NEUTRALIZES FREE RADICALS, REGULATES BLOOD TENSION, IT IS ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND PURIFIES THE BLOOD.

Also known as the fruit of patience, for the time and the skill to reel it, the pomegranate is one of those foods that give credence to the old Hippocratic advice to make food our medicine.

 

And it is that in recent years there have been investigations thanks to which it is known that, among other properties, Helps neutralize the harmful effects of free radicals preventing oxidation, purifies the blood, prevents the formation of atheroma plaques, relieves heartburn, helps digestion, regulates blood pressure, tones the body, strengthens the immune system and helps prevent the appearance of many diseases, including cancer. Especially ingested as juice.

This fruit, native to ancient Persia, It has been consumed for so long that remains of it have even been found in Egyptian tombs from four millennia ago.

It is also known that the Greeks considered it a symbol of love and fertility - that is why they used it in rituals dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite.- and that for the Romans it was an effective remedy to treat intestinal problems. It came to our country from the hand of the Arabs and was later taken to America.

As well, For some time now, the consumption of pomegranates - and more specifically the juice obtained with them- is growing around the world after it is known that it has extraordinary antioxidant capacity - greater even than that of green tea and red wine- helping to prevent numerous pathologies including neurodegenerative ones, cardiovascular disease and cancer as well as premature aging.

The popular proverb quotes “ripe pomegranate, sure temptation”. And he is right because the striking appearance of a pomegranate and its pleasant flavor - between sweet and sour- make it one of the most appreciated autumn fruits. It is also a source of phosphorus, chlorine, manganese, silicon and zinc as well as calcium and magnesium (keeping these two minerals an excellent balance), copper and iron (the presence of the first helps a better assimilation of the second).

However, the most abundant and appreciated mineral in the pomegranate is potassium, necessary for the transmission and generation of the nerve impulse and for muscular activity, as well as to intervene in the maintenance of the necessary balance of the transcendental sodium-potassium pump.

Pomegranate is also very rich in fiber and low in calories due to its low carbohydrate content.. Also contains citric acid (disinfectant, urine alkalinizer and vitamin C action enhancer), malic acid, flavonoids (antioxidant action pigments) and tannins (extraordinarily antioxidant substances with astringent and anti-inflammatory properties of the mucous membranes of the digestive tract).

yes, for such properties to remain intact and their consumption provides us with such interesting substances it is necessary to follow a series of recommendations.

The first, choose pieces that are free from cuts or bruises. It is important that the skin is hard, smooth and brightly colored. Also know that pomegranates are kept in good condition not for days but even weeks at room temperature, although it is preferable to store them in the refrigerator.

Currently, its medicinal properties are well known as there are numerous research centers in which studies have been carried out to establish in detail the possible therapeutic benefits. And to date it has been proven that this fruit is:

-Antioxidant: its abundant flavonoids, tannins and vitamins make it one of the fruits with the highest antioxidant properties in nature. That is why its regular consumption prevents aging and helps reduce the risk of degenerative diseases., cardiovascular and cancer.

-Astringent, diuretics and digestive: pomegranate helps cleanse the body while it is indicated for those who suffer from diarrhea, colitis, flatulence, poor digestion, heartburn, gastroenteritis, heartburn or hiatal hernia. In general it is indicated in all digestive disorders and, in fact, Hippocrates already used its juice as a remedy for stomach and intestinal ailments.

-Purifying: it is also considered good for the liver as it purifies and strengthens it. And the same effects seem to produce in the blood since it has been proven that a prolonged cure with pomegranate juice detoxifies and purifies the blood by regenerating it.

Several clinical trials conducted in the 2005 at the University of California School of Medicine (United States) showed that drinking a glass of juice daily for three months substantially improves blood fluidity. In addition, its high water content, potassium and citric acid facilitate the elimination of fluids and improve the function of the kidneys. That is why it is recommended in cases of hyperuricemia., nephrolithiasis, obesity or hypertension.

-Anti-inflammatory and antiseptic: pomegranate also has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties due to its content of citric and malic acids. It has even been found useful to treat chronic inflammations that have resisted conventional treatments and those that occur in the digestive mucosa. And it has also been shown to be effective in cases of pharyngitis, chronic sinusitis and otitis. It's more, its action in chronic suppurating otitis is extraordinary, being almost the only really useful and lasting remedy.

-Cardioprotectora: Recent research carried out with mice by Professor Michael Aviram - from the University of Haifa (Israel)- have found that pomegranate juice reduces the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood and prevents the formation of atheroma plaques on the arterial walls, thus preventing their pathological hardening.

