The seeds of
this round, red fruit are touted for their antioxidants.
by Anna Norris | Tuesday, November 18, 2014
On the outside, they may
look a bit like Red Delicious apples – but once you slice them open, you can
tell pomegranates are quite different. Unlike apples, the
tastiest part of pomegranates is actually their seeds. Just cut off the crown,
slice the pomegranate into sections like an apple, and pop out the seeds for a
sweet and tangy snack.
Tiny as these kernels
are, they pack a punch. Full of antioxidants, pomegranate seeds have been found
to have a host of health benefits, from lowering cholesterol to combating
arthritis.
"Pomegranates are
known for their high polyphenol content," Marisa Moore, a registered
dietitian nutritionist and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics, told From the Grapevine. Additionally, she said that the fruit
offers a good source of potassium and vitamin C.
But don't be threatened
by the hardened exterior and the myriad seeds within. "With a little time
invested to open the fruit, pomegranates make a great snack," Moore said.
She suggested topping salads with the seeds or incorporating seeds and juice
into sauces and salsas.
Let's crack these fruits
open and take a closer look at the health benefits of pomegranates, as backed
by scientific studies from Florida, California and Israel, where pomegranate
orchards reign supreme:
Pomegranates boost your immune system
Moore recommends drinking
pomegranate juice as it effectively concentrates the beneficial nutrients in
pomegranate seeds, for a more potent product. "The antioxidant activity of
pomegranate juice can be as much as three times higher than that of green tea
and red wine," she explained. Specifically, pomegranates contain three types of antioxidants: tannins (which have made red wine famously
healthy), anthocyanins and ellagic acid. Antioxidants are important to keep the
cells in our bodies healthy and able to fight off viruses, keeping down
inflammation and preventing organ damage.
In fact, it outshines
many other juices in comparison, according to a 2008 collaborative study between the University of California and
the Rambam Meidcal Center in Israel. Pomegranate juice contained the
highest concentration of antioxidants studied – even more than red wine,
Concord grape juice, blueberry juice, black cherry juice, açai juice, cranberry
juice, orange juice, ice tea and apple juice (in that order).
Pomegranates lower blood pressure
Think of them as stress
relief in edible form. Harnessing the power of their antioxidants, pomegranates
have been shown to improve systolic blood pressure (the top reading that shows
the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats). When it comes to systolic
blood pressure, the lower the better, and according to a study from the Lipid Research Laboratory at the Rappaport Family Institute for
Research in the Medical Sciences in Israel, pomegranates achieve this by
ensuring that arteries are clear of plaque, which leads us to the next
wonderful benefit of these fruits...
Pomegranates lower cholesterol
By promoting a speedy
clearing of the arteries, pomegranate juice also has tremendous effects on
cholesterol. Another study out of the Lipid Research
Laboratory analyzed
pomegranates' many effects on cardiovascular health, finding that drinking
concentrated pomegranate juice led to decreased cholesterol levels. Again, we
have the polyphenol antioxidants to thank for this. A similar study from the same laboratory followed patients over the course of
three years, finding that a daily ounce of pomegranate juice cleared out 30
percent of atherosclerotic plaque (the kind that hardens your arteries and can
impede blood flow to the rest of your body, at worst causing a heart attack or
stroke). Overall, drinking pomegranate juice appears to be an overall boost for
your heart health.
Pomegranates combat inflammation
Antioxidants also work
wonders on inflammation throughout your body, and pomegranates work their magic
on even the most painful arthritis cases, including rheumatoid arthritis and
osteoarthritis. Studies have shown that pomegranate extract doesn't just reduce inflammation but also helps alleviate pain and even fights against cartilage degradation.
Pomegranates may inhibit cancer
Several studies show that
pomegranate juice inhibits cancer cell growth and even gives those cells an
extra nudge to go ahead and die (a process called apoptosis). A 2012 study out
of the Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology showed that
pomegranate juice prevented the proliferation of a particular human prostate
cancer cell, while an earlier study from Florida Atlantic University found similar results with regard to
breast cancer cells. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, it's not just the seeds, but the rind and
oil as well, that work against cancer cells by reducing blood supply to tumors,
in effect shrinking them. While relatively few studies have been conducted with
human participants (many have been in vitro), it is clear that pomegranates
have the potential to be a powerful anticancer agent.
With dozens of studies
backing the positive health effects of pomegranates, it's evident that this
miracle fruit is more than just a snack. Next time you see one at the
market, give it a try – add the fruit to your breakfast spread or throw the seeds in your next batch
of Israeli couscous!
