You may have heard a lot of hype about the amazing health benefits pomegranate seeds provide. So do those little seeds hold up to all the hype? I know I was a little skeptical, so I did a bit of research and here’s what I found.

The popularity of pomegranate seeds for their remarkable health benefits has been recognized for a long time.  Pomegranates are mentioned in the Bible, in Greek Mythology and depicted in Egyptian paintings. Pretty impressive, huh?

Antioxidant Powerhouse

Antioxidants are the hero that protects your cells from the damaging effect of free radicals by reducing oxidation in your body. Pomegranates have 120 antioxidants (flavonoids, polyphenols, and tannins) to keep inflammation at bay and fight against aging . These little powerhouses anti-inflammatory properties have been shown to help those who suffer from arthritis. Did you know pomegranates have even higher concentrations of antioxidants than green tea or blueberries? That’s pretty impressive! They are top dog when it comes to winning the battle against inflammation and keeping your immune system in butt kicking mode.

Anti-What?

In addition to a super potent antioxidant, pomegranates are also

• Anti-Microbial
• Anti-Fungal
• Anti-Inflammatory
• Anti-Parasitic

These properties make pomegranates effective against Candida, MRSA, MSSA, and PVL. That is mind blowing!

Low in Calories

A medium-sized pomegranate is fun to eat and only sets you back 100 calories! They are a little challenging to cut up until you know how (click here for the fastest and easiest way to cut up a pomegranate). Plus when you eat the seeds you get the extra fiber to keep your digestive system working properly.

Full of Vitamins and Minerals

Pomegranate seeds are high in Vitamin C, Vitamin E, B6, folate and panthothenic acid. They rival oranges with one pomegranate packing 40% of your Vitamin C consumption in. Skip the processed pomegranate juice if possible as the pasteurization kills the Vitamin C and eat the fruit fresh.

What Part of the Fruit to Eat

Typically we call the arils of a pomegranate the seeds. But in fact the seeds are quite small and are inside the juice filled arils. Just in case you were wondering the seeds are edible and give you a little crunch. Spitting out a seed from every aril would be tough! There is a white membrane that holds the seeds into the fruit, typically we don’t eat that but it is edible. The rind, plant and roots are used in some remedies, but use with caution as they may be toxic.

Heart Health

Studies have shown that pomegranates may help reduce LDL cholesterol levels. Pomegranates seem to have a magical effect on our arteries by naturally decreasing plaque on artery walls and helping to repel new plaque from forming. Eating pomegranates can help flush plaque off your artery walls away safely and naturally. Pomegranates can help to lower your blood pressure naturally. Do yourself a favor and prevent heart problems before they become a problem by eating a pomegranate.

Cancer

Pomegranates have helped to slow cancer growth and many believe it can prevent cancer if eaten regularly. They have been shown to reduce oxidative stress – and oxidative stress is what causes our cells to mutate into cancer cells. Most notably it has been recognized for its benefit to prostate, skin, breast, lung and colon cancer.

Other Benefits

Eating pomegranates can improve your dental health by decreasing bacteria in your mouth and combats plaque by 86%. Pomegranates have helped to heal wounds while increasing collagen. It has been shown to help improve some of the symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s Disease and it supports the reproductive system. There is information to show that it may be anti-parasitic as well by stopping cerebral malaria from onset. I had heard that eating pomegranates are helpful for acid reflux. I ate them during several of my pregnancies and they sure did help.

Precautions

The precautions were typically related to complications with prescribed medication. Otherwise no adverse reactions were reported.There is some evidence that pomegranates might interfere with blood thinners and blood pressure medication. Always consult with your physician before making dietary changes.

Conclusion

Pomegranates should be a part of everyone’s diet. I was delighted to discover that pomegranates really are a super food. In my eyes they have held up to all the hype and more! I will continue to eat them regularly as well as feed them to my children (who can eat them faster than I can keep them in the house)!

I’d love to hear from you and your experience with pomegranates. Have you ever tried one? Don’t worry I had not eaten pomegranates until I was in my mid-twenties. Share this article with someone you care about today so they too can start harvesting the amazing health benefits pomegranates provide.

References:

http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/pomegranate

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4007340/

https://www.drfuhrman.com/library/article19.aspx

http://www.wonderfulpomegranateresearch.com/featured/

http://www.crec.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/pomegranates/health.shtml