His studies - published in the journal Atherosclerosis- indicate that a glass of 180 ml of juice per day for three months to reduce the risk of arteriosclerosis. It also asserts that the sugars in pomegranate juice do not modify the blood glucose levels of diabetics.. It must be said that this same researcher also found the antioxidant benefits of red wine earlier., olive oil and licorice.

Later work would show that a glass of pomegranate juice has up to three times more antioxidant and antiatherosclerotic capacity than the same amount of green tea, red wine or cranberry juice. "Taking a pomegranate juice every day - says Dr. Richard Bogle, cardiologist at Hammersmith Hospital in London and author of this research- can improve the functioning of blood vessels, reduce hardening of the arteries, lower the risk of heart disease and improve heart health ".

However, they have been researchers from the University of Naples (Italy) who have given figures: the size of atherosclerotic lesions is reduced by up to 44% when you drink a glass of pomegranate juice every day for three months. This was verified at least in mice that had very high levels of bad cholesterol in the blood and that had developed atherosclerosis.

It goes without saying that pomegranate protects nitric oxide, Substance found in small amounts inside the body and involved in muscle relaxation and vasodilation as well as participating in the regulation of blood flow and pressure, which reinforces the certainty that it helps prevent cardiovascular problems.

-Neuroprotectora: at least for the brain of neonates. Dr. David Holtzman - Chief of Neurology at the University of Washington School of Medicine (United States)- conducted a study with mice verifying that the polyphenols in pomegranate, consumed by pregnant mothers, protects the brain of the fetus against possible hypoxic-ischemic lesions at the time of delivery, especially if it occurs prematurely.

According to this expert, one of the biggest risks in a premature birth is that there is a poor flow of blood in the baby's brain and, therefore, lower oxygen supply, leading to ischemic encephalopathy or cerebral palsy. As well, Holtzman thinks that this risk could be significantly reduced if the mother drinks pomegranate juice during pregnancy.. “Now we are focusing - I would add- in isolating the neuroprotective ingredients of pomegranate juice to prepare a concentrate with them, check its ability to reduce brain damage and test it, for example, in neurological dysfunctions such as Alzheimer's ".

-Antianémica: its usefulness in cases of anemia is due to its richness in minerals, especially in iron and the fact that by also containing vitamin C and copper, its absorption is facilitated.

-Estrogénica: Pomegranate has been shown to have estrogenic effects in mice and that is why Japanese researchers are today evaluating the possible effects in the treatment of symptoms associated with menopause and, even, in the prevention of osteoporosis.

-Chondroprotective: British researchers from Case Western Reserve University led by Dr. Tariq Haqqi recently discovered that pomegranate juice blocks enzymes that contribute to cartilage breakdown in osteoarthritis., at least in laboratory animals. Work continues to try to know if, in addition to preventing this degradation, its consumption promotes cartilage repair.

-Anticancerígena: this property - verified by numerous studies- It is also attributed to the antioxidant richness of the pomegranate. So they affirm, for example, experts from the University of Madison (United States) that already in 2005 published the results of several studies in which it had been shown that regular intake of pomegranate juice inhibits the growth and development of prostate cancer cells.

More recently, the team led by Dr. Allan Pantuck -urologist at the University of California Johnson Cancer Center- has published a report stating that the consumption of this fruit significantly slows the progression of tumors in the prostate. Fifty men with prostate cancer who had undergone radiation participated in the study, surgery and other treatments to fight your cancer before joining the research.

According to the results, in the men who drank the drink daily for three months, the doubling of the levels of PSA - a protein that indicates the presence of this cancer - was delayed- in blood until 54 months when previously the protein doubled every 15. And all this without the slightest adverse effect being reported during the experiment..

"It is still early," says however prudent Dr. Pantuck- to recommend the consumption of pomegranate to those affected by prostate cancer because the evidence is preliminary. We do not hope that the juice will cure the disease but we do believe that it could delay or prevent the need for other more aggressive therapies or with negative side effects. To sum it up, I will say that pomegranate juice could be an excellent non-toxic treatment that would prevent many people from metastasizing or dying from prostate cancer ".

Also the Phillipps University of Germany has published reports on this significant antitumor activity of the pomegranate and the juice that is made with it. And the University of Illinois (United States) has evaluated its preventive efficacy and anticancer effects in cases of mammary tumors in mice. Research has been extended today to melanomas.

In sum, The results in cancer cases are so encouraging that more and more universities and research centers are analyzing the different components and properties of this exceptional fruit to see if the disease can be prevented or treated with it.

So far the proven properties of pomegranate. It only remains to say that its consumption should be monitored by a professional in cases of people who suffer from kidney failure or need to control the supply of potassium to the body as well as among those who take diuretics. It is ideal, instead, for people with bulimia.

With the above, a grenade would replace any self-respecting medicine cabinet. There is no excuse to enjoy the excellent pomegranates that our fields offer us.