteria, including the dreaded E.coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureas. Research shows that cinnamon is also able to stop the growth of the Asian flu virus. Herbalists report that cinnamon bark also helps regulate the menstrual cycle and checks flooding during menopause. Also cinnamaldehyde has a tranquilizing effect that helps reduce anxiety and stress.
has earned the official endorsement of the FDA as an effective stopgap measure for tooth pain. Clove is also among the spices that can help the body use insulin more effectively, thus lowering blood sugar somewhat. In one lab study, clove was also found to speed healing of the dreaded cold sores. On the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) scale used by the National Institute on Aging in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to assess the antioxidant value of foods, 
fact, the word dill comes from the Old Norse word dilla, meaning to lull or soothe. The herb has an antifoaming action that suggests why it might help break up gas bubbles. Like parsley, dill is rich in chlorophyll, which also makes it useful in treating bad breath.
the garlic is crushed, alliin becomes allicin. Research shows that allicin helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure and also helps prevents blood clots. Garlic can also reduce the risk of developing atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Compounds in this familiar bulb kill many organisms, including bacteria and viruses that cause earaches, flu and colds. Research indicates that garlic is also effective against digestive ailments and diarrhea. What’s more, further studies suggest that this common and familiar herb may help prevent the onset of cancers.
say herbalists. In fact, researchers have demonstrated that ginger beats dimenhydrate, the main ingredient in motion sickness drugs such as Dramamine, for controlling symptoms of seasickness and motion sickness. Ginger stimulates saliva flow and digestive activity, settles the stomach, relieves vomiting, eases pain from gas and diarrhea, and is effective as an anti-nausea remedy. This aromatic herb also helps lower cholesterol. Herbalists have also found it to be useful as a pain reliever.
and vomiting, promote digestion, calm stomach muscle spasms, relieve flatulence, and ease hiccups. Menthol, the aromatic oil in peppermint, also relaxes the airways and fights bacteria and viruses. Menthol interferes with the sensation from pain receptors, thus it may be useful in reducing headache pain. Scientific evidence suggests that peppermint can kill many kinds of micro-organisms, and may boost mental alertness. In one study, people who inhaled menthol said they felt as if it relieved their nasal congestion, although it didn’t increase their measurable air flow.
action that may help reduce body odor. The ingredients in oregano that soothe coughs may also help un-knot muscles in the digestive tract, making oregano a digestive aid. This familiar spice also contains compounds that can lower blood pressure too.
infections and keep our body’s plumbing running smoothly by causing it to produce more urine. They also relieve bloating during menstruation. Also there’s a reason for that parsley on the edge of the diner plate, its not just there for fancy decoration; it’s an effective breath freshener because it contains high levels of chlorophyll.
shown to prevent cataracts, and contains 19 chemicals with antibacterial action that help fight infection. Traditionally used to ease asthma, this common culinary ingredient has volatile oils that can reduce the airway constriction induced by histamine, that chemical culprit of asthma and other allergy symptoms. Herbalists think that rosemary may also help ease breast pain by acting as a natural drying agent to fluid filled cysts.
symptoms of menopause, night sweats and hot flashes, because of its estrogenic action and because its tannins can dry up perspiration. There’s also compelling evidence that sage may be of value to people with diabetes for whom the hormone insulin does not work as efficiently as it should. Lab studies indicate that sage may boost insulin’s action.
significant beneficial effect in relieving rheumatoid arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome. Curcumin, which gives this spice its familiar yellow pigment, may also lower cholesterol. Turmeric is also packed with antioxidants, including vitamins A, C, and E, which have been shown to prevent cataracts. Turmeric should not be used by people with gallstones or bile obstruction. Though turmeric is often used by pregnant women, it is important to consult with a doctor before doing so as turmeric can be a uterine stimulant.