What are the Benefits and Harms of Pomegranate? What is Pomegranate and Where Does It Grow?

The benefits of pomegranate have quite significant health effects. This red fruit with plenty of water; it has a very high quality content in terms of minerals, vitamins and fiber. It adorns our health with its benefits, such as rubies that adorn our body.

What is Pomegranate and What Does It Do?

Pomegranate is usually a tree or shrub grown in warm and temperate climatic zones. Its fruit consists of grains such as red rubies and contains plenty of liquids and fiber. Both the pomegranate tree itself and its fruit are often used in the making of medicines. The benefits of pomegranate often focus on muscle health, diabetes, blood pressure and cardiovascular problems. However, it can also offer many benefits indirectly. (K.1)

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The benefits of pomegranate have been benefited for over a thousand years. There is also information in very old records that it is used to get rid of parasites. Thanks to its pomegranate flavor and health benefits, which is one of the fruits unique to the Mediterranean, it has spread to many regions of the world from America to Japan.

Pomegranate fruit contains many compounds that work as antioxidants. Some scientific studies have concluded that antioxidants found in pomegranate juice can be good for vascular hardening. On the other hand, it is thought that these compounds may also have beneficial effects on cancer. However, it is not clear whether these beneficial effects will be effective when pomegranate juice is drunk or when substances are taken and made into medicines.

What are the places where pomegranate grows in Turkey?

Our country has regions with a very favorable climate in terms of pomegranate cultivation. It has the most favorable climatic conditions especially for SoutheastErn Anatolia, Aegean and Mediterranean pomegranate. In fact, side in Antalya, one of our Mediterranean provinces, means pomegranate. Denizli is our province that stands out in terms of pomegranate tree cultivation and pomegranate quality in Turkey. The best pomegranate fruits, which are also sold abroad, are produced in Irlıganlı, denizli province.

According to the 2018 TURKSTAT data shared by the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers of Turkey, the pomegranate production order of the provinces according to the quantity in our country is as follows:

• Antalya
• Mugla
• Mersin
• Adana
• Denizli
• Hatay
• Gaziantep
• Aydin
• Izmir
• Adıyaman
• Sanliurfa (K.3)

What Vitamins Are In Pomegranate?

Many health benefits are sourced from the richness of Vitamin A, Vitamin B and Vitamin C in pomegranate. It also contains plenty of fiber and minerals such as iron, calcium, potassium, which are useful for digestion. However, the two ingredients that stand out in pomegranate are punicic acid and punicalagin. These components are the main reason why pomegranate is more effective on various diseases.

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Approximately 175 grams, or enough pomegranate to fill a cup, contain vitamins and minerals of the following proportions:

• Up to 144 kcal calories
• 24g fruit sugar
• 7 g fiber
• 3 g protein
• Up to 36% of the vitamins and minerals in it are Vitamin K
• Up to 30% of the vitamins and minerals in it are Vitamin C
• Up to 16% of the vitamins and minerals in it are Folate
• Up to 12% of the vitamins and minerals in it are potassium

Vitamins and minerals in pomegranate are essential for a healthy life. Even the lack of these vitamins plays an important role in the emergence of certain diseases. Regular pomegranate consumption can be effective in preventing and even improving similar health problems. (K.4)

What are the Benefits of Pomegranate?

The benefits of pomegranate can be addressed from different angles both in terms of diseases in which it is good and in terms of providing the minerals and vitamins that the body needs. For example, pomegranate, which is said to have a therapeutic effect for cardiovascular problems, is useful by showing protectionist properties on those who do not have these diseases thanks to its rich content. However, a question about what is good for pomegranate can be answered in general with the following items:

• It helps strengthen the bones.
• Pomegranate strengthens muscles.
• It shows an inflammatory feature.
• Reduces the risk of heart failure.
• Pomegranate is useful for veins.
• It helps lower high blood pressure.
• It is useful for brain functions such as memory.
• Pomegranate can be useful on prostate and breast cancer.
• It can benefit arthritis and pain.
• It can be good for impotence and erectile dysfunction in men.
• It's good for bacterial and virus-induced infections.
• It could be useful for diabetes.
• Pomegranate strengthens digestion.
• It provides preventive or retardant benefits for Alzheimer's disease.
• It improves the immune system.
• Increases body endurance and strength.

