Pomegranate: benefits, harm, contraindications

Traditionally, North Africa is considered the birthplace of pomegranate, but now, when the fruit is widespread, it can be grown at home. How can we use this overseas product and why millions love it so much - let's figure it out in this article.

The benefits of pomegranate

The benefits of a grenade can be viewed from all positions. Those. each of its components, from seeds (seeds) to peels, are of great benefit to themselves. Therefore, we will consider everything.

The chemical composition of pomegranate includes a huge amount of nutrients that the body needs for its normal and proper functioning. Pomegranate is especially rich in vitamins C, B12, B6, R. Vitamin C, of ​​which there is a lot in the product, has a general strengthening effect on the immune system. Vitamin P is responsible for strong blood vessels, B6 has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, B12 improves blood formation. But the beneficial properties do not end there.

The tannins contained in pomegranate fruits are able to fight against dysentery, intestinal and tuberculosis bacillus, and have a disinfecting property. The presence of tannin helps to stop the manifestation diarrhea. Doctors prescribe the regular use of pomegranate for people who have recently undergone surgery, which is explained by the fortifying properties of the fruit and its beneficial effect on the hematopoietic system.

It is useful to use pomegranate for problems with the thyroid gland, cardiovascular system, as well as during the period of walking colds and other viral diseases. It will be an excellent helper for atherosclerosis, malaria, anemia. It will help restore strength when exhausted.

Hypertensive patients, with regular consumption of this fruit, can naturally lower blood pressure without resorting to all sorts of medications. The amino acids in pomegranate counteract the ongoing pathological changes at the cellular level. With the constant eating of this fruit, you can protect yourself from stomach cancer. The fruit will be especially useful for sick asthma and anemic... Both the pulp and the juice of the fruit help to eliminate the effects of radiation from the body.

It is difficult to overestimate the positive effect of pomegranate on the human body, because it helps in almost all areas. And if we take into account its taste, then this is beyond all praise. Moreover, you can cook many dishes with it and use it in cooking. But at the same time, it is worth remembering that all the vitamin and mineral value is inherent exclusively in fresh pomegranate.

You can make pomegranate juice within your home without a juicer. To do this, take a good pomegranate and start actively crushing it from all sides, but so as not to damage its integrity. As soon as the fruit has become very soft, you need to make a hole, substitute a glass and start squeezing out the ready-made juice.

It is very useful to drink freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, it is natural, packaged and canned that will not bring absolutely any benefit. Moreover, the presence of preservatives can negatively affect health. With the help of natural juice, you can cleanse the body of toxins and toxins, normalize the work of the gastrointestinal tract, which is especially important after the holidays, when heaviness and nausea torment.

It is good to drink juice in small portions to treat sore throat, scurvy, diathesis, cough and various respiratory ailments. Useful for lung, kidney and liver problems. Has a diuretic property.

The use of ground seeds, which are found in pomegranate in abundance, can dull headaches and lower high blood pressure. This also has a beneficial effect on the hormonal background. From this component, essential oils have long been made, which are successfully used in cosmetology.

A powder is made from dried pomegranate peels that can cure enterocolitis, and it is also used for the speedy regeneration of the skin when cracks and cuts need to be healed. A decoction of the peel helps to cope with colds. The skin is able to remove worms from the body and heal the gums.

Pomegranate harm

The pomegranate has a lot of advantages, but it also has some drawbacks. To begin with, freshly squeezed juice has a very high concentration of acids, which negatively affects the enamel of the teeth. There are several ways to deal with this. Firstly, before drinking the drink, it is better to dilute it with a small amount of pure water, do not worry, all the beneficial substances in it will still be preserved. Secondly, after a meal, it is better to rinse your mouth with water. It is to rinse - do not clean under any circumstances. Enamel becomes vulnerable under the influence of acid, so even soft bristles will greatly harm your teeth.

With extreme caution, you need to eat and use the pomegranate peel, which is due to the presence in it along with useful harmful substances. Under no circumstances do not use such a remedy on your own, be sure to consult your doctor before using.

This is where the cons of the fruit end, as you can see, there are not so many of them. In other cases, pomegranate can only cause harm when a person has contraindications.

