Modern research is bringing out the nutraceutical qualities of pomegranate , which in the past was called "the divine apple". Curious as it is the most cited fruit in theological books, such as the Bible, the pomegranate is native to Persia and Afghanistan, and was then imported to Europe by the Romans. Many legendary stories boasted its virtues in ancient times, for the Greeks it was the apple with "good grains" and was generated from the blood of Bacchus, which boiled with passion for Venus, used as an ornament by women as a symbol of fertility. In the Christian era, the pomegranate became the symbol of the Church full of faithful, and in the Renaissance we find sacred paintings that show a pomegranate in the hand of the Child Jesus, as a precious gift for humanity.

Benefits and properties of pomegranate

Today, scientific research has brought to light the precious beneficial qualities for the organism, of the many substances found in pomegranate, the fruit in particular contains numerous chemical compounds of high biological value in all its parts, from the peel to the grains that contains ("arils"). The most important product derived from pomegranate is juice , the richest in bioactive concentrates and the most studied, with numerous recent researches in the international scientific literature.

 

The peel and fibrous membranes also represent a very important source of bioactive compounds: flavonoids, ellagitannins, proanthocyanidin and minerals including potassium, nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and sodium. So we note that both pomegranate juice and nutraceuticals and food condiments made with extracts of the peel and membranes of the fruit, are a confirmed source of substances that are beneficial for health on various fronts. In ancient times the bark was also used for its astringent and disinfectant properties (considered the most effective "vermifuge" that exists in nature), tonic and anti-haemorrhagic. Today, thanks to scientific research, we instead use its juice to protect the heart and blood vessels against the onset of arteriosclerosis and the damage caused by diseases such as cholesterol, diabetes; and to counteract the premature aging of cells, caused by oxidative stress and recently its usefulness in the field of male sexuality and infertility has emerged.

This fruit therefore appears as a real pool of substances that are precious for health, mostly characterized by a very high concentration of antioxidant substances useful for protecting the human body from free radicals and delaying the aging process of cells. These substances belong to the group of phenolic compounds, which include anthocyanins (which provide the typically red color of the grains), tannins (to which ellagitannins belong, from which gallic acid and punicalagin are produced) and phenols (including which gallic acid, caffeic acid and catechins). A true concentrate of many substances with a precious beneficial potential where in particular from research it seems that the components with the greatest therapeutic potential of pomegranate are ellagic acid, ellagitannins, punicic acid, flavonides, anthocyanidins, flavonoids and flavonoids, where the main "protective" properties are attributed to the phenolic component, which favors the strengthening of the gastric mucosal barrier and the correct functionality of the cardiovascular system.



The pomegranate juice, obtained from the mechanical pressing of the grains contained in the fruit, it is however a mine of vitamins A, complex B, vit. C and tannins with antioxidant, astringent, tonic and refreshing properties, able to slow down the oxidative process that is at the origin of arteriosclerosis, proving to be a very powerful blend of "scavengers" in contrast to the free radicals to which modern life exposes us , starting from an incorrect lifestyle, exposure to UVA and UVB rays, air pollution, toxic substances that we inhale or ingest with an increasingly "refined" diet, poor in nutrients such as vitamins and minerals but rich of chemical "additives", water contamination, infections, excessive psycho-physical fatigue, all situations that weaken the organism and make it age even prematurely. All these factors cause the "oxidative stress" that everyone is talking about and the consequent increase in our body of reactive molecules, called free radicals.

Physiologically, in conditions of good health, free radicals are deactivated by antioxidants, but they can become harmful if in excess, because they damage all components of the cell, including Protein, lipids and DNA, and the increase in these attacks induces incorrect codes in the genomes. The repetition of these errors causes apoptosis or cell death, resulting in effects on the aging of the tissues of the skin (wrinkles, loss of elasticity, skin spots), of the eyes (cataracts, macular degeneration), of the brain (Alzheimer's, cerebral degeneration) , but also with arthritis and a greater tendency to muscle atrophy. But the most "critical" area where the bioactive substances contained in the pomegranate find an excellent consideration and help is from a cardiovascular preventive point of view. The degeneration of the tissues that make up the blood vessels can give rise to arteriosclerosis, a tissue hardening, or sclerosis, of the arterial wall that appears with advancing age, as a consequence of the accumulation of fibrous connective tissue at the expense of the elastic component and its action at the level of nitric oxide stimulation finds great help at the vascular level (vasodilator) also in this case. A particular form of this disorder is precisely atherosclerosis, characterized by chronic inflammation of the large and medium-sized arteries that occurs due to cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, hypertension, obesity. In this case, cardiovascular research has shown that enriching a diet with polyphenols derived from pomegranate can help prevent and delay endothelial dysfunctions, which are among the first signs of atherosclerosis and stroke. A recent study in this regard has shown that pomegranate can prevent and even cure the main cause of death from cardiac reasons, namely the progressive enlargement of the coronary arteries due to the accumulation of fatty deposits. Arteriosclerosis is mainly caused by hypertension, oxidative stress and high cholesterol, three imbalances that pomegranate fights directly. A recent study, in fact, showed that pomegranate juice was able to reduce arteriosclerosis in 25% of the patients who took part in the experiment.

Furthermore, pomegranate juice can have a positive influence to keep cholesterol levels under control and also with regard to blood sugar, thanks to the presence of phenols that inhibit the alpha-amylase enzyme. In this regard, ellagic acid, gallic acid, active ingredients that boast anti-inflammatory, vasoprotective and gastroprotective properties, slow down the digestion of the starch contained in foods such as bread, pasta, potatoes, and its consequent release into the blood. Its astringent properties help to counteract diarrhea (those suffering from constipation should not abuse pomegranate juice), and its efficacy as an element in fighting intestinal parasites is known. Recently, the research interest has also extended to the male intimate sphere, as pomegranate juice can help improve sexual performance and fertility. CP Forest's research confirmed its potential for extension as a therapeutic field of action, where it was published in the "International Journal of Impotence Research" in 2007 that pomegranate juice improves erections in men with erectile dysfunction, which appears to be due, in part, to the aforementioned effect of pomegranate juice on nitric oxide, which allows the smooth muscles of the blood vessel walls, (as in the penis in this case), to relax, widen and increase blood flow . Furthermore, studies in the field of male fertility have shown that pomegranate juice also improves the quality of sperm,