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Pomegranates support mental health

Several studies suggest that pomegranates can protect the brain against diseases influenced by inflammatory processes and oxidative stress.

 

There is a legend that claims that we can guess the benefits of certain fruits and vegetables by comparing their shape to the appearance of our internal organs. So, if you think that pomegranates look like the brain, you are not at all wrong. Eating these fruits has powerful effects on your mental health (the same goes for walnuts, broccoli, or Brussels sprouts, all of which are similar in shape to the brain).

But to ensure a clear mind later, it is extremely important to prepare our body in advance by adopting a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition that includes, among others, pomegranates

Pomegranate is not only a special fruit with an unusual structure and a special taste, but also an excellent source of dietary fiber and nutrients beneficial for health, including vitamins C, A, folic acid, and minerals (potassium).

Pomegranates are also high in unsaturated fatty acids, such as the Omega 5 punicic acid, which is found in approximately 70% of pomegranate seeds. However, it is the peel that contains a higher number of polyphenols compared to the edible kernels, and for this reason, it is used to obtain supplements or food ingredients with high nutritional value. We tend to throw it away, but the rind and white skin inside can be used to make teas, decoctions to treat digestive problems, or it can be dehydrated and ground to add to sweet dishes. Moreover, rinsing the hair with water in which pomegranate peels have been boiled would have a strong regenerating and strengthening effect.

To date, several dozen studies with human subjects have been conducted to test and evaluate the health benefits of pomegranates. The most promising ones suggest that they improve blood pressure, prevent inflammation and cancer, modulate the intestinal microbiota (prebiotic effect), and support cognitive function.

As we age, the risk of cognitive decline tends to increase. It is estimated that 40% of people over the age of 65 may experience memory impairment. One of the studies carried out around the pomegranate, however, suggests that its antioxidant properties would produce changes in cerebral blood flow, whose increase can support memory performance. In another study, pomegranate juice consumed by subjects appeared to slow the onset of dementia.

All fruits are high in antioxidants (ascorbic acid, carotenoids, and phenols, etc.), but between them, there are significant differences in antioxidant capacity. In the case of pomegranates, polyphenols have shown positive neuroprotective effects, which offer hope for promising results in the prevention of Alzheimer’s.

It is also believed that the ellagitannins that are present in pomegranate could cause the production of a compound in the intestine (urolithin A), which could reduce inflammation in the brain and delay the onset of cognitive diseases.

Finally, Brain Fog – manifested by the inability to concentrate, short-term memory loss, and disorientation – is quite a common syndrome these days, but pomegranates could help reduce its effects. This means that, sometimes, coffee isn’t the answer, but a fresh pomegranate juice that could give you an instant energizing “restart.”

See here a simple method of cleaning pomegranates.