As can be seen, pomegranate fruit is an almost miraculous drug that is good for many diseases both therapeutically and preventively. If you wish, let's take a look at the details of the health benefits of pomegranate, which we mentioned in substances, in the light of scientific research.

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Is Pomegranate Good for Inflammation?

Various scientific studies have been carried out on the benefits of pomegranate to inflammation. These are researches that separately address the benefits of pomegranate on inflammations that occur for different reasons in some parts of the body.

For example, an experiment on intestinal inflammation has shown that pomegranate fruit can be useful. Another study focused on the benefits of pomegranate seeds on inflammations caused by IS breast cancer. In this study, it was observed that punicic acid in the nucleus can help reduce inflammation caused by breast cancer.

Another small experiment on the benefits of pomegranate to diabetes-induced inflammation also found positive results. Those with type 2 diabetes took part in this 12-week trial. As a result, it was determined that the rate of inflammation decreased in diabetics who were given some pomegranate juice every day.

What are the Benefits of Pomegranate to Bones?

Although no scientific research has been done on humans, there is a study showing that pomegranate can be useful on bones. Two studies were conducted on mice in 2014 and 2015. Although there are no details about how the pomegranate was given to mice, it was observed that bone loss in mice was prevented in the experiment.

Does Pomegranate Increase Strength and Fitness?

One of the many scientific studies on pomegranate is on performance. In a study led by a journal, it was observed that pomegranate and pomegranate juice are very beneficial on metabolism, which significantly affects body performance. There is also evidence that pomegranate juice in particular can be used as an athlete's drink.

Within the scope of the study, strength was observed in terms of both endurance and muscle performance in athletes who consumed up to 500 ml of pomegranate juice per day for 15 days. In another study, it was observed that pomegranate juice, which is drunk every half hour during long-term runs, improves performance and durability.

What are the Benefits of Pomegranate in Cardiovascular Diseases?

Two scientific studies on the benefits of pomegranate to cardiovascular diseases were conducted in 2005 and 2013. A 2005 study found that when pomegranate juice is given to people with coronary heart problems, blood transfer to the heart can improve. This is a study that reinforces the idea that pomegranate protects against cardiovascular diseases.

Is Pomegranate Good for High Blood Pressure?

One of the sources or consequences of heart disease is the problem of high blood pressure. In the 2013 experiment, blood pressure decreased significantly in those with high blood pressure problems who were given up to 150 ml of pomegranate juice per day for 14 days. These studies, which are considered in terms of both blood flow and hypertension, show that pomegranate may have the ability to protect the heart and vessels.

What are the Benefits of Pomegranate to Cholesterol?

Most people know that bad cholesterol levels are one of the most important diseases that cause cardiovascular problems. In order to protect cardiovascular health, it is very important to reduce these harmful fat rates in the blood. The benefits of pomegranate on cholesterol levels have also been discussed within the scope of various scientific studies.

A month-long study was carried out on subjects with high levels of triglycerides in the blood. For a month, these people were given up to 800 mg of the fat obtained from the pomegranate core every day. As a result of the research, it was observed that the triglyceride levels of the blood samples subjects decreased significantly and the triglyceride-HDL ratio changed for the better.

A similar study investigated the benefits of pomegranate juice on those with high cholesterol and diabetes. Subjects who regularly drank pomegranate juice also showed an effective reduction in LDL, i.e. bad cholesterol levels, and other blood value improvements.

What are the Benefits of Pomegranate to Memory?

