Benefits of pomegranate: Pomegranates are round, red fruits. They feature a white inner flesh densely packed with crunchy, juicy edible seeds called arils.
They may be best known for the vibrantly colored juice they’re often used in, but these unique fruits have a lot more to offer.
Pomegranates are worth adding to your healthy eating routine with the potential to support many aspects of health, from immunity to brain health.
This article examines the many nutritional and health benefits of pomegranates.
Table of Contents
1. Packed With Nutrients
Tiny pink seeds inside a pomegranate, called the arils, are the edible portion of the fruit. While they can be labor-intensive to remove from the fruit’s inner flesh, their nutritional profile and flavor are well worth the investment.
Overall, pomegranates are low in calories and fat but high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They also contain some protein.
Below is the nutrition for the arils in one average (282-gram) pomegranate fruit (1):
- Calories: 234
- Protein: 4.7 grams
- Fat: 3.3 grams
- Carbohydrates: 52 grams
- Sugar: 38.6 grams
- Fiber: 11.3 grams
- Calcium: 28.2 mg, or 2% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Iron: 0.85 mg, or 5% of the DV
- Magnesium: 33.8 mg, or 8% of the DV
- Phosphorus: 102 mg, or 8% of the DV
- Potassium: 666 mg, or 13% of the DV
- Vitamin C: 28.8 mg, or 32% of the DV
- Folate (vitamin B9): 107 mcg, or 27% of the DV
A 1/2-cup (87-gram) serving of arils provides 72 calories, 16 grams of carbs, 3.5 grams of fiber, 1 gram of fat, and 1.5 grams of protein (1).
Keep in mind that the nutritional information for pomegranate and arils differs from that of pomegranate juice, which won’t provide much fiber or vitamin C. In general, fruit-eating the whole form will provide more fiber (2).
Overview
Pomegranates are low in calories and fat and high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals in their whole fruit form. They even contain some protein. Enjoy the nutritional benefits of pomegranate by eating the seeds, or arils, inside.
2. Rich In Antioxidants
Antioxidants are compounds that help protect your body’s cells from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are always present in your body, but having too many of them can be harmful and contribute to several chronic diseases (3).
Pomegranates are rich in antioxidants and polyphenolic compounds that offer protection from this damage. The main bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity found in pomegranates are punicalagin, anthocyanins, and hydrolyzable tannins (4, 5, 6).
Getting antioxidants from vegetables and fruits such as pomegranates is a great way to support overall health and help prevent disease (6).
Overview
Pomegranates are rich in antioxidant(Benefits of pomegranate) compounds that help protect your cells from free radical damage.
3. It May Help Keep Inflammation At Bay.
Short-term inflammation is a normal bodily response to infection and injury. However, chronic inflammation can be a problem if left untreated — and it’s common today, particularly in Westernized cultures.
When inflammation isn’t addressed, it can contribute to many chronic conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s. Eating pomegranates may help prevent the chronic inflammation associated with increased chronic disease risk (7).
It is primarily attributed to punicalagin compounds, which have been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in test-tube and animal studies (8, 9, 10).
Some human studies have also found that consuming pomegranate juice can reduce markers of inflammation in the body (6, 11, 12).
Still, more research is needed regarding how eating fresh pomegranate seeds affects inflammation in humans.
Overview
Although more research is needed, pomegranates contain compounds that may help prevent chronic inflammation associated with increased chronic disease risk.
4. It May Have Anti-Cancer Properties.
Some test-tube studies have found that compounds in pomegranate fruit, juice, and oil can help kill cancer(Benefits of pomegranate) cells or slow their spread in the body (5, 13, 14).
Both test-tube and human studies indicate that pomegranate may help fight inflammation and slow cancer cell growth. The fruit has demonstrated anti-tumor effects in cancers of the lung, breast, prostate, skin, and colon (5).
Other animal research has found that pomegranate helps slow tumor growth in the early stages of liver cancer. It also helps suppress inflammatory responses and oxidative stress (15).
According to an older test-tube study, pomegranate extract may also help slow the growth or even cause the death of prostate cancer cells (16).
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a marker of prostate cancer in the blood. If PSA levels double in a short amount of time, it indicates a significantly higher risk of death from prostate cancer.
Two older trials found that giving men pomegranate juice or extract extended the PSA doubling period significantly, reducing the risk of death from prostate cancer (17, 18).
Nevertheless, more human trials are needed.
Overview
Pomegranate has been observed to have anti-cancer effects. Although more research is needed to learn more, it may slow tumor growth and spread and reduce inflammation.
5. It May Offer Heart Health Benefits.
There is evidence that fruits rich in polyphenolic compounds, such as pomegranate, may benefit heart health (4, 6).
Test-tube studies have found that pomegranate extract may reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the arteries(Benefits of pomegranate), lower blood pressure, and help fight atherosclerosis — plaque buildup in the arteries that can lead to heart attacks and strokes (4).
