Top health benefits of eating pomegranate

Pomegranate (known as Anar in hindi) is one of the healthiest fruits that you could eat. Its easily available and offers several health benefits for your body.

It has often been referred as the divine fruit because of its mention in theological books.

Pomegranate has anti-oxidant, anti-viral and anti-tumor properties and is a good source of vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E), as well as folic acid. Consuming pomegranate also lowers the risk of all sorts of diseases.

Top Health Benefits of Pomegranate

Here are some of the main benefits of including pomegranate in your diet:

1. Protects us from free radicals
   Pomegranate is rich in anti-oxidants and protects our body from free radicals, which prevents premature ageing. This amazing fruit consists three times as many antioxidants as both wine or green tea.

2. Prevention of atherosclerosis
   The anti-oxidant property of pomegranate prevents bad cholesterol from oxidizing, removes the excess fat and prevents the hardening of artery walls.

3. Increased oxygen flow
   It fights free radicals, reduces cholesterol. prevents blood clot. All this helps blood to flow freely and improves the flow of oxygen in your body.

   Pomegranate is loaded with beneficial nutrients.
   A cup of pomegranate seed contains 24 grams of sugar and 144 calories. A cup of pomegranate seeds contain following nutrients: Fiber: 7 grams. Protein: 3 grams. Folate: 16 per cent of the RDA. Potassium: 12 per cent of the RDA.
   Vitamin C: 30 per cent of the RDA. Vitamin K: 36 per cent of the RDA

4. Lowers blood pressure
   Punicic acid in pomegranate helps lower cholesterol, triglycerides and reduce blood pressure.

5. Helps in digestion
   Fibre in pomegranate helps digestion. One pomegranate contains 45 per cent of your daily recommended intake of fibre.

6. Boosts immunity
   Its rich in anti-inflammatory compounds, best for those suffering from immune-related disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and osteroarthrits. Its also rich in vitamin C, which helps in the development of immunity.

7. Prevent plaque formation
   Pomegranate juice can be a better option than alcohol containing mouth washes. Certain compounds in pomegranate exhibit strong antiplaque effects.

How to Eat an Organic Pomegranate

While most are aware of the health benefits of Pomegranate, the reason many don’t have it at home is because they find it very cumbersome to eat it.

No doubt the pomegranate is an intricate fruit, but there’s an easy way to get to all those nutritious, sweet and juicy seeds.

Here’s the right way to cut the fruit and eat it.

• Cut off the crown and discard.
• 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 a pomegranate, eat the seeds while they’re fresh (for its maximum therapeutic powers).

There are some (mostly kids) who like to suck only the juice but and spit out the seed. While the juice is beneficial too, to get the maximum benefits, you should have the seed too (has lots of beneficial fiber). Organic pomegranate seeds are delicious, has all the sweetness of cranberries without the tartness.

Pomegranate Fights Cancer

Several studies have shown that regular consumption of pomegranate juice helps to destroy breast cancer cells, lowers the risk of prostate cancer. Pomegranate is rich in flavonoids and polyphenols, which act against free radicals and prevent from cancer causing free-radicals.

Elagic acid in pomegranate is also a self destroying agent for cancer cells – prevents breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer and leukemia.

One study concluded that pomegranate seeds stimulated the production of collagen that strengthens the skin. More studies have shown that extract of seeds when applied over skin reduces the chances of skin cancer, and is great for healing wounds and managing infections.

Pomegranate Juice for Heart Disease

The anti-oxidants in pomegranates prevents hardening of arteries, and discourages formation of blood clots. Pomegranate makes blood thinner thus ensuring proper blood circulation. Presence of flavonoids and polyhenols (photo-chemicals) help reduce the risk of coronary and heart diseases, heart attacks and strokes. Punicalagins, a chemical compounds found in pomegranates, is beneficial for heart and blood vessels.

Pomegranate Juice for Arthritis Treatment

Pomegranate juice is also known to prevent the onset of cartilage deterioration thereby keeping osteoarthritis at bay. Doctors recommend including pomegranate in your diet during arthritis treatment. Regular drinking of pomegranate juice or eating one piece daily helps protect the cartilages.

Pomegranate is Good for Your Teeth

Pomegranate juice is also great for dental care, as it protects your teeth naturally from decaying. Its anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties prevents building up of dental plaque. You can also prevent bad breath (halitosis) by taking powdered pomegranate peel with water twice a day. Gum related diseases such as gum swollen; bleeding of gun can be reduced by massaging the gum with powdered pomegranate peel. Dental caries (cavities) can be prevented by using powdered pomegranate peel (along with grind black pepper) as toothpaste.

Pomegranate juice side effects

So does eating pomegranate has any side effects on the body?

• In most of the cases, pomegranate doesn’t cayse any side effects. In some cases, however, it may show some adverse reaction, especially with allergic people.
• If pomegranate juice is taken along with low blood pressure medicine, the patient may experience very low blood pressure or hypotension.
• Those suffering from asthma may experience some allergic symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and even breathing problems.
• Diabetics should avoid pomegranate juice because of its high sugar content.
• Pomegranate juice may also cause rashes, hives (urticaria), itching, lips swelling. Some even find it difficult to swallow Pomegranate / juice.

Is Pomegrante Safe for Kids

While pomegranate juice can be had by children, are pomegranate seeds really safe for kids?

While most parents are worried about choking hazards, most doctors say its okay for the kids to have pomegranate (they are small in size, almost the size of a kernel of corn).