Pomegranate’s true colors
This gorgeous, ancient fruit is native to Persia, but its cultivation spread quickly throughout Mediterranean countries, the Middle East and China. Its botanical name is Punica granatum. If you ever wondered whether the hype on this redhead is all true, below are some facts from research.
The fruit, flowers, bark, roots and leaves of pomegranate contain a total of 124 different beneficial phytochemicals (plant chemicals that support human health), that work together to exert antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, which is why it has been used as a medicinal plant since ancient times.
One pomegranate provides around 40% of your daily requirements of Vitamin C.
Out of all the compounds in pomegranate, punicalagin has been of particular interest to medical research in recent decades. Punicalagin is an ellagitannin, a family of bioactive polyphenols also found in other berries like cranberries, raspberries and strawberries, but punicalagin is exclusive to pomegranate. Ellagitannins benefit health because they are converted by gut bacteria into ellagic acid, a micronutrient that aids in the removal of toxins and free radicals from the body, helping to modulate the inflammatory and immune response. Punicalagin has been shown in clinical trials to decrease serum glucose levels. Aside from the antioxidant, chemopreventive, and antibacterial properties, punicalagin exerts antiatherogenic action via interaction with proteins and lipoproteins related to atherosclerosis.
It is almost too easy to guess that the outstanding antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action of pomegranate makes it an adjunct to a healthy lifestyle in the prevention of cancer. It is, however, worthy of note that ellagitannins, once metabolized by gut bacteria, also produce compounds called urolithins, which have protective effects on prostate health. A study published in 2009 by The National Center for Biotechnology Information has disclosed the apoptotic (premeditated killing of bad cells) effect of pomegranate extract on prostate cancer cells [*link below].
The beneficial phytochemicals in pomegranate have been shown by research to be an asset in the management of diabetes and metabolic dysfunctions. The fruit’s remarkable antioxidant action thwarts free radical production, or oxidative stress, which is due to poor dietary and lifestyle habits, and known to have a major causal role in insulin resistance, dysregulation of the β-cells (pancreatic cells that make insulin), and in impaired absorption of glucose. Studies have also shown a direct effect of pomegranate juice on improving insulin resistance, blood fasting glucose and β-cell function after only three hours from ingestion.
Pomegranate, like the skin of red grapes and dark chocolate, is a good source of resveratrol: medical research has proven the neuroprotective effects of resveratrol against the incidence of stroke and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Furthermore, utilization of the juice in medicine may help patients with lipid abnormalities and related dysfunctions. In fact, the antioxidant compounds in pomegranate keep plaque from forming in arteries by impeding oxidation and inflammation of glycated cholesterol and hemoglobin in states of hyperinsulinemia. This is especially important because no synthetic drugs can exert these specific protective effects.
Our lovely redhead deserves one last, most important praise for being an adjuvant in the dietary management of hypertension. Aside from the antioxidant effect, which alone aids in keeping blood pressure within range, studies have shown it helps to actually lower it by reducing levels of ACE, or Angiotensin Converting Enzyme, a protein that plays an important role in blood pressure changes by controlling the size of blood vessels in the body.
My usual caveat: much of the medical research has been conducted by administering pomegranate juice or extract to participants. If you are on a ketogenic diet, particularly for the management of diabetes, the juice is a NO, the fruit is a GO. Pomegranate juice has 31gr of sugar per cup, which would throw you out of ketosis quickly. Liquid extract can have up to 12gr of net carbs per tablespoon, a lot if you’re aiming for that daily <50. When the actual fruit is not available, opting for a sugar-free powder supplement might still provide some benefits, since it has a positive impact on oxidation and inflammatory biomarkers (but not on diabetes management or cholesterol), but as always, please consult your healthcare provider prior to making decisions about supplementation.
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References:
[Koyama S, Cobb LJ, Mehta HH, et al. Pomegranate extract induces apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells by modulation of the IGF-IGFBP axis. Growth Horm IGF Res. 2010;20(1):55-62. doi:10.1016/j.ghir.2009.09.003]
[Heber D. Pomegranate Ellagitannins. In: Benzie IFF, Wachtel-Galor S, editors. Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects. 2nd edition. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press/Taylor & Francis; 2011. Chapter 10.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92772/]
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2018/2673076/