Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is an exotic fruit filled with edible red seeds. Its hard shell is peeled off, and then you have the opportunity to eat the beautiful red seeds that it contains. Pomegranate is a popular fruit in many countries and cultures, and it has been cultivated for thousands of years. There has been some uncertainty about where it originally originated. Some studies believe that the first pomegranates were cultivated in Iran. It has since spread to other parts of the world, where it is cultivated today. The pomegranates we eat today are grown in the Middle East, Central Asia, South America, North America, and in Europe, the following countries currently cultivate it: Spain and Italy.
Pomegranate has been shown to prevent and naturally treat inflammation, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar. Pomegranate contains many good nutrients that the body needs to function properly. Pomegranate lives up to the superfood category of foods, as it contains high percentages of antioxidants.
Below you can see how much 100 g of pomegranate contains:
- Calories: 83 calories
- Protein: 1,7 g
- Fat: 1.2g
- Carbohydrates: 18.7g
- Sugar: 13.7g
- Fibre: 4,0 g
- Potassium: 236 mg
- Vitamin C: 10.2 mg (17% of recommended daily intake)
- Vitamin K: 16.4 µg (21% of recommended daily intake)
- Folate (vitamin B9): 38 µg (10% of recommended daily intake)
- Magnesium: 12 mg
- Fosfor: 36 mg
- Iron: 0.3mg
- Calcium: 10 mg
Lowers blood pressure, protects the heart and improves memory
A 2016 study found that pomegranate has the ability to lower high blood pressure due to its high antioxidant content. Pomegranate is also an excellent source for protecting heart health.
If you have memory problems, it's a good idea to drink some pomegranate juice daily. The antioxidants called polyphenols are found in pomegranates and have the ability to have a neuroprotective effect on the brain.
A study was conducted in 2013, in which 28 people with memory problems participated. The subjects were given 240 ml of pomegranate juice to drink for 4 weeks. The results were very satisfactory for the 28 subjects who drank 240 ml of pomegranate juice per day. The researchers concluded that the juice appears to increase memory function through tasks and increases in functional brain activity.
