What Are the Benefits of Pomegranate? What Is Pomegranate Good For?

With the rapid advancement of industrial development and technology, people today are increasingly inclined to lead a healthy lifestyle and consume foods that support well-being. As a result, the significance of various fruits has grown. Among these, pomegranate stands out as an essential nutritional source, known both for its delicious taste and its health benefits, and has become one of the most popular fruits worldwide. Belonging to the Punicaceae family and scientifically named Punica granatum L., pomegranate has been valued since ancient times and is widely used in public health due to its medicinal properties. It is rich in folic acid, potassium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin C, and fiber. Due to these properties, it is one of the nine herbal foods included in Japanese-patented medicines. Not only the fleshy part but also the roots, flowers, peel, and seeds of the pomegranate are actively utilized in the health sector.

What Are the Benefits of Pomegranate?

In recent years, due to advancements in cultivation methods, food technology, and innovations in the transportation sector, fruit varieties have become more widely recognized and distributed. Consequently, fruit cultivation has also increased. Scientific research highlighting the medicinal benefits of fruits has particularly boosted their demand. Pomegranate, a popular fruit, has been used in functional medicine for many years. Besides this, it is used as a decorative element in dishes due to its color and shape and as a preservative in the food industry.

Extracts derived from pomegranate can support protection against the aggressive effects of lung, breast, colon, and prostate cancers. Bioactive chemical compounds in pomegranate juice extract may help prevent abnormal cell proliferation and tumor spread. Additionally, it may contribute to the elimination of cancer cells by promoting apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in certain cancer types. These effects of pomegranate are thought to arise from its blocking of phase 1 reactions.

Dyslipidemia, characterized by high levels of LDL, known as "bad" cholesterol, and HDL, known as "good" cholesterol, may pave the way for the development of coronary heart disease. The punicic acid, hydrolyzable tannins, ellagic acid, and urolithin found in the oil extracted from pomegranate seeds may help protect against heart disease.

The anthocyanins in pomegranate, compounds with antioxidant activity, can be effective in both the prevention and treatment of many chronic diseases. Studies have shown that the antioxidant activity of pomegranate juice is nearly three times higher than that of green tea. Pomegranate juice contains phenolic compounds that possess antioxidant activity. These phenolic compounds may support increased body resistance and enhanced immunity by stimulating cell renewal.

With a significant increase in antibiotic resistance, there has been a growing interest in foods with medicinal effects. Pomegranate is one of the foods showing antimicrobial properties. Dried and powdered pomegranate peel exhibits antifungal effects by inhibiting the activities of Candida albicans, a type of fungus. Staphylococcus aureus, a bacterial genus sensitive to many antibiotics, is known for producing toxins that cause high rates of hospitalizations and deaths. The combination of pomegranate peel extract with copper ions shows antimicrobial activity against this bacterium as well.

Ellagic acid, one of the primary components of pomegranate, may prevent mutations due to its antimutagenic activity. Additionally, because of its antiestrogenic effects, it can play a significant role in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.

What Is Pomegranate Good For?

Pomegranate has become a highly popular fruit in recent years following the discovery of the health benefits of its bioactive components. As a result, there has been a high increase in the demand for its production and consumption. With the rise in pharmacological studies on pomegranate, its effects on human health have been illuminated, and its medical importance has been recognized. Pomegranate is known to benefit the following conditions:

• Helps prevent cardiovascular diseases,
• May balance cholesterol,
• Helps prevent diabetes by regulating blood glucose levels,
• Can lower systolic blood pressure,
• Assists in preventing vascular damage,
• Contributes to the prevention of prostate cancer,
• Helps prevent arthritis,
• May alleviate symptoms of diarrhea,
• Helps prevent cell damage caused by autoxidation,
• Contributes to the formation of proteins involved in intercellular communication,
• Assists in preventing bone and joint inflammation,
• Has a protective effect on the liver,
• Contributes to the prevention of infertility,
• Helps reduce muscle pain and aids recovery after intense workouts,
• May support oral health.

How to Consume Pomegranate

Pomegranate is often consumed fresh as a fruit. However, its use is not limited to the edible pulp alone. In addition to its fresh form, pomegranate can be consumed in various ways such as molasses, sour sauce, juice, or vinegar. Oil extracted from pomegranate seeds can be used for both massage and other medicinal purposes. Pomegranate can also be added to various beverage groups to provide a refreshing aroma. Another way to consume pomegranate is by brewing it as tea. Pomegranate tea can be easily prepared by adding crushed pomegranate seeds, dried pomegranate flowers, or pomegranate juice concentrate to hot water.

Nutritional Value of Pomegranate

Pomegranate is a highly nutritious fruit and is rich in various components. It is a good source of fructose (fruit sugar), sucrose (table sugar), and glucose. Additionally, it contains organic acids such as ascorbic acid, citric acid, fumaric acid, and malic acid in significant amounts. Pomegranate also has a balanced content of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, with small amounts of various amino acids, mainly proline, methionine, and valine. Both freshly squeezed pomegranate juice and the peel contain high amounts of polyphenols, a group of organic compounds beneficial to health. The most abundant compounds in the polyphenol group are tannins and flavonoids.

Through these studies, pomegranate has become a fruit with a well-defined nutritional profile. 100 grams of fresh pomegranate provides approximately 61 kilocalories of energy. This value can vary between 57 and 64 kilocalories depending on factors like the size of the fruit and the conditions in which it was grown.

100 grams of pomegranate contains:

• 0.12 to 0.38 grams of protein,
• 0.19 to 0.23 grams of fat and fatty acids,
• 9.52 to 10.72 grams of fiber,
• 0.21 to 0.86 milligrams of iron (Fe),
• 156 to 326 milligrams of potassium (K),
• 4.3 to 9.6 milligrams of vitamin C,
• 10 to 16 milligrams of calcium (Ca),
• 0.18 to 0.35 milligrams of zinc.

100 grams of pomegranate alone provides about 16% of an adult's daily vitamin C requirement. Additionally, pomegranate is rich in pantothenic acid (B5), potassium, and phenolic compounds.

Although pomegranate has various medical benefits, uncontrolled consumption should be avoided. People with chronic illnesses or those taking multiple types of medication may be at risk of side effects and drug interactions. Therefore, they should consult their doctor regarding pomegranate consumption.