Dec 17 2008
The Health Benefits of Pomegranate
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Have you ever ate delicious organic pomegranate seeds or drink refreshing pomegranate juice? What a great tasting and refreshing snack! What’s more, this slightly peculiar fruit has held legendary powers for countless centuries.
Persians believe Eve actually ate a pomegranate she plucked from a small tree in the Garden of Eden, not an apple. And ancient Egyptians buried their dead with pomegranates because they believed it offered eternal life.
This unusual fruit is also featured in mythology and tradition as a symbol of good tidings. That’s why Greeks break open a pomegranate at wedding celebrations, and the Chinese eat candied pomegranate seeds for good luck.
Current Research into Pomegranates
These days, researchers are discovering the truth beyond the myths surrounding the pomegranate’s powers, proving why this exotic fruit has claimed such a fabled place in cultures throughout the ages. And scientists conducting research on the many health benefits of pomegranates have made some startling finds.
First, organic pomegranates are full of antioxidants. These are vitamins and enzymes known for keeping low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol from oxidizing and causing atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Organic pomegranate seeds act a lot like aspirin, keeping blood platelets from sticking together and forming dangerous blood clots.
Antioxidants also buffer the effects of free radical damage to your cells caused by oxidation. Free radicals are produced by functions within the body and elements outside the body, such as radiation from the sun. Since you can’t stop free radical occurrence and oxidation, it’s important to consume foods that help neutralize their potential damage.
Research also shows that eating organic pomegranate seeds and drinking pomegranate juice can increase oxygen levels to the heart.
Other studies reveal that, over time, organic pomegranates might help combat erectile dysfunction. This super fruit might also reduce the inflammation of arthritis by slowing down the enzymes that break down cartilage.
How to Eat Your Organic Pomegranate:
So, how do you eat a pomegranate, anyway? About the size of an orange, it’s an intricate fruit containing a maze of seeds inside of inedible flesh that’s covered in a bark-like skin. Still, there is an easy way to get to all those nutritious,sweet and juicy seeds.
- Cut off the crown (you’ll see it) and throw it away or better yet use it for compost.
- 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 an organic pomegranate, eat the seeds while they’re at their freshest and juiciest, and at the peak of their medicinal powers.
Some people suck the juice out and spit out the seed. It is a personal choice but it is beneficial to eat the entire seed. Most of the beneficial fiber actually comes from the seed.
Organic pomegranate seeds are simply bursting with a delicious, pleasant, slightly acidic flavor that has all the sweetness of cranberries without the tartness.
I suggest sprinkling the seeds on a green salad or a fruit salad for a surprising taste sensation. You can add them to any recipe that calls for fruit or seeds, too. Pomegranates are often used in Middle Eastern dishes and make a great cranberry-style sauce.
Organic pomegranate seeds are also perfectly delicious eaten all by themselves.
Health Benefits of Organic Pomegranates
Packed with antioxidants equal to those in green tea and red wine, and especially loaded with Vitamin C and Potassium, pomegranates are said to help:
- Lower Risk of Heart Disease [1] [2] [3]
- Lower Risk of Cancer, Especially Prostate & Breast [4] [5] [6]
- Lessen Symptoms of Diarrhea [7] [8]
- Reduce Cholesterol [9] [10] [11]
- Control Your Weight [12] [13] [14]
- Fight Cell Damage [15]
Did you know? Pomegranates are one of the few fruits whose juice is just as beneficial as its fruit or seeds. That’s because the peel, which you can’t eat, contains the most antioxidants, and they are released in abundance when the fruit is squeezed for juicing.
Note: Eating pomegranates might interfere with certain medications in the same way that grapefruit juice does. Be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist about any drug interactions, if that’s a concern.
Also, be careful that your organic pomegranate’s wine-red juice doesn’t stain your fingers, clothes, and countertops! If you follow my instructions for getting the seeds out of your organic pomegranate above, you should avoid this altogether.
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:01 pm
Enjoy reading this, thank you:)
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October 14th, 2009 at 8:29 am
The references for possible weight loss are a bit confusing – one is for pomegranate seed oil, one is for a pomegranate supplement and one for pomegranate leaf extract.
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February 27th, 2009 at 1:29 am
Pomegranates do have so many health benefits and can be classified as a “Super Food” however, the maximum benefits can be obtained by having the actual raw fruit, as any store bought juice is pasteurized, which destroys the life giving enzymes in the heating process.
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February 9th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Am I the only one who really wants to love pomegranates, but doesn’t… I mean the health benefits are overwhelming, but I just don’t like the taste – even the juice doesn’t work either… I guess I just need to get over it!
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January 11th, 2009 at 1:05 am
This is great information! We use pomegranate oil extensively in our face care line with scholarship suggesting its beneficial use in fighting wrinkles and aging. Maybe using it on the inside and out might be the way to go!
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January 3rd, 2009 at 1:25 pm
how do you juice the pomegrante. Do you put the whole fruit in the juicer and whatever cant be juiced will become pulp? I have a centrifical juicer that creates pulp out one end and juice thru a screen out the other. Do you peel the skin before juicing? thank you
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Naj replied on January 9th, 2009:
To juice a pomegranate, I highly discourage you from using a juicer. Instead, roll the pomegranate on your counter top, pressing down firmly to squeeze the juice out of the seeds. Then, over a medium-sized bowl placed in a sink, make a slit in the side of the pomegranate and squeeze out the juice in to the bowl. This way, you shouldn’t get any of the tiny seeds into the juice. But be careful! Always wear an old t-shirt when doing this in case you spray yourself with the juice!
Did you know in Afghanistan the peel of the pomegranate is reserved and used to make red dye for carpets?
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December 29th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
I love to add fresh pomagranate seeds to my smoothies! yum.
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December 29th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
I love drinking pomegranate juice, although i’m not a big fan of eating the seeds. There’s something about the texture that just weirds me out.
Great post. Especially the “How to eat a pomegrante” part. That’s definitely something that takes awhile to get right.
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