There is a basic research that deals with the benefits of pomegranate and pomegranate juice in the functions of me. Although it is not yet considered a strong research, its results are remarkable. In this study, individuals with memory problems due to old age were asked to drink about 250 ml of pomegranate juice per day for a month. At the end of one month, improvements were observed in both visual and verbal cognitive abilities and memories of individuals in activities with subjects.

Some experiments on mice also showed that pomegranate may have beneficial effects on memory. Pomegranate and pomegranate juice can be very useful for maintaining brain function and preventing alzheimer's and similar memory-related problems.

What are the Benefits of Pomegranate to Cancer?

The benefits of pomegranate have also been scientifically addressed on various cancers. Pomegranate is important both in terms of healing cancer-induced inflammatory problems and directly in terms of preventing cancer. Prostate cancer and breast cancer are the leading types of cancer. If you wish, let's consider the benefits of pomegranate on these two types of cancer under two separate headings.

What are the Benefits of Pomegranate on Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men. There is also a study exploring whether pomegranate extract will be beneficial on prostate cancer. In this study, positive results were obtained in prostate cancer patients who were given pomegranate extract regularly. According to the data, the results of pomegranate extract slow down the reproduction of cancer cells, reduce their spread and even cause the death of cancerous cells.

The exponent of the data obtained in the prostate cancer diagnostic test is an important indicator of the progression of the cancer. This value, called PSA for short, means that if it doubles in a short time, the risk of death increases. A study on this topic found that consuming approximately 250 ml of pomegranate juice per day extended the period of doubling of PSA values from 15 months to 54 months. Other similar study data support these study results.

What are the Benefits of Pomegranate on Breast Cancer?

One of the most common types of cancer among women is breast cancer. As in prostate cancer, the benefits of pomegranate extract in breast cancer have been examined in various scientific media. In the same way, it has been concluded that pomegranate extract reduces the reproduction of breast cancer cells, minimizes its spread and even causes death in cancerous cells.

Despite all this study data, the effects of pomegranate on cancers need to be investigated in more detail. In addition, although many pomegranate experiments have proven their effectiveness on animals, there is not enough data on studies on humans.

What are the Benefits of Pomegranate for Joint Pain?

While joint pain can develop due to many factors, arthritis is one of the most common and chronic causes of this. Short arthritis can be explained as inflammation of the joints. Above, we stated that pomegranate reduces inflammation among its benefits. In this way, we can conclude that pomegranate can be useful for arthritis-induced joint pain. Of course, it would not be right to stay with this inference, if you wish, let's also talk about scientific research on the subject.

Several studies on the benefits of pomegranate to joints are quite promising. Although it has not been tried on humans, it has been determined that enzymes formed in people with osteoarthritis, which cause the joints to lose function, are blocked by pomegranate extract. Another study with pomegranate extract was also tested on mice. When pomegranate extract was given to mice developing arthritis, improvement was observed in the course of the disease.

As it can be seen, the above experiments on joint pain were carried out either in laboratory conditions or on animals. Therefore, it is imperative to conduct detailed human research on the benefits of pomegranate in order to reach a definitive conclusion.

What are the Benefits of Pomegranate for Flu and Colds?

Pomegranate has important compounds that strengthen immunity. A strong immunity to health problems such as flu, colds and fungal diseases is very important. In addition, pomegranate has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Therefore, pomegranate; it is useful for bacterial and virus-induced diseases such as colds, flu, tonsillitis, tooth abscesses.

Research on this topic has shown that the compounds in pomegranate are effective against fungal species such as Candida albicans and similar harmful microorganisms. It has been proven by scientific studies that pomegranate is especially useful in tooth and gum inflammations that occur in the mouth.

What are the Benefits of Pomegranate to Men and Women?

Natural miracle pomegranate has quite useful properties for both females and men. It has positive effects, especially when it comes to reproduction, which concerns both sexes separately. Let's revisit these characteristics, which we mentioned above among the various benefits, in two separate headings in the form of the benefits of pomegranate to women and the benefits of pomegranate to men.

What are the Benefits of Pomegranate to Women?

