What actions and benefits does it bring us?
The action of the pomegranate has been clearly demonstrated in the cancer prevention. Its different polyphenols (antioxidants) have the ability to inhibit the growth of cancer cells in the breast, colon, lung, skin and prostate.
The name pomegranate refers to the Latin word used for pips, seeds or for their large quantity.
Its skin and its juice have been used to dye oriental rugs for centuries. The fruits of Grenadier (Punica granatum L., Pomegranate tree in English) as well as its seeds, its bark and its flowers have been used for thousands of years for their medicinal properties in the Middle East, Asia and Latin America, regions from which this shrub originates.
The pomegranate has been a symbol of life and fertility since time immemorial. In the Greece ancient, it was attributed to the deities of the Underworld, Hades and Persephone. Pomegranates have been found as funerary offerings in the tomb of a high Egyptian official from the time of Ramses IV. In the Bible, it is said to be one of the seven important fruits, which were a blessing to the Promised Land ofIsrael and it represents the Church in Christian symbolism. Pomegranate is also mentioned as a fruit of paradise in the Quran.
Historically used to treat gastrointestinal diseases and parasitic diseases, the pomegranate has been attracting the attention of scientists for several years as a protective agent against cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Pomegranate extract has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties linked to the presence of anthocyanins, ellagic tannins and hydrolysable tannins.
Nutritional value Per 100 g 63 cal
| 80 g of water 15 g of carbohydrates 3 to 3,5 g of fiber 260 mg of potassium 22 mg of phosphorus 20 mg of vitamin C. |
It is known for the prevention, and even the strengthening of treatments for prostate cancer. Pomegranate has been shown to be able to inhibit the proliferation of prostate tumor cells by 50-90% by Israeli researcher Ephraim Lansky. In a clinical trial of 48 subjects with prostate tumors, pomegranate juice prolonged the doubling time of PSA (prostate specific antigen) levels from 15,4 to 60 months, showing a dramatic reduction of 44,6 months of tumor progression.
Two main causes lead to erectile dysfunction in men: clogging of the arteries with age, overweight, tobacco, diabetes and other cardiovascular risk factors and prostate operations, obviously linked to cancer the most common to all, prostate cancer, of which 50400 new cases were recorded, and 58500 new cases of breast cancer in mainland France in 2018.
In addition to studies demonstrating its action on breast cancer, prostate cancer (Albrecht al, Lansky et al.,) or leukemia (Kawai and Lansky,), it has also accumulated in recent years a set of very positive on the cardiovascular level: improvement of the lipid profile, antioxidant effects (particularly for LDL cholesterol), anti-inflammatories, anti-hypertensives, anti-platelet aggregants…
Laboratory tests show that the consumption of pomegranate juice brings to the patient a lowering of
96% of LDL cholesterol oxidation.
The evidence ?
A study conducted by the University of California and published in the Journal of Cardiology, shows in 45 subjects with chronic coronary disease who consumed 3ml of pomegranate juice concentrate daily for 50 months, that the blood supply myocardium improves by 17% on exercise, and the number of angina pectoris attacks has decreased by 50%.
Another randomized study conducted that the cardiovascular protection by pomegranate juice was also confirmed in diabetics. These vasculo-protective effects also benefit the vascularization and therefore the erection of the penis.
UCLA Professor Louis Ignarro, Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1998 for his work on nitric oxide, one of the main factors of vasodilation, thus enabled the development of Viagra, his experiments led him to the conclusion that pomegranate juice is the most potent natural product tested.
Erectile problems?
In the International Journal of Impotence Research, Dr. Forest (The Male Clinic, University of Southern California, Beverly Hills), conducted a double-blind study with 53 people with erectile dysfunction. They received either a placebo or pomegranate juice for a month, then nothing for 2 weeks, and the 2 groups were switched. With pomegranate juice, 25 of them recorded an improvement in their erectile function.
The polyphenol contents of pomegranate juices were compared. They are extremely variable. Fermented pomegranate capsules are the richest in polyphenols on the market, by far.
Another quality factor, the high temperature will polymerize the polyphenols, transforming them into molecules attached to each other. The manufacture of Phytomisan fermented pomegranate capsules at low temperature and through freeze-drying avoids this process. On the contrary, fermentation predigests them, cutting them into even smaller, even better absorbable molecules. Moreover, fermentation, metabolizing certain polyphenols, makes them bioactive whereas they are not without fermentation.
In total, the Grenadium capsules from the Phytomisan laboratory (100% fermented pomegranate freeze-dried powder) which contain 50 times more polyphenols from the fruit than the concentrated juice and have effects more than 50 times greater than the unfermented juices.
The pomegranate good all short!!
The pomegranate good all short!!
Pomegranate is one of the fruits with the most antioxidant properties (its effects are said to be superior to those of green tea). This is why its consumption makes it possible to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood, atherosclerosis, blood pressure and thus to prevent cardiovascular diseases. It would also reduce the appearance and the rate of progression of cancers of the prostate and breast, even of the colon. This effect would also be explained by its anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferation properties.
