One of the most beloved and popular fruits, pomegranate, contains in its juice the very essence of good health. Whether it is pomegranate’s antioxidant, antimicrobial, or anti-inflammatory properties, the benefits linked to the regular consumption of pomegranate juice are unlimited. Regular consumption of pomegranate juice can help in tackling various problems related to your health. From good cardiovascular health to the enhancement of your cognitive skills, the list of the benefits of pomegranate juice is long and effective.
Table of Contents
Some of the most popular health benefits of pomegranate juice are listed below:
1. Pomegranate Juice Is Rich In Vitamin C
Pomegranate, like several other fruits, is a rich source of vitamin C, which is an essential antioxidant. And most of its other benefits such as its ability to maintain blood pressure and work as a free-radical scavenger are the result of it being loaded with vitamin C.
Moreover, regular consumption of this vitamin C filled juice helps in increasing the rate of iron absorption in one’s body. Iron is an important mineral that plays a vital role in the transfer of oxygen throughout the body. Thus, vitamin C -rich pomegranate juice can actually help in an efficient transfer of oxygen to different body parts.
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2. Pomegranate Juice Is A Powerful Antioxidant
As mentioned previously, pomegranate juice is a great source of antioxidants such as vitamin C. Due to the presence of this antioxidant, pomegranate juice acts as a free-radical (free oxygen atom) scavenger. The free-radicals, or free oxygen atoms, which are present in the bloodstream, tend to come in contact with the healthy cells and exert oxidative stress over the cell walls, which leads to them being damaged. Regular consumption of pomegranate juice, which is rich in antioxidants, helps in lowering the concentration of these free-radicals as the antioxidants easily combine with them. Thus, it reduces the risk of free-radical damage and delays the onset of age-related defects (as free-radical damage is responsible for causing most of them).
3. Pomegranate Juice Improves Digestion
Rich in fiber (20% of DV), the consumption of pomegranate juice can help in increasing the effectiveness of the digestive system. Fiber is that part of the food which is not completely digested by the body. The undigested parts pass on to the colon and absorb water to become jelly-like. This creates ‘bulk’ to the body waste, helping it along to get pushed out of the system easily. Soluble dietary fiber, which is the type that’s present in pomegranate, also does the work of adding bulk of the stool and getting rid of the undigested waste easily. Hence, pomegranate juice can also be used as a natural remedy for constipation.
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4. Pomegranate Juice Is Anti-Inflammatory In Nature
Pomegranate juice is often considered for its anti-inflammatory properties to help alleviate pain and inflammation related to arthritis. Adequate consumption of pomegranate juice, thanks to its abundant antioxidant content, can be easily used for the prevention of free-radical induced inflammation in various parts of the body such as muscles and joints.
5. Maintains Blood Pressure
Containing a large amount of potassium, pomegranate juice might just be the beverage that you need to get your blood pressure under control (if need be). Almost everything that we eat has salt, and if there is one side-effect of consuming too much of it, it is the salt’s ability to contract your blood vessels, which results in increased blood pressure.
6. Improves Performance At The Gym
The smooth circulation of blood and the increase in the level of oxygen in the blood as a result of regular consumption of pomegranate juice, (both of which are explained in the previous points), give you the added energy required to make your workouts count in the gym. The increase in the level of oxygen, which is the result of high iron absorption, can help in raising the agility and activity levels of the body, thus aiding in better performance and durability during exercising.
7. Pomegranate Juice Helps Improve Heart Health
Consumption of pomegranate juice is known to inhibit the coagulation of cholesterol in the arteries. Thanks to its dilating effect on the blood vessels, pomegranate juice makes sure that the circulation of the blood is smooth throughout the body, and results in good cardiovascular health i.e. by keeping the cholesterol levels under control it reduces the risk of heart diseases.
8. Promotes Cognitive Abilities
After reading all the previous points, this benefit of pomegranate juice might seem obvious. This healthy beverage increases iron absorption in the blood, which in turn is used for the production of hemoglobin (a cell in the blood that is used to transfer oxygen). By increasing the level of hemoglobin in the blood, the amount of oxygen also rises, which means that more oxygen is transported to your organs as well as your brain, thus greatly improving the brain’s ability to memorize and learn.
9. Strengthens Immunity
Pomegranate juice’s disease-fighting power is often neglected, but as a fruit that has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, pomegranate deserves its place and recognition among the list of fruits that help in the strengthening of the immune system. The anti-oxidant property of pomegranate juice helps in providing protection to the immune cells from the free-radicals. Additionally, its anti-microbial property helps in fighting off the foreign toxic materials in the bloodstream, thus increasing the efficiency of the whole immune system.
10. Improves Oral Health
The addition of pomegranate juice to one’s daily diet is known to help in the reduction of plaque formation as it is shown to exhibit anti-plaque properties and is very much preferred over other alcoholic mouthwashes. This is because of the hydro-alcoholic extracts of pomegranate help in the reduction of plaque formation.
Side-Effects Of Pomegranate Juice
This healthy, ruby colored beverage, even with its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant property cannot be abused and/or heavily consumed. The side-effects associated with an unregulated consumption of pomegranate juice are quite known. In fact, the side effects of pomegranate juice even tend to adversely affect the benefits done by it in the first place.
High on sugar, a single glass of pomegranate has about 144 calories, which makes it a tough choice for people who are on a weight-loss diet. Moreover, the heavy consumption of this beverage can lead to a significant increase in the blood sugar level and might not be good for people suffering from diabetes or people who are pre-diabetic.
If you are on medications regarding your cholesterol control, then you must consult a doctor before adding pomegranate juice to your daily diet, as pomegranate juice tends to react with such medications and can further increase complexities.
Conclusion
Adding pomegranate juice into your regular diet can help in reducing your body’s bad cholesterol level, and it can even help in fighting off diseases and preventing any attack from external pathogens such as bacteria, thus increasing the efficiency of your immune system. On that final note, we’ll end it by saying that choosing pomegranate juice can never turn out to be a wrong choice.