Pomegranate | Manbir Online ~ for Health & Fitness

Pomegranate Punica granatum
Pomegranate fruit is native to the Iranian Plateau and the Himalayas in north Pakistan and India.The pomegranate juice can be very sweet or sour, but most fruits are moderate in taste, with sour notes from the acidic tannins contained in the juice. Pomegranate seeds are used as a spice known as anardana mainly in Indian and Pakistani cuisine.

Contents of Pomegranate

Food Value		Minerals and Vitamins
Moisture	78.0%	Calcium	10 mg
Protein	1.6%	Phosphorus	70 mg
Fat	0.1%	Iron	0.3 mg
Minerals	0.7%	Vitamin C, Small amounts of Vitamin B Complex	16 mg
Fibre	5.1%
Carbohydrates	14.5%

	100%
		Calorific Value – 65
*Values per 100 gms edible portion

Important contents of pomegranate are: vitamin C, vitamin B₅ (pantothenic acid), potassium and polyphenols, such as tannins and flavonoids. It is high in fiber. It has unsaturated oils and micronutrients.The most abundant polyphenols in pomegranate juice are the tannins called ellagitannins. Other phytochemicals include polyphenolic catechins, gallocatechins, and anthocyanins, such as prodelphinidins, delphinidin, cyanidin, and pelargonidin.

Since ancient times pomegranate has been used for various ailments.

The rind of the fruit and the bark of the pomegranate tree is used as a traditional remedy against diarrhoea, dysentery and intestinal parasites especially tapeworm.
The seeds and juice are considered a tonic for the heart and throat
The astringent qualities of the flower juice, rind and tree bark are considered valuable for a variety of purposes, such as stopping nose bleeds and gum bleeds, toning skin, (after blending with mustard oil) firming-up sagging breasts and treating haemorrhoids.
Pomegranate juice (of specific fruit strains) is also used as eye drops as it is believed to slow the development of cataracts.

Modern research has indicated many useful properties of this fruit.

pomegranate may be effective in reducing heart disease risk factors
It has been shown to cause drop in LDL cholesterol.
consumption of pomegranate juice for two weeks was shown to reduce systolic blood pressure.
Pomegranate contains many phytochemicals with antioxidant action, such as ellagic acid. Ellagic acid has anticarcinogenic, antiatherogenic and antifibrosis activity.
Studies have shown that ellagic acid can suppress UV-induced skin pigmentation when applied topically or when administered orally.
pomegranate extract has skin-whitening property. This effect was probably caused by the inhibition of proliferation of melanocytes and melanin synthesis.
The pomegranate flowers are used to make a red dye.

Nutrition 
Pomegranate Juice – has Antioxidants