In this blog, I wanted to spotlight the health benefits of the pomegranate. I don’t know about you, but I love this tasty fruit and its been around since biblical times. Pomegranates are a popular fruit, especially around the holiday season. They are good for you too. In fact, pomegranates are classified as a super-food and are loaded with a bunch of antioxidants and nutrients that are extremely beneficial to your body. Some nutrients found in pomegranates include: vitamin A, C, E and K. They also contain a healthy amount of potassium, folate and fiber, which aids in the digestion process.
Like cranberries, they are anti- inflammatory and help keep your digestive tract and gut healthy, which is important for your over-all health. Additionally, pomegranates help fight off bacteria and fungi infections in the body. Pomegranates have other nutritional benefits, as well.
Health Benefits Of Pomegranate
Helps Ease Joint Pain
Since pomegranates are anti-inflammatory, they are very beneficial for joint pain. They also help with arthritis pain. Many people suffer with arthritis, especially with age. The good news is that there are ways to help treat arthritis naturally, instead of relying solely on drugs. Eating pomegranates or drinking pomegranate juice may help ease your pain and the stiffness in your joints. A healthy diet including other anti-inflammatory foods is beneficial, as well.
Helps Improve Memory
Studies show that eating pomegranates can help improve your memory. In fact, one study “found that drinking 8 ounces of pomegranate juice per day helped significantly improve markers for verbal and visual memory.”1 Another study found that incorporating pomegranates into your diet might help delay the onset or slow progression of Alzheimer’s disease.” 2 Pomegranates contain polyphenols, which are beneficial for cognitive and memory skills.
Helps Prevent Cancer
Studies show that pomegranates have cancer preventing properties. In fact, consuming pomegranate fruit and extract may slow cancer cell production, especially with prostate cancer. Consuming pomegranate extract may also be useful for breast cancer, as it may help kill off breast cancer cells. More research however is needed before any precise claims can be made. One thing is for sure, you can’t go wrong eating pomegranate for prevention measures and for over-all health.
Helps Improve Heart Health
Pomegranates have also been shown to help fight heart disease. That’s good news, as heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. Pomegranates contain high levels of of antioxidants, which may help prevent cholesterol build-up and heart problems. Drinking pomegranate juice has been shown to help reduce plaque build-up in the arteries, as well as help lower blood pressure.3
Want To Peel A Pomegranate Faster?
While pomegranates are a tasty fruit that are good for you, they can be a challenge to eat. I found out however, if you cut a pomegranate in half and then put it in a bowl filled with water, it helps to separate the seeds and they tend to break apart easier this way. Give it a try the next time you buy a pomegranate.
Thanks for reading!
Barb
P.S. If you are interested in reading more about healthful eating and living a healthy lifestyle, you might want to check out my book, Wholey Cow A Simple Guide To Eating And Living, which is available on Amazon. Click here for a FREE Chapter.
Source:.
¹ https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-proven-benefits-of-pomegranate#section5
² Price, Annie. “Pomegranate Seeds: 7 Incredible Benefits.” Dr. Axe, Dr. Axe, 17 Nov. 2015, draxe.com/pomegranate-seeds/.
3 Price, Annie. “Pomegranate Seeds: 7 Incredible Benefits.” Dr. Axe, Dr. Axe, 17 Nov. 2015, draxe.com/pomegranate-seeds/.
