For some, eating pomegranates reminds them of Hades and Persephone, when the god of the underworld handed the fruit to Demeter’s daughter, forcing her to spend the remaining one-third of her life each year with Hades.
But the fruit is actually a symbol of vitality:
The fruit may be the ticket to delaying the progress of dementia.
Dementia remains to be one of the life-threatening progressive diseases with no known cure and less-known causes. However, a team of doctors and researchers of University of Huddersfield hopes to make its progress as slow as possible by turning their attention to a component in pomegranate called punicalagin.
The team is currently working on driving a drug from this compound, which has a very strong anti-inflammatory property. Based on research, the polyphenol can prevent the inflammation of micrologia, a type of brain cells. Their inflammation can lead to irreversible damage, which then causes signs and symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Pomegranate can also decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The same polyphenol can also significantly lower the odds of developing heart diseases such as artherosclerosis. In a study participated by patients with serious blockages on their arteries, those who consumed only an ounce of the natural juice every day for a year experienced a reduction of arterial plaque by 30%. Their blood pressure also went down by more than 10%. Meanwhile, those who didn’t receive any suffered from 9% increase of plaque buildup.
Almost everything in the pomegranate is useful.
Almost every part of the fruit has a medicinal purpose, making it a real super food. For example, the membrane may be consumed to treat ulcers in the mouth (e.g., canker sores). The seeds are excellent in boosting the immune system and curing stomach pains. The peel may be boiled and the extract drunk as a way of protecting the blood vessels and the heart.
The fruit can help take care of the skin.
Although the fruit doesn’t stop the body from aging, it slows down the signs particularly wrinkles. Pomegranates contain a significant amount of punicic acid, a kind of omega fatty acid that improves the elasticity of the skin.