In India, it is a tradition to feed pomegranate daily to a bride-to-be by their grandmothers, and rightly so. Eating pomegranates are second nature to us, but we never realize their amazing benefits. You can even call pomegranate a divine fruit because it might be one of the most mentioned fruit in ancient theological books. There is even debate that the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden was not an apple, but a pomegranate. It’s said to be a lucky fruit by the Chinese and is a traditional fruit in Greek weddings. Egyptians believe that this fruit provides eternity and hence buries these fruits along with the dead bodies. Other than these surprising ancient beliefs, there are number of health benefits of pomegranates that can work wonders.
Pomegranate health benefits include the following:
The high amounts of anti-oxidants, vitamin A, vitamin C and iron in pomegranates fight against free radicals, stopping them from damaging cells. Pomegranates thus prevent many cancers, especially prostate cancer (1), breast cancer (2) and lung cancer (3).
Anti-oxidants present in pomegranates lower bad cholesterol, LDL and increases good cholesterol, HDL, thus preventing heart diseases (4). Its juice improves blood circulation (5) through the heart, making it healthier.
A medium sized pomegranate contains 15% of the daily required vitamin C which is very essential for a good immune system. So a pomegranate a day cimproveouldeoulde your immunity (6) and keep the doctor away.
Vitamin C helps in producing collagen. This collagen can help maintain the elasticity of the skin. Pomegranate oil derived from the seeds can be applied on the body. Its anti-oxidants protect the skin from toxic gases and pollution, thus preventing ageing (7) and skin cancer. It helps in skin cells regeneration, removes dull and dead cells and gives healthy glowing skin.
Pomegranate, if taken daily can give strength to bones and prevents osteoarthritis (8). As we age; our bone density can decrease to an alarming level. To prevent and even reverse this damage, consuming pomegranate or pomegranate extracts might be helpful. When pomegranate is fed to the mothers, even the unborn child is shown to have more calcified bones.
There is a phenomenon of a plaque like buildup occurring on the arteries. This can be removed with the daily intake of pomegranates (9). This also prevents the chances of further build up.
Pomegranate juice if taken daily can reduce high blood pressure up to 5%. This reduction in systolic blood pressure can reduce the chances of stroke (10).
Drink a glass of pomegranate juice daily (without sugar) and it can prevent dental plaque. A recent study revealed that the polyphenols, tannins and ellagic acids contained in pomegranate can help inhibit the colony formation of plaque causing bacteria (11).
Pomegranates has been said to be a great natural remedy for diarrhea due to its natural astringent properties (12). But, consuming too much pomegranate juice could cause constipation.
Another of the pomegranate benefits is that it is high in anti-oxidants, if taken daily can help you in controlling your body weight. You can take the fruit in your daily diet and lose those extra calories (13). The high fiber content will also make sure that people feel more satiated after its consumption.
The presence of anti-oxidants in high quantity fights against the free radicals which usually attack the cells and damage them (14). Regular consumption of this fruit can keep your body cells and tissues healthy.
One of the greatest health benefits of pomegranate is that if this fruit is taken daily, it can help in preventing Alzheimer’s disease (15). If the patient is already affected by this disease, then it can be slowed down with this fruit. It also improves the patient’s brain and helps to do daily activities properly and more actively.
These juicy red fruits can provide extraordinary benefits to your skin, thanks to their incredible antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing properties. They are often incorporated in many skincare ranges. They can do wonders for your skin in the following ways.
PREV POST PAGE 1 2NEXT