Health Benefits of Pomegranates

Now this is a fruit which I have recently discovered. In the last 4 to 5 years occasionally I've been eating pomegranates in my salad. As a little girl, my grandmother had a pomegranate tree, and I wondered what the strange fruit was and the seeds inside. They tasted sweet and delicious, but they were very few and far between in the UK, and expensive to buy. 

Recently they've popped up again on my radar and I wholly advocate people using pomegranates in their salads and in their shake. 

So I've looked up some health benefits for you and as you can see it's full of natural micronutrients that the body needs to heal itself and to improve your immune system so this is a great super fruit. 

Health benefits of Pomegranate

• The fruit is moderate in calories; 100 g provides 83 calories, slightly more than that in the apples. It contains no cholesterol or saturated fats.

• It is a good source of soluble and insoluble dietary fibers, providing about 4 g per 100 g (about 12% of RDA), which aid in smooth digestion and bowel movements. 

• The fruit is suggested by nutritionists in the diet for weight reduction and cholesterol controlling programs. Regular inclusion of fruits in the diets boosts immunity, improves circulation, and offers protection from cancers.

• Certain ellagitannin compounds such as Granatin B, and Punicalagin are found abundantly in the pomegranate juice. Studies suggest that punicalagin and tannins are effective in reducing heart-disease risk factors by scavenging harmful free radicals from the human body.

• Total antioxidant strength of pomegranate fruit measured in terms of its oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) is 2341 µmol TE/100 g.

• The fruit is an also good source of antioxidant vitamin-C, provides about 17% per 100 g of daily requirement. Consumption of fruits rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents by boosting immunity.

• Regular consumption of pomegranate has also been found to be effective against prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), diabetes, and lymphoma.

• Further, it is an also good source of many vital B-complex groups of vitamins such as pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5), folates, pyridoxine and vitamin K, and minerals like calcium, copper, potassium, and manganese.