What is Pomegranate and What Benefits Does it Offer?
Pomegranates are a delicious and nutritious fruit known for their vibrant color and numerous health benefits. Today, we’ll explore the pomegranate, its origins, when it is in season, and what benefits you can expect.
Interested in learning all that and more? Read on.
What is Pomegranate?
Pomegranates are exotic, round fruits filled with many small, juicy seeds called arils. The fruit has a thick red skin that is smoothie. When sliced open, this fruit has white walls (a white membrane) that separates multiple sections of the juicy seeds.
This fruit is known as "The Jewel of Winter" because of its bright, gem-like seeds and its harvest season. It is also called the "Fruit of Paradise" because it is mentioned in various religious and mythological traditions, and highly respected.
Pomegranate trees resemble tall shrubs and originate from the regions which are present-day Iran and northern India.
Farmers grow this fruit all over the world. These regions include the Mediterranean, Middle East, India, northern Africa, and the US.
If you’ve ever wondered, “Can you eat pomegranate seeds?” The answer is yes. They are entirely safe for consume and have a sweet tart, fruity taste.
Seeds are full of nutrients that can help improve your health in many ways. We’ll discuss those more in a moment.
The white membrane are also safe to eat. However, it has an intense, bitter taste, so most people throw it out.
The simplest way to enjoy these red fruits is to cut it open with a knife to reveal the many juicy seeds. You can remove the seeds and enjoy them as is or add them to smoothies, oatmeal, or fruit salads.
When are Pomegranates in Season?
Farmers grow pomegranates year-round in both the northern and southern hemispheres.
For example, fruit is in season in the United States from the end of September to late November. Depending on the harvest season, fresh fruits are sometimes available through December and early January.
In tropical regions near the equator, the seasons for this fruit vary based on the climate and type of pomegranate. Some particularly warm regions, such as India, can even see two harvesting seasons in one year.
In Australia, the reversed seasons mean the pomegranate season typically lasts from March to May. In most cases, that means fresh pomegranates are available in local stores through June and even July.
That said, while pomegranates season is relatively short, certain products are available year-round. These include pomegranate extract, frozen seeds, and juice.
7 Impressive Pomegranate Benefits
1. Incredibly Rich Nutritional Profile
Fresh pomegranates are packed with various essential nutrients that support many bodily processes. Among these, you may get vitamin C, folic acid, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium.
For instance, vitamin C is a potent antioxidant and is crucial for strong immunity. Folic acid is an essential B vitamin involved in nutrient metabolism, helping turn food into usable energy.
Potassium and magnesium support numerous bodily functions. Potassium is necessary for healthy muscle function, and magnesium is beneficial for sleep.
Additionally, Pomegranates are high in fiber, which is beneficial for your digestive system. Fiber can also help you feel full, which can assist in weight loss. For reference, the seeds of an average-sized pomegranate cover more than one-third of most people’s daily fiber needs.
Plus, the best part is that you can eat the fruit or drink pomegranate juice and get the same nutrition.
2. Strong Antioxidant Profile
You’ve probably heard of antioxidants and their benefits to your health. But what exactly are these, and how do they work?
To understand that, we must backtrack a bit and discuss free radicals. Your body generates these unstable molecules as it carries out metabolic functions. External sources, such as cigarette smoke and certain medications, can also produce free radicals.
The human body has some built-in defense mechanisms for controlling free radicals. But it also needs help from a diet with antioxidants, which stabilize unstable molecules by giving them an electron.
When there aren't enough antioxidants in the body and free radicals increase, they can harm healthy cells. This can lead to faster aging and a greater chance of getting sick with long-term illnesses.
The good news? Pomegranate is a fantastic source of flavonoids and anthocyanins.
These compounds can protect healthy cells and reduce inflammation, lowering the risk of certain diseases in your body.
3. Potent Anti-Inflammatory Effects
Inflammation is a completely normal bodily response to external threats, and its primary purpose is to protect us.
For example, if you cut your finger while making a salad, you will later notice the area swelling a bit. This is how your body stops bacteria from getting into open wounds and gets rid of any that do.
However, chronic inflammation differs and elevates levels of inflammatory markers. Common causes of chronic inflammation include exposure to toxins, alcohol, smoking, stress, and a junk-food-based diet.
Controlling chronic inflammation is key to long-term health. The good news is that eating pomegranates may reduce inflammation.
This fruit is rich in antioxidants like flavonoids and anthocyanins, which help protect healthy cells in the body. Pomegranate also contains a compound called punicalagin, which shows anti-inflammatory effects.
4. Could Support Heart Health
Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for a whopping 16% of all deaths?
Pomegranates and other fruits with antioxidants can help improve heart health. In addition to pomegranates, the list of heart-healthy fruits includes blueberries, grapes, apples, and avocados.
While direct research examining the impact of pomegranate on cardiovascular health is limited, we have some human studies. For example, a 2017 study explored how this fruit can protect the heart in patients with ischemic heart disease.
The study had 100 patients with a confirmed diagnosis and split them into a control and a pomegranate juice group. During five days of hospitalization, the pomegranate group received conventional treatment and 220 ml of pomegranate juice daily.
In the hospital, patients had their blood pressure, heart rate, chest pain levels, and biomarkers checked before leaving.
The findings suggest that pomegranate juice has cardioprotective effects, as it positively impacts blood pressure, heart rate, and biomarkers associated with cardiovascular health.
5. It Could Improve Athletic Performance
Among the many health benefits of pomegranates, we also have a potential advantage for athletes. As mentioned above, this fruit contains polyphenolic compounds, which appear to benefit more than the heart. This class of antioxidants may help improve exercise performance by boosting blood flow. In one experiment, researchers found that pomegranate extract supplements can improve endurance and help with muscle recovery. Another study also had similar findings. In it, trained cyclists who took pomegranate saw improvements in endurance and time to exhaustion.
6. It May Have Anti-Cancer Properties
In addition to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, pomegranates may have other anti-cancer properties. Research shows that this exotic fruit may help in cancer treatments due to its ability to prevent cancer spread and block blood vessel growth.
To simplify, Pomegranates may contain compounds that can prevent diseases like cancer. These compounds also inhibit the growth of new blood vessels that tumors rely on.
It also helps induce apoptosis, the programmed death of old or damaged cells. When it occurs correctly, apoptosis increases the chance that cells die on time before turning cancerous.
7. It May Be Used to Help Manage Diabetes
Pomegranates may also help people with diabetes manage their condition and reduce its negative effects.
Specifically, research suggests that pomegranates help reduce oxidative stress thanks to their rich antioxidant profile. The compounds in pomegranate may also lower lipid peroxidation, helping to prevent vascular complications.
If not treated, these bad effects can raise the chance of retinopathy, which can harm blood vessels and cause vision loss.
Conclusion
Enjoying pomegranates brings many health benefits. Berries are packed with nutrients, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties, which are beneficial for your health. Plus, pomegranates can boost athletic performance.
But why wait for the short pomegranate season? Our frozen organic Pomegranate Seedless Cubes are available year-round, easy to eat, and delicious. Give them a try and enjoy the health benefits anytime!
