Pomegranate - Medicinal and Health Benefits

The pomegranate (Botanical name: Punica granatum), or ‘Anar’ in Hindi is a large, semi-seedy, six-sided fruit with a tough leathery skin. The inside is divided into several compartments which contains several cells filled with numerous angular seeds These seeds are embedded in a succulent fleshy pulp with pink or crimson color with a delicious sub-acid flavor.

The pomegranate is a native of Iran and Afganistan. From there it spread to Egypt, Mediterranian, and to the east - India, China and Japan. It is a symbol of abundance and regarded as a food as well as a medicine.

Health Benefits and Medicinal Properties

All parts of the pomegranate tree - roots, bark, leaves, flowers, seeds, etc. - have been used in India as medicine from time immemorial. It is easily digestible, with the sweet variety considered a laxative. The Arabs considered it a medicine for stomach trouble and heart pain – a tonic for the heart. The juice from the fresh fruit is often used as an appetizer before meals, especially in the scorching summers, and as a cooling beverage for thirst during fevers.

The pomegranate fruit and flower buds have an astringent quality, which makes it ideal in the treatment of diahrroea and dysentery. In continuous diahrroea, 50 ml of the juice may be given at intervals. The flower buds are also used for treating chronic diahrroea. A tablespoon of the juice mixed with equal quantity of honey is often used to treat bilious vomiting associated with morning sickness. In ancient times, the root and bark of the tree was used for treatment of intestinal worms. A table-spoonful of the seeds ground into a fine paste taken along with horse-gram soup is reputed to dissolve kidney and bladder stones.

Moisture                       78%                  Minerals and Vitamins

Protein                         1.6%               Calcium            10mg

Fat                               0.1%               Phosphorus      70mg

Minerals                       0.7%               Iron                  0.3mg

Fibre                            5.1%               Vitamin C         16mg

Carbohydrates              14.5%              Small amount of vitamin B Complex

Values per 100gms of edible portion.            Caloric Value -65