Pomegranates are in season! Although they may seem intimidating with their tough, leathery skin, it’s worth the effort to get to those crunchy, juicy ruby-red seeds - a.k.a arils - full of deliciousness. So let’s take a closer look at what makes pomegranates so beneficial.

Part of your 5-a-day

The pomegranate fruit is often deemed to be a large berry. Simply adding ½ cup of pomegranate seeds to your plate counts as a portion of your 5-a-day!

Vitamin C - immunity & skin health

Pomegranates are a good source of vitamin C - a.k.a ascorbic acid. One portion - ½ cup - of pomegranate seeds provides ¼ of our daily requirements of vitamin C. It’s important we get vitamin C daily from our food as it is an antioxidant that has several crucial functions, but cannot be stored in the body.

Vitamin C is key to supporting our immune system - helping fight against infection - and maintaining healthy skin, teeth, bones & bloof vessels. It is also anti-inflammatory, and needed to protect cells from oxidative damage and keep them healthy by making and maintaining collagen levels - which keeps our skin from ageing for example.

Vitamin C is an important part of a plant-based diet, as it helps increase the absorption of plant-based iron. Adding pomegranate seeds alongside a source of plant-based iron (e.g. pulses, nuts & dark leafy greens) will help increase iron absorption. 

Dietary Fibre - gut health

Pomegranates are a source of dietary fibre which feeds the friendly bacteria residing in our digestive system which promotes good gut health. 

Dietary fibre is important to help maintain regular bowel movements - preventing constipation -, and can reduce the risk of certain diseases - heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.

Find out more on my previous blog post: Dietary Fibre.

Potassium - heart health & fluid balance

Pomegranates contain potassium, a mineral that controls fluid balance in our bodies. Potassium also supports the proper functioning of our heart muscles which helps control & maintain normal blood pressure.

Antioxidants - anti-inflammatory & health protection

Pomegranates are a powerhouse of antioxidants - tannis & anthocyanins -, compounds with anti-inflammatory properties that protect cells & tissues from damage and prevent inflammation. 

The antioxidants found in pomegranates - particularly pomegranate juice - have been linked to improved visual & neurological health, and reduce the risk of high blood pressure & several diseases - cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some metabolic diseases, and microbial infections.

The take-home:

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References

1. NHS. Rough guide - Fruit & vegetable portion sizes. Livewell. 2021 https://www.nhs.uk/livewell/5aday/documents/downloads/5aday_portion_guide.pdf 

2. McCance & Widdowson. The Composition of Foods integrated dataset 2021. 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/composition-of-foods-integrated-dataset-cofid 

3. Faria A.,Calhau C. Bioactive Foods in Promoting Health - Pomegranate in Human Health. Academic Press. 2010. 551–563. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-374628-3.00036-0

4. NHS. Health A to Z - Vitamins and Minerals - Vitamin C. NHS Sources, 03 Aug. 2020, https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-c/ 

5. NHS. Vitamins and Minerals - Others - Potassium. NHS Sources, 03 Aug. 2020, https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/others/ 

6. Aviram M, Rosenblat M. Pomegranate for your cardiovascular health. Rambam Maimonides Med J. 2013 Apr 30;4(2):e0013. doi: 10.5041/RMMJ.10113

7. Khoo HE, Azlan A, Tang ST, Lim SM. Anthocyanidins and anthocyanins: colored pigments as food, pharmaceutical ingredients, and the potential health benefits. Food Nutr Res. 2017 Aug 13;61(1):1361779. doi: 10.1080/16546628.2017.1361779.