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Health Benefits of Pomegranate: Nutrition, Uses, and Complete Guide
Overview
- Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit that delivers life-changing nutrients, including antioxidants, vitamin C, K, folate, and fibre, making it one of the "superfruits" on the planet that is heavily studied in the last couple of decades.
- The benefits of pomegranate have been known for years in the Ayurvedic and Chinese system of medicine. The fruit contains hundreds of ruby-like seeds, also called arils, that are full of juice and fibre and provide a powerful nutritive boost, including antioxidants called punicalagins, and anthocyanins.
- It has a sweet taste with a hint of sourness and is very popular as a functional fruit or juice in the western world.
- Some people take pomegranate juice or supplements regularly for heart health, antioxidants, and digestion, but we must also remember that it is typically used as a complement to a healthier lifestyle, diet, along with drugs for chronic illnesses.
- Moreover, people with diabetes, high blood pressure, who are on blood thinners or with kidney or liver issues need to consult a doctor before taking pomegranate fruit, juice, or supplements.
- A routine health screening and blood tests, including lipids profile and blood sugar, are also necessary to ensure the changes in the diet or lifestyle are positively affecting the body.
- Curelo Health lets you Compare. Choose. Book. – compare prices and book the most trusted lab diagnostic centres to get your lipid profile, blood sugar and other health tests done in your city.
What Makes Pomegranate a Nutritional Powerhouse?
The pomegranate tree is a medicinal plant known to have tremendous health benefits. It provides us with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fibre. One medium pomegranate weighing around 280 grams has about 23 grams of carbs, 4 grams of fibre, and 14 grams of natural sugars and around 200 calories.
Pomegranate is a rich source of vitamin C and folate. It also has a significant amount of potassium, vitamin K, and vitamin B6. The fruit is low in sodium and carbohydrates and is a great option for people watching out for their weight or blood pressure.
Other health benefits of pomegranate juice and the fruit include improving your digestion, lowering your cholesterol levels and blood pressure, reducing inflammation, and protecting cells from damage.
Let's talk about the health benefits of pomegranate in detail.
Top 7 Proven Health Benefits of Pomegranate
1. Improves Heart Health
Studies have shown that pomegranate benefits the human heart in many ways. The fruit is high in antioxidants, particularly punicalagins, which have been found to reduce cholesterol oxidation and blood pressure significantly.
This can reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, a condition in which arteries get narrower due to cholesterol plaque formation on the walls. Although pomegranate cannot replace the cholesterol medication, it can be used as a supplement to help control cholesterol levels in the blood, mainly in people with a family history of heart disease.
2. Rich Source of Antioxidants
Pomegranate molasses are loaded with antioxidants. Oxidative stress has been linked to aging and many diseases. According to research, the fruit has more than 100 different antioxidants that help fight free radicals in the body. It is considered one of the most potent antioxidant sources, offering disease-preventing and cellular-protective properties.
3. Help Reduce Inflammation
Chronic inflammation is the root cause of many diseases, such as arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease. Inflammation may also worsen the symptoms of these diseases. Punicalagin, a compound found in pomegranate, may reduce inflammation in the body. More research is needed to fully understand the connection between the anti-inflammatory properties of the fruit and chronic diseases.
4. Helps Improve Digestion
Pomegranate contains dietary fibre, which aids digestion. The fibres in the fruit help the gastrointestinal system to move smoothly and stay regular. Around 4 grams of fibre are found in every 100 grams of pomegranate seeds.
Dietary fibre also slows the conversion of sugar into glucose, which the body uses for energy. In addition to that, fibre helps you to feel full for a more extended period, which is essential for weight loss.
5. May Help Control Blood Sugar
Pomegranate has a low glycemic index (GI). The GI of food is a number that indicates how quickly the body digests and absorbs the carbohydrates in it and how that affects blood sugar levels. This low GI value of pomegranate makes it a good fruit for people with diabetes. Pomegranate is also high in fibre, so it helps make the body a bit more resistant to insulin. However, everyone has a different response to the fruit. Therefore, if you have diabetes, it is essential to keep track of how you respond to the fruit.
6. Benefits Skin Health and Anti-Aging
Pomegranate is an excellent source of vitamin C, which helps maintain the health of your skin by boosting collagen production in the body. Moreover, the fruit helps reduce the effects of free radicals, known to cause premature aging of the skin. For these reasons, the fruit extract is used in various skin creams and serums.
7. Immune Support
Vitamin C is essential to keep your body safe from illnesses and infections by supporting the proper functioning of the immune system. Therefore, having a sufficient amount of vitamin C in your body is vital, especially during the flu and cold season. Pomegranate benefits the immune system by providing a decent amount of vitamin C.
How to Add Pomegranate in the Daily Diet?
Adding this fruit to your diet is an easy and delicious way to improve your health. Here are a few suggestions on how to include pomegranate in the daily diet:
- Have a handful of the seeds as a mid-meal snack instead of junk food.
- Add them to your salad, oatmeal, curd, or poha for a healthy crunch.