Pomegranate is especially useful for women in terms of breast cancer. It is also thought to make it easier to get pregnant, although there is not much scientific evidence. In addition, pomegranate has benefits for women against bone loss, which is one of the common problems after menopause. On the other hand, there is a 12-week scientific study showing that pomegranate may be useful in fevers, depression and sleep disorders that are common in women during menopause.

What are the Benefits of Pomegranate for Pregnant Women?

The benefits of pomegranate to women are especially important for both mother and baby during pregnancy. The benefits of pomegranate for pregnant women are as follows:

• Consuming pomegranate in pregnancy reduces the risk of preeclampsia.
• It provides natural vitamin support.
• Thanks to ascorbic acid, it supports the production of proteins that are much needed during pregnancy.
• Pomegranate is very useful in pregnancy in terms of B9, i.e. folate, which contributes to cell growth.

As with any food during pregnancy, doctor's advice should be taken in case of pomegranate consumption and excessive and unbalanced consumption should be avoided.

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What are the Benefits of Pomegranate to Men?

The benefit of pomegranate to men is especially effective on sexual health. It is generally thought that pomegranate is quite useful against the erectile dysfunction caused by blood flow problems. Various scientific studies support this idea.

On the other hand, it has been shown that pomegranate has significantly benefited in sperm quantity and quality thanks to its contribution to the increase in blood flow. In addition, the benefits of pomegranate in order to speed up metabolism and make the body more energetic can also help reduce sexual reluctance in men.

As we mentioned above, pomegranate extract has promising properties for men in order to prevent the developing and spread of prostate cancer.

What are the Benefits of Pomegranate Juice?

The main difference between eating pomegranate and drinking its water, as everyone knows, is pulp. Pulp is especially effective in helping the digestive system. On the other hand, fruit and vegetable pulps, i.e. fibers, also provide cleaning of the large intestines. Pulps also play an important role in cholesterol levels by inhibiting the absorption of unnecessary fats from the intestines. In addition, vitamins in fibers and vitamins in water also differ.

Consuming the juice of a fruit also increases the risks, especially when it comes to sugar. Juices can lead to more sugar intake than usual. Therefore, it is more beneficial to eat the pomegranate than to drink the juice of the pomegranate. Apart from the benefits from pulp, many of the features that we count above among the benefits of pomegranate can be listed as the benefits of pomegranate presentation.

Benefits of Pomegranate Water in Substances

Following the above information, the benefits of drinking pomegranate juice should be summarized briefly in a list:

• Pomegranate juice is beneficial for high blood pressure.
• It plays an auxiliary role in cardiovascular problems.
• It acts as a strengthening effect on the muscle structure.
• Supports bone health.
• Fights inflammation and infection.
• It's good for brain health to drink pomegranate juice.
• It is thought to play a preventative role in cancer.
• It helps with sexual problems in men.
• Strengthens immunity.
• It powers the body.

Harms, Side Effects and Drug Interactions of Pomegranate

The harms of pomegranate and pomegranate juice are caused by excessive and unconscious consumption. It is a fruit that is balanced and generally safe to consume when consumed on time. There are no reported side effects when it comes to eating pomegranate, drinking its juice or rubbing it on the skin.

But on the trunk, root and bark of the pomegranate tree there are substances with toxic effects. Therefore, the consumption of other products of the tree besides pomegranate fruit carries great health risks.

Factors such as excessive consumption, allergic sensitivity, chronic conditions, special conditions (pregnancy, breastfeeding, surgery...) and drug interactions can be decisive factors for the appearance of the harms of pomegranate. If you wish, let's consider the side effects of pomegranate that may occur in these and similar situations under headings. (K.13)

What are the Allergic Harms and Side Effects of Pomegranate?