Also due to the presence of antioxidants, regular consumption of pomegranate could protect against neurological disorders related to aging and health. It is therefore recommended to eat it regularly during its season (from September to February) and to consume a glass of juice or capsules of this fruit daily (without added sugar) the rest of the year.
Pomegranate would also be useful for preventing the flu and fighting coughs due to the presence of vitamin B6 in large quantities - which strengthens the immune system -, the anti-inflammatory effects of antioxidants, as well as the antibacterial and antiviral actions of tannins including it overflows.
Pomegranate extract has strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties linked to the presence of anthocyanins, ellagic tannins and hydrolysable tannins.
Clinical studies
A study by Aviram et al on patients consuming pomegranate juice for 1 year show a 21% decrease in their systolic blood pressure. These beneficial effects of pomegranate juice are likely due to the antioxidant properties of polyphenols in pomegranate juice.
Action on erectile dysfunction
A study was carried out in rabbits suffering from erectile dysfunction of vascular origin with, among others, the following symptoms: reduced blood circulation in the corpora cavernosa, erectile dysfunction, less relaxation of smooth muscles, diffuse cavernous fibrosis, increased rate of oxidation products.
Use in the cosmetics industry
The powerful antioxidant properties of the pomegranate make it an ingredient of choice for cosmetics, especially in dermatological products aimed at protecting the skin from cancer. In addition, pomegranate extract is already incorporated into several lines of cosmetic products which exploit its fragrance, its moisturizing and softening properties as well as its firming effects (Mahwish and Belle Journée anti-cellulite and anti-aging creams).
The pomegranate is one of the plants richest in antioxidants (soluble polyphenols, tannins, anthocyanins) which destroy reactive species and help protect DNA against various degradations at the origin of many severe pathologies such as cardiovascular diseases. and cancer.
Pomegranate nutritional and caloric values
For 100 g of fresh pomegranate:
| nutrients | Average content |
| Calories | 80,6 |
| Proteins | 1,44 g |
| Carbohydrates | 14,3 g |
| Lipids | 1,2 g |
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): Pomegranate is a source of vitamin B5;
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): Pomegranate is a source of vitamin B6;
- Vitamin C: Pomegranate is a source of vitamin C;
- Copper: Pomegranate is a source of copper.
Several studies have found that regular consumption of pomegranate juice may prevent certain risk factors for cardiovascular illnesses. A clinical study has shown a decrease in atherosclerotic lesions following the consumption of pomegranate juice. In people who have already suffered from coronary artery disease, the consumption of pomegranate juice has improved blood circulation in the arteries.
In diabetic patients with high blood lipids, pomegranate juice caused a decrease in total cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol (LDL) levels. However, this beneficial effect was observed only in people with high cholesterol levels, not in healthy subjects.
Pomegranate: an excellent antioxidant
Although pomegranate seeds contain a high amount of antioxidants, the juice contains more. Indeed, the whole fruit is pressed when the juice is extracted. It is thus enriched with antioxidants present in very large quantities in the white membranes that surround the seeds.
Among about forty fruits (including strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants), the pomegranate is at the top of the list of antioxidants. The main antioxidants found in pomegranate are flavonoids (especially anthocyanins), tannins and ellagic acid. Anthocyanins give pomegranate its red color.
According to a study, the consumption of pomegranate juice would increase the antioxidant activity of the blood, thus making it possible to protect blood lipids (for example cholesterol) against oxidation. These compounds would act in synergy on different markers, for example in blood platelets and blood vessels. Pomegranate antioxidants may also contribute to the beneficial effects observed on cancer.
Along with dates, figs, olives and grapes, the pomegranate certainly represents the quintessence of Middle Eastern cuisine. These fruits were probably among the first to be domesticated in this region of the world (more precisely in Iran, it is believed), around 5 or 000 years ago.
Today, the pomegranate tree is cultivated in many dry tropical and subtropical regions of Europe, Africa and Asia, as well as in America, from California to Chile. Added to this culinary popularity is the interest it arouses among researchers, who are studying its antioxidant properties and the prevention of various diseases.
In addition to fresh fruit, you can find pomegranate juice (or concentrate) on the market, as well as various pomegranate-flavoured products: milk, carbonated or alcoholic drinks, lemonades, desserts. There is also a syrup called "grenadine" and another, much thicker, less sweet and more acidic called "pomegranate molasses".
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Projects
Aviram M. et al., Pomegranate juice flavonoids inhibit low-density lipoprotein oxidation and cardiovascular diseases
Aviram M. et al., Pomegranate juice consumption for 3 years by patients with carotid artery stenosis reduces common carotid intima-media thickness, blood pressure and LDL oxidation. Clin Nutr. 2004 Jun;23(3):423-33
Lansky EP. et al., Pomegranate (Punica granatum) pure chemicals show possible synergistic inhibition of human PC-3 prostate cancer cell invasion across Matrigel. Invest New Drugs. 2005 Aug;23(4):379.
Seeram NP. Et al., Bioavailability of ellagic acid in human plasma after consumption of ellagitannins from pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) juice. Clin Chim Acta. 2004 Oct;348(1-2):63-8.
Lea Zubiria : Dietician-Nutritionist