- You can also add pomegranate seeds to your fruit chaat, along with some chaat masala.
- Blend the seeds into a smoothie with curd or banana.
- If you prefer pomegranate juice, make sure to have freshly extracted and without fibre juice.
The serving size of pomegranate is around a half of it or a cup of arils.
Who Should Be Careful When Eating Pomegranate?
While pomegranate seems like a healthy fruit that everyone can eat, there are some people who should be a bit careful while including the fruit in their diet. If a person is on blood thinners, the fruit might interfere with the medication. They must consult a doctor before regularly eating pomegranate or drinking the juice.
People with diabetes must eat the fruit in small quantities and, whenever possible, eat the whole fruit rather than drinking the juice. Moreover, kidney disease patients must consult a doctor before eating the fruit. Though rare, people with allergies to the fruit must also be wary of adding the fruit to their diet.
Pomegranate Is Not a Magic Bullet
It is essential to remember that pomegranate is a healthy fruit that can benefit your health in many ways, but it cannot cure or treat any disease. It cannot replace any medication that your doctor has asked you to take. Moreover, most of the research done on the fruit shows only moderate benefits when it comes to heart disease, diabetes, or cancer.
People usually take these dietary or lifestyle changes to improve their current health condition. Therefore, instead of relying on how they feel, it is always a good idea to get a few blood tests done to determine if the changes are positively affecting their bodies.
The tests that a person can take when considering heart health, aging, and lifestyle changes include:
- Lipid Profile Test – To check the levels of lipids in the blood. These levels indicate whether a person is at risk for cardiovascular diseases or not.
- Fasting Blood Sugar & HbA1c – This test measures how much sugar is present in the blood and indicates whether a person is diabetic or prediabetic.
- hsCRP Test – It is a blood test that measures C-reactive protein, indicating inflammation in the body. Inflammation can be a sign of many diseases, including cardiovascular diseases.
- Vitamin C & Vitamin D Test – The test measures the levels of the two most essential vitamins in the body and ensures that the person is getting enough of the vitamins. These vitamins help the body absorb calcium, fight infections, and keep the immune system strong.
- Kidney Function Test (KFT) – A person should get their kidney functions tested if they are thinking of including the fruit in the diet. It is because people suffering from kidney diseases should avoid high-potassium foods. This test helps determine if the kidneys are working correctly.
- Complete Blood Count (CBC) – CBC test helps determine a person's overall health status by examining the cells in the blood, mainly the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Is pomegranate seeds better than juice?
Pomegranate seeds are high in fibre, which is why it is advised to eat them instead of drinking the juice. Fibres make you feel full for longer and reduce the chances of overeating. In addition to that, fibre slows down the digestion process, so the natural sugars in the fruit are released slowly into the blood, reducing the risk of a sudden spike in blood sugar levels.
Q2. How many pomegranates can one eat?
The number of pomegranates that one can eat varies depending on a person's weight, height, body type, and overall health. Pomegranate is a healthy fruit that may improve your health, but it is not advised to overeat the fruit during a day. A normal portion size is considered to be around a half of it or a cup of the arils.
Q3. Can people with diabetes eat the fruit?
People with diabetes can eat pomegranate, but they must consume it in regular portions. Moreover, it is better to eat the fruit rather than drink the juice, as the juice has a higher concentration of natural sugars. Eating the fruit is beneficial for people with diabetes because the fibre slows down the digestion, preventing a sudden increase in blood sugar levels.
Q4. Does pomegranate reduce cholesterol levels?
The fruit has been found to reduce cholesterol oxidation and help control cholesterol levels. However, it is essential to eat the fruit as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle change. People with cholesterol issues should also consider having statin drugs, a type of medication that lowers the amount of cholesterol in the blood. These drugs are normally given to people with a genetic history of high cholesterol levels.
Q5. Can pregnant women eat pomegranate?
Pomegranate is safe for pregnant women to eat. It is rich in nutrients that can help women have a healthy pregnancy. In case of any other medical condition, it is always better to consult a doctor before eating the fruit.
Q6. Are pomegranate supplements as effective as the fruit?
Taking supplements in the form of pomegranate extract is less effective than having the fruit. The fruit has natural fibre that helps maintain a healthy digestive system and slow down the digestion process. Also, fibre helps you feel full for a longer period, reducing the chances of overeating. The fruit has several benefits that cannot be found in the supplements, so it is always better to eat the fruit rather than taking any kind of extract or powder.
Conclusion
Pomegranate is a superfood that has enormous health benefits for people. However, it is important to consider pomegranate as a part of a healthy and balanced diet. The fruit can be helpful to control blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and improve digestion. Nevertheless, it should not be used to replace any medication or a healthy lifestyle.
People who are considering making changes to their lifestyle, diet, or exercise regime to control cholesterol levels, sugar, or blood pressure must first get their basic health screening done. Following that, they can get the appropriate tests done to see if the changes in the diet or lifestyle have positively affected their bodies.
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