Allergies usually occur in individuals with a sensitive body, and the harms and side effects of pomegranate that occur in such individuals should not be generally addressed. The following side effects may occur in pomegranate allergy:

• Itching
• Difficulty breathing
• Swelling
• Runny nose (K.13)

Although the above harmful effects are often seen in allergy caused by pomegranate, they may also be accompanied by other side effects such as nausea and vomiting. When faced with such situations, stop consuming pomegranate immediately and go to a health care provider or call 112 emergency services immediately if you are in a bad condition.

Chronic Conditions and Harms of Pomegranate in Special Cases

Chronic conditions and special conditions such as surgery, pregnancy, breastfeeding should be careful in the consumption of many foods such as pomegranate. Although there is no negative opinion about pomegranate consumption during pregnancy and breastfeeding, consumption and doctor's approval are important in its decision.

In the problems of low blood pressure, pomegranate consumption carries a risk as it can negatively reduce blood pressure. Therefore, those with low blood pressure should not consume pomegranate or eat a very small amount of pomegranate. (K.13)

The effects of pomegranate on blood pressure can also cause harmful effects in people who will have surgery. Therefore, 14 days before the surgeries, it is recommended that people stop consuming pomegranate and similar blood pressure-lowering, blood thinning nutrients.

What are the drugs that pomegranate interacts with?

It is known that pomegranate fruit and water can interact with some drugs that are used regularly. In particular, the effectiveness of some drugs that are broken down by enzymes secreted by the liver can be changed by pomegranate. In this case, the effect of the drug may occur less or more than it should and can lead to health problems. Such drugs and active ingredients include:

• Ondansetron (Zofran)
• Amitriptilin (Elavil)
• Codeine
• Tramadol (Ultram)
• Decipramine (Norpramine)
• Flekainid (Tambocor)
• Fluoxetin (Prozac)

In addition, the drug interactions of pomegranate can also manifest themselves on blood pressure-regulating agents and drugs. Consuming pomegranate with blood pressure-lowering drugs can cause blood pressure to drop to a much more harmful degree than desired. Or consuming them together with the drugs used for low blood pressure can lead to the elimination of the effectiveness of the drug. Some of the blood pressure medications that pomegranate can interact with include:

• Hydrochlorotiyasis (hydrodiuril)
• Lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril)
• Captopril (Capoten)
• Amlodipin (Norvasc)
• Enalapril (Vasotec)
• Ramipril (Altace)
• Losartan (Cozaar)
• Valsartan (Diovan)
• Diltiazem (Cardizem)
• Furosemid (Lasix)...

What should be done to protect against side effects of pomegranate?

As can be seen, the harms of pomegranate are caused by unconscious consumption. In order to avoid the harmful effects of pomegranate, which under normal conditions is a highly medicinal fruit, care should be paid to:

• In order to detect allergic reactions, a small amount of pomegranate should be consumed first and body reactions should be observed.
• Pomegranate should not be consumed or consumed little by little without doctor's approval during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
• Individuals with low blood pressure should not eat excessive amounts of pomegranate and consume their water.
• Pomegranate should not be eaten and pomegranate juice should not be consumed for 14 days before surgeries and for 14 days after surgeries.
• Pomegranate consumption should be limited during the periods when the drug is used.
• Excessive pomegranate should be consumed in pomegranate decision, as eating and drinking its juice can be inconvenient even for healthy individuals.

Resources on The Benefits and Harms of Pomegranate

We used different scientific sources and articles in this article where we talked about the benefits, harms, side effects and various properties of pomegranate. The sources and addresses from which we have compiled this information are as follows:

• K.1: Benefits of Pomegranate Harms
• K.2: 12 Benefits of Pomegranate
• K.3: Pomegranate Production Quantities
• K.4: Pomegranate on Wiki
• K.5: Genetics on Pomegranate
• K.6: Article about Pomegranate
• K.7: Google Books Pomegranate Article
• K.8: Pomegranate
• K.10: Study on Pomegranate
• K.11: Pomegranate Content Article
• K.12: Article about Pomegranate
• K.13: Benefit, Harm, Drug Interactions of Pomegranate
• K.14: BBC Pomegranate News