The Benefits of Pomegranate!!

Here’s why David Heber, MD (founding director of the UCLA Centre for Human Nutrition), and Zhaoping Li, MD, Chief of the Clinical Nutrition Division at UCLA, addressed the variety of health benefits pomegranates offer.

The pomegranate is an ancient plant that grows and thrives in harsh conditions. Despite its deep-rooted history, which goes back thousands of years, the health benefits of the pomegranate fruit are still being uncovered.

"It has the largest and most potent polyphenol antioxidant known,” Dr Heber said. When it gets into your intestine, this polyphenol is broken down into smaller molecules that enter the bloodstream.

Pomegranates contain ellagitannins. Ellagitannins are bioactive polyphenols, chemical compounds found in the peel and seeds of pomegranates. They have anti-inflammatory effects on cells in the body.

When the whole pomegranate fruit is pressed, these compounds can be absorbed as a juice.

Dr Heber explained that when pomegranates are consumed, most of the fruit goes into the gastrointestinal tract (the passageway of the digestive system) and then into the colon. There, it is fermented into smaller substances called urolithins.

Urolithins travel all over the body and can lead to positive outcomes such as reducing age-related decline, halting inflammation and preventing cardiac dysfunction.

Pomegranate effect on immunity, gut microbiome

Our gut hosts more than 100 trillion good and bad bacteria. A healthy human body nourished with natural foods such as fruits and vegetables can promote a healthy gut, also known as the microbiome.

A 2017 study showed that mice consuming pomegranate extract in their feed did not contract inflammatory bowel disease at the same rate as study mice that did not feed on pomegranate extract.

“Compounds in the pomegranate work together to keep the bacteria from growing,” Dr Heber said. Harmful bacterial growth in the gut can lead to inflammatory bowel disease, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, extreme abdominal pain, and cramping.

Dr Heber explained that the traits developed by the pomegranate plant to survive in nature carry over when it is consumed and enters the digestive system.

“When you think about it, plants always must fight bacteria. They grow in soil, which is full of good and bad bacteria. So, the soil's microbiome is something that the roots of the plants must deal with all the time,” Dr Heber explained.

“So, pomegranates developed defensive substances that also work inside humans. Our microbiome is like soil that we carry around with us, and there is an interaction between our cells, our immune system, and the foods we eat.”

Benefits for the skin

Dr Li referred to a separate study where women were asked to drink pomegranate juice for several weeks.

“We then checked the redness of their skin after exposure to UV light. UV light causes oxidation and inflammation in the skin. After 12 weeks we found that you needed a higher dose of UV to cause oxidation in the skin of those who regularly drank pomegranate juice compared to a placebo drink without the pomegranate’s antioxidants.”

“It shows that a lot of what you eat, and drink ends up in the skin,” Dr Heber said.

Dr Li said the pomegranate juice acted as an internal sunscreen, protecting the skin from within.

“The skin benefit of pomegranates is just one component,” Dr Li said. “The skin study is a functional measurement of your body’s antioxidant capacity.”

Skin oxidation occurs when oxidants exceed the capacity of the body’s antioxidant defence system. This causes oxidative stress and can lead to a breakdown in collagen fibres and skin cell function, making the body susceptible to skin diseases such as skin cancer.

Improved memory linked to pomegranate juice.

Memory loss can often be a part of the ageing process. Oxidation occurs in the brain, which can result in mild forgetfulness. Antioxidant-heavy foods such as pomegranates, however, can help sustain cognitive function.

A placebo-controlled study concluded that phytonutrients from pomegranate juice could reduce oxidative stress on the brain and maintain brain health, helping with memory retention.

“During this study, we measured middle-aged and older adults' short-term and long-term memory outcomes. We found that pomegranates can help preserve memory.”

Other benefits of pomegranate

Dr Heber said that UCLA Health has studied pomegranates for almost 20 years. Research has shown pomegranates to have other advantages, such as:

Heart health benefits

Anti-inflammatory properties

Anti-cancer phytonutrients (like those of broccoli)

Urinary health support

Digestive health benefits

Elevated endurance

It boasts antimicrobial properties that fight germs that cause gum disease and bad breath.

Dr Li said pomegranates could also benefit men’s health, having been linked to alleviating erectile dysfunction due to their ability to produce nitric oxide.

She explained that nitric oxide improves the health of blood vessels and causes them to widen and increase circulation. Nitric oxide is responsible for helping blood, oxygen and nutrients flow to all parts of the body.

Hormones

Pomegranates benefit your hormones as excess estrogen can cause mood changes, weight gain, headache pain, breast tenderness and even more severe symptoms.

Pomegranates help by acting as a natural blocker against harmful or excess estrogens. They are rich in anthocyanidins—sugarless plant pigments—and flavonoids, essential for detoxifying and protecting cells. Pomegranates are also high in Vitamin C, vitamins A and E, and folic acid, crucial for healthy hormone production.

Although some women worry about foods with estrogenic properties, pomegranate is a natural adaptogen. It increases estrogen levels when the body is low but blocks more potent estrogens when levels are too high.

Pomegranates are high in Fibre, Folate, Vitamin K, E, B6, and Potassium. They also have three times the number of antioxidants than green tea, which are shown to reduce inflammation. Research also suggests that drinking pomegranate juice every 2 months may lower some people's systolic, diastolic, or blood pressure.

Pomegranate variety and consumption

Dr Heber noted there are more than 1,100 varieties of pomegranate. However, only 50 are grown commercially around the world.

A resilient plant known to adapt to diverse climates, pomegranates grew and evolved in the mountains of Central Asia. Today, they grow in many areas of the world. Domestically, California and Arizona are the two states producing the largest pomegranates.

Some people cut the fruit and eat the arils—the juice-filled pulp surrounding the seeds. This part of the fruit is a high source of antioxidants and fibre.

“You can cut them open and eat the arils individually,” Dr Heber said. However, to get the most out of them, you want to squeeze them and take them in liquid form, as a juice.”