Pomegranates are a delicious fruit that can satisfy a craving at any time of day. But did you know that this tasty snack is also filled with nutritious goodness? There are so many wonderful health benefits of pomegranates! This food is actually considered a power food.
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Antioxidant Rich
These fruits are filled with antioxidants. What exactly are antioxidants? They protect cells from becoming damaged, reduce inflammation, and remove free radicals. Amazingly, pomegranates contain 3 times the amount of antioxidants found in green tea and red wine. [1]
Full of Vitamins
Not only are pomegranates filled with disease-fighting goodness, but they’re also filled with Vitamin C. Fresh juice from one pomegranate supplies you with 40% of your daily recommended intake! Plus, they’re rich in Vitamin E, potassium, Vitamin K, and folate, fiber, and iron.
Aids With Digestion
Did you know? Pomegranates improve digestion and reduce inflammation found in the gut. [2] The peel, leaves, and bark of pomegranates have been used to help calm stomach disorders and tea made from the leaves of this fruit helps to cure digestive problems. Isn’t that awesome?
Improves Memory
A study shows that drinking 8 ounces of fresh pomegranate juice each day improves memory and learning. [3] There are many people I know who complain about suffering from memory loss. Who knew something so tasty could help jog memories?
Another study showed that elderly individuals that complained of memory loss had a significant improvement from drinking pomegranate juice for 4 weeks. [4]
Pomegranates are considered a natural treatment for Alzheimer’s because it can slow the progression and delay the onset of this horrible disease. [5]
Dental Health
Another wonderful health benefit of pomegranates is that it protects against a bunch of oral diseases. [6] Therefore, eating pomegranates is a great way to keep a healthy smile.
Heart Healthy
During a two week study, it was found that those with hypertension had lower blood pressure as a result of drinking 150ml of pomegranate juice every day. [7] Another study found that patients with coronary heart disease who consumed pomegranate juice had improved blood flow to the heart. [8]
Also, these fruits heal the damage caused by hardening and thickening of the arterial walls.
Also, pomegranates help prevent the oxidization of LDL (bad) cholesterol. Because of this, blood flow remains healthy and the risk of stroke and heart attack remains significantly low.
Since heart disease is the number one killer in America, it may be smart to add some pomegranates to your shopping list next time you’re out in town.
Fights Anemia
Since these iron-rich fruits help combat against anemia. Therefore, by getting enough iron you reduce the awful anemia symptoms such as weakness, hearing loss, dizziness, and exhaustion.
Prevents Cancer
There have been multiple studies done that prove that pomegranates hinder mass production of breast cancer cells. Also, it has been seen that it causes the cancer cells to die off. [9, 10, 11]
The number one cancer for men in the United States is prostate cancer. However, pomegranate juice has blocked the growth of prostate cancer cells in one study. [12] Woohoo!
Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds
Calories: 72
Total fat: 1 gram
Protein: 1.5 grams
Carbs: 16.3 grams
Fiber: 3.5 grams
Sugar: 11.9 grams
Vitamin K: 14.3 mg (17.9% DV)
Vitamin C: 8.9 mg (14:8% DV)
Potassium: 205 mg (5.9% DV)
Folate: 33 mg (8.3% DV)
Vitamin B .07 mg (3.5% DV)
Phosphorus: 31 mg (3.1% DV)
Conclusion
This fruit is one of my favorite healthy snacks. There are so many great health benefits of pomegranates such as:
- A bunch of antioxidants
- Filled with vitamins
- Helps the digestive tract
- Improves memory
- Promotes dental health
- Keeps your heart healthy
- Combats anemia
- Prevents cancer
- Contains anti-aging properties
Were you surprised by any of these cool health benefits of pomegranates? What surprised you the most? Next time your grocery shopping, don’t forget this tasty, nutritious snack!
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11052704
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3612487/
- https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2013/946298/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23970941
- https://draxe.com/alzheimers-natural-treatment/
- https://nccih.nih.gov/health/pomegranate/at-a-glance
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ptr.4977
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16169367
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23359482
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16379557
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21861726
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3380882/
thank you arielshanelle for giving me wonderful information
Eating pomegranate can be very messy. Will drinking POM pomegranate juice give you the same benefits?