In one human study, people with heart disease were given 1 cup (220 mL) of pomegranate juice daily for 5 days. The juice significantly reduced the frequency and severity of chest pain and specific biomarkers in the blood, suggesting a protective effect on heart health (19).
Still, high-quality research on pomegranate and heart health in humans is lacking.
Overview
Compounds in pomegranate may reduce blood pressure and inflammation in the arteries, help fight plaque buildup that can lead to heart attacks and strokes, and reduce heart-related chest pain.
6. Support Urinary Health
Test-tube and human studies have found that pomegranate extract may help reduce the formation of kidney stones, a benefit primarily attributed to its antioxidant activity.
One study gave adults ages 18-70 who experienced recurrent kidney stones1,000 mg of pomegranate extract and gave adults ages 18–70 experiencing recurrent kidney stones 1,000 mg of pomegranate extract for 90 days. Found this to help inhibit how rocks are formed in the body (20).
Additionally, animal studies have found that pomegranate extract can help regulate the concentration of oxalates, calcium, and phosphates in the blood, which are standard components of kidney stones (21).
Overview
Compounds in pomegranate may help reduce kidney stones, possibly due to their antioxidant properties.
7. It May Have Antimicrobial Properties.
Pomegranate compounds may help fight harmful microorganisms such as certain types of bacteria, fungi, and yeast (12,22,23).
For instance, both older and newer studies suggest that they may protect the health of your mouth by targeting unwanted oral germs that can become problematic when overgrown — such as ones that cause bad breath and promote tooth decay (24, 25, 26).
A test-tube study found that compounds from pomegranate also had antibacterial effects against Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria found in moist environments that can cause severe illness if ingested (27).
Overview
Pomegranates contain compounds that help fight off potentially harmful bacteria, fungi, and yeasts — particularly germs in the mouth that can cause bad breath and tooth decay.
8. May Improve Exercise Endurance.
The polyphenols in pomegranates may increase exercise endurance and the length of time you can partake in a physical activity before getting tired.
One human study found that taking just 1 gram of pomegranate extract 30 minutes before running increased the time to exhaustion by 12% (28).
Other human research has found that pomegranate supplements have the potential to improve both exercise endurance and muscle recovery (29).
However, research using pomegranate juice has found no benefit for muscle recovery after exercise that targeted elbow flexors, indicating that more studies are needed on pomegranates and exercise performance and recovery (30).
Overview
Pomegranates contain compounds that may improve exercise endurance and recovery.
9. Good For Your Brain
Pomegranates contain compounds called ellagitannins, which act as antioxidants and reduce inflammation.
They also offer protective benefits for your brain against conditions influenced by inflammation and oxidative stress.
Some studies have found that ellagitannins may help protect the brain from developing Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease by reducing oxidative damage and increasing the survival of brain cells (31, 32).
They may also support recovery from hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (31, 32).
The ellagitannins in pomegranate are believed to help produce a compound in the gut called urolithin A, which has been studied to reduce inflammation in the brain and delay the onset of cognitive diseases (31, 32, 33).
Nonetheless, more studies are needed better to understand the potential connection between pomegranate and brain health.
Click Here to Know Other Health Benefits of Pomegranate
Overview
Compounds in pomegranate may help protect brain health, especially regarding Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and recovery from brain injury.
10. Supports digestive health
Older and newer research suggests that digestive health, primarily determined by your gut bacteria, is strongly linked to overall health. As such, it’s essential to support your digestive health, and pomegranate can be a part of that effort (34, 35, 36).
Some older and newer animal studies have found that pomegranate has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects that require activity in the gut and essentially involve its ellagic acid content (37, 38, 39, 40).
Test-tube studies have also found that pomegranate can increase levels of beneficial gut bacteria, including Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, suggesting that it may have prebiotic effects (41).
Prebiotics are compounds, generally fibers, that fuel good bacteria or probiotics in your digestive tract. Prebiotics allow these bacteria to thrive and support a healthier gut microbiome (42).
Additionally, pomegranate arils are rich in fiber, offering around 3.5 grams per 1/2-cup (87-gram) serving (1).
Fiber is essential for digestive health and may protect against constipation, hemorrhoids, colon cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and diverticulitis (43).
Overview
Pomegranate compounds may promote healthy gut bacteria and reduce inflammation in the digestive tract. The arils are also rich in fiber, which fuels probiotics and helps prevent certain digestive health conditions.
Conclusion
Pomegranates are juicy, sweet fruits with edible seeds called arils packed tightly inside. They’re rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals and even contain protein.
They’re also full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds such as punicalagin. These have been studied for their protective benefits for heart, urinary, brain, digestive, and prostate health.
Pomegranate may also have anti-cancer benefits, support exercise endurance, muscle recovery, and fight off harmful germs.
Although human research on some of these potential benefits is lacking, it’s safe to say that pomegranate is a tasty, nutritious addition to your diet.
I am Amit Kumar Singh I am a professional health and wellness blogger for 4 years I have expertise in nutrition and Fitness