Contraindications pomegranate

First of all, the fruit is contraindicated for those who have chronic diseases of the digestive tract associated with high acidity: gastritis, ulcers, etc. Doctors strongly advise against giving pomegranate juice to babies under one year old, and to children under seven years old, before drinking, be sure to reduce the concentration of the drink with water.

With hemorrhoids and chronic constipation, it is also better to refuse pomegranate, due to its astringent effect. Pomegranate seeds should not be eaten with enteritis and ulcers.

Pomegranate during pregnancy

Due to the high content of vitamin C in pomegranates, they can help the expectant mother to maintain her immunity at the proper level and not get all sorts of complications that so darken pregnancy. Pomegranate helps prevent anemia by replenishing iron deficiency. But is it possible to eat this gift of nature during the period of bearing a baby?

In fact, pomegranate cannot be called an allergenic product, so there is no significant risk in this regard. But it is still better to start using it in minimal quantities in order to check the body's response. First, eat a small piece, literally a few grains, and wait a few hours. If inadequate actions of the body are not noticed, you can allow yourself to be pampered properly, but not overeat. Better a little every day than overeating at a time.

It is also worth remembering that the fruit has a high acidity, so if you suffer from heartburn, it is better not to tempt yourself. If you have gastritis or ulcers, forget about it altogether, no matter how you would like it.

Another danger this yummy for pregnant women is fraught with is the negative effect on tooth enamel. You need to be extremely careful, because teeth become weak during pregnancy. It is worth giving up such a meal if you have problems with stool, namely, if you have constipation. At low pressure, the grenade is also not the best option, as it will lower it even more. In the most extreme cases, you can make juice from pomegranate, since without seeds this effect is not so strong.

How to peel a pomegranate

Anyone who has ever tried to clean a grenade knows that this is not an easy task. But in reality, everything is not so difficult. It's about skills that can be quickly acquired by watching the video below.

How to choose a pomegranate

Only initially high-quality and fresh fruits can be stored well and for a long time. Therefore, before wondering about proper storage, you need to understand how to choose the right fruit.

Immediately take a good look at the pomegranate peel, its color must simply be saturated, bright red, sometimes there may be an orange or pink tint. The absence of brown soft spots is very important, this will be evidence of the beginning of decay. The skin of a fresh pomegranate fits snugly around the flesh and clearly shows its edges. There should be no external damage to the peel.

A good pomegranate should have a slightly dry skin and even a little woody. But it is also worth knowing that an overly dry peel warns that the fruit could begin to rot from the inside, it is better not to risk it and pick up another specimen.

If you touch a ripe and tasty pomegranate, it will have a slight roughness. If it is smooth, this indicates that the fruit was picked not yet ripe. By weight, ready-to-eat fruits are somewhat heavier than it might seem at first glance, due to the large amount of juice. Frozen, bruised and spoiled pomegranates are always soft to the touch.

Do not forget to look under the "crown" of the pomegranate, the presence of green villi is not allowed there, and the "crown" itself must be dry.

How to store pomegranate

So, now that the selection process is clear, consider how to properly store pomegranate fruits at home so that they remain fresh and tasty for as long as possible.

Before you start storing pomegranates, you should dry them a little, then wrap each fruit in clean paper and place it where the moisture has a relatively high level. The exact location depends on how long you want to keep the fruit. At a temperature of + 1 ° C, i.e. if you place the fruits in the common section of the refrigerator, they can lie quietly for up to nine months. It is also worth noting that the more acidic the pulp is, the longer the product will not spoil. Sweet representatives, as a rule, do not "survive" five months.

If the temperature in the storage place of pomegranates is from +1 to + 10 ° C, then the shelf life will be reduced to a couple of months. The shelf life of fruits in the freezer is significantly increased. You can freeze fruits without preliminary cleaning.

Season of pomegranates

The season at the pomegranate milestones starts from the beginning of autumn and can reach the flesh until January. It is during this period that there are great chances to "run into" ripe, tasty and fresh fruits. In addition, this suggests that the cost of a seasonal product will be several times lower.

Pomegranates are very useful and bring significant benefits to the body, except in cases with contraindications. But in order not to harm your body, it is important to remember about a sense of proportion. Uncontrolled eating of even mega-useful products has not yet led to anything good.