Health Benefits

Pomegranates have been used for thousands of years to promote fertility and restore the vitality of life. Ancient Babylonians and Egyptians imbued the pomegranate with the ability to resurrect the dead. In the lush and fertile lands of the Mediterranean, consumption of the pomegranate was associated with superhuman strength. Greeks and Hebrews saw the pomegranate as a link with the afterworld. Even in China, where homeopathic medicine flourished, pomegranates were used to lengthen and improve human life.

It is fitting that many scholars believe the original fruit of the Garden of Eden was the pomegranate, and not the apple. Even under today’s strict clinical guidelines, a number of health benefits and medicinal uses linked to the seeds and juice of the pomegranate are helping it to rapidly replace the apple as the daily fruit to “keep the doctor away.” There seems to be little this fruit can’t do.

Drinking Your Way to Health

Many proponents of the health benefits of pomegranates place more emphasis on consuming the juice and other extract forms, rather than simply eating the fruit itself. To get the maximum benefits of the antioxidant properties of the fruit, it would be necessary to eat two whole pomegranates every day. While ancient royalty may have found this easier to do, with platters of the fresh fruit made readily available, it can be somewhat taxing on the modern consumer.

In juice form, pomegranates are often combined with other superfruits. Blueberries and cranberries can be mixed with them; all three of these fruits are known for their high levels of nutrient richness, antioxidant abilities, and exotic taste. Still, it is the pomegranate that is rapidly moving ahead in terms of flavor and mass appeal.

As with most fruit juices, the additional sugars and preservatives might not be the most ideal way to use pomegranates for health. Instead, pomegranate-derived products—especially ones that maintain or make the most of the flavor of this incredible fruit—have become a big hit with health-conscious consumers.

Although a diet consisting of only pomegranates would not be ideal for anyone, it is a great source of daily vitamins. One pomegranate contains roughly 16 percent of the daily recommended vitamin C requirement. This is also a great way to get vitamin B, potassium, fiber, and polyphenol antioxidants (which is a fancy way of saying the antioxidants linked to reducing the onset of many neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases).

What the Pomegranate Can Do for Your Health

A high level of antioxidants is the number one reason why pomegranates are currently topping health charts. Researchers believe that pomegranates surpass even red wine and tea in their ability to interact positively with the cardiovascular system. As with any fruit belonging to the superfruit category, pomegranates have been proven effective in reducing a number of heart disease risk factors. Not only do they contain the necessary antioxidants to break down clogged or hardened arteries, but they have also been shown to reduce systolic blood pressure.

An additional bonus to the pomegranate is evident in the recent studies linking the fruit to a reduction in various types of cancer—prostate cancer in particular. Emerging studies are also finding that the potential for breast cancer can be reduced with pomegranate consumption.

Although many of these health studies are still undergoing trials, most experts agree that a greater consumption of pomegranates will only serve to increase health and quality of life.

Historical Uses of the Pomegranate

Early consumers of the pomegranate obviously didn’t have the same access to clinical trials that we are accustomed to today. That didn’t stop them from understanding the innate healthfulness of the fruit, or from using it to fight a number of diseases and ailments. For example, due to its high levels of tannin, dried pomegranates are fairly effective as astringents to fight against diarrhea or hemorrhage. The juice of wild pomegranates has been used by various cultures to fight against dental plaque and even leprosy.

The medicinal uses of the pomegranate aren’t just restricted to the juice and seeds. The bark has been used for centuries to eliminate tapeworms. This bark is very bitter; in high doses, it can actually be quite harmful, causing muscular weakness and even paralysis. In dried form, the flower buds have been used against bronchitis; a liquid version of the flowers has also been gargled to help with sore throats.

A Pomegranate a Day…

Our ancient forebears had many fruits from which to choose. Yet, time and time again, the pomegranate arose as one of the leading choices among royalty, religious leaders, and healers. Its health properties were believed to be mysteriously granted from the world of the gods and the dead. Still, people turned to it to promote health and wellbeing time and time again.

As further evidence of the accuracy of early pomegranate aficionados, pomegranates are also linked with increasing libido and sexual performance in men over long-term use. This most ancient of fruits, eaten for centuries to promote fertility and the vigor of life, may actually be doing exactly what those early consumers believed.

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