Ever taste any Pomegranate juice? how was the taste? personally, i dont like it. it was like iyewwwww.
(it taste like 'ubat demam yg kaler pink tu')
though the concentrated juice was much much eatable (the taste and smell obviously). since i was small, ive heard people telling me the goods and benefits of pomegrante (the fruits). our family especially my little sister love eating it.
they said that pomerante helps regenerating red blood cells.
so is it true benefits or beliefs only?
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among the famous (and confirmed as research has been done) benefits are:
(source: Eat this!)
1. Fights Breast Cancer
Studies in Israel show that pomegranate juice destroys breast cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone. It may also prevent breast cancer cells from forming.
(im still searching for that paper. once ive found it, i'll update)
2. Lung Cancer Prevention
Studies in mice show that pomegranate juice may inhibit the development of lung cancer.
(again this due to the regenaration on red blood cell)
3. Slows Prostate Cancer
It slowed the growth of prostate cancer in mice.
4. Keeps PSA Levels Stable
In a study of 50 men who had undergone treatment for prostate cancer, 8 ounces of pomegranate juice per day kept PSA levels stable, reducing the need for further treatment such as chemotherapy or hormone therapy.
(u would likely to find people saying about the 8ounces in the forum. im still searching for the realible source for this.)
5. Protects the Neonatal Brain
Studies show that maternal consumption of pomegranate juice may protect the neonatal brain from damage after injury.
6. Prevention of Osteoarthritis
Several studies indicate that pomegranate juice may prevent cartilage deterioration.
7. Protects the Arteries
It prevents plaque from building up in the arteries and may reverse previous plaque buildup.
8. Alzheimer's Disease Prevention
It may prevent and slow Alzheimer's disease. In one study, mice bred to develop Alzheimer's disease were given pomegranate juice. They accumulated significantly less amyloid plaque than control mice and they performed mental tasks better.
9. Lowers Cholesterol
It lowers LDL (bad cholesterol) and raises HDL (good cholesterol).
10. Lowers Blood Pressure
One study showed that drinking 1.7 ounces of pomegranate juice per day lowered systolic blood pressure by as much as 5 percent.
11.Dental Protection
Research suggests that drinking pomegranate juice may be a natural way to prevent dental plaque.
so the source did not seem to realible to me. from my observation, it is more like beliefs as no evidence are given. just studies oe research has been done without giving the exact name of research seem to unrealible.
lets look at the islamic persective.
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(source: Islam and Health)
The pomegranate, ar-Rummān in Arabic, is mentioned thrice in the Qur'an. In the Qur'anic verse quoted to the right, pomegranates are mentioned as one of the fruits that will be found in paradise.
The Fruit and the Fruit-Bearer
The pomegranate is found in either a small, round shrub or tree form. It is usually between three to six meters in height, but can reach up to nine meters. It is deciduous, meaning that it sheds its leaves, but in certain regions of the world, the leaves remain on the tree (evergreen). The production capacity of the tree declines after approximately 15 years. However, it is a long-living species and some specimens have lived as long as 200 years.
The tree has very attractive flowers that are scarlet, white or a mixture of the two. One of the primary benefits of the pomegranate is its use as a dye. Extracted from its scarlet flowers is a beautiful red dye, which has been used for centuries in Central Asia .
The leaves of the pomegranate are glossy with a tough, leathery texture and are narrow and lance-shaped. The astounding color and pink-red hues of the fruit and flowers of the pomegranate are an attestation to the Qur'anic verse:
And whatsoever He has created for you on the earth of varying colors [and qualities from vegetation and fruits] and from animals. Verily! In this is a sign for people who remember. ( 16:13 )
A distinctive factor of the pomegranate is the structure of its fruit. The nearly round fruit is surrounded by a tough, leathery rind, with a light or deep pink to rich red color. The rind is largely responsible for the storage quality of the fruit, which can be kept for up to six months.
Once the protective rind is removed, the interior is revealed. Separated by "membranous walls and white, spongy bitter tissue into compartments" (California Rare Fruit Growers, 1997), the fruit is packed with sacs that are filled with the juicy red, pink or white pulp or aril. The seeds, which can be hard or soft, are found within the arils. The arils are often incorrectly referred to as pomegranate seeds.
Nutritious Value
The uses of the pomegranate, as was seen with the two other plants of the Qur'an, dates and olives, are numerous. The fruit is nutritious and has a calorific value of 65. Its protein and fat contents are insignificant, while it is "a rich source of sodium and also contains a good amount of riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, vitamin C, calcium and phosphorous" (Farooqi, 1997). It is delicious when served slightly chilled.
The juice of the pomegranate is a favorite in many Middle Eastern countries and can be bought from vendors selling the cool, tasty red juice. The juice is also used to make jellies, sauces, flavorants and syrups.
Pomegranate juice is a powerful anti-oxidant. Anti-oxidants guard the body against free radicals, harmful molecules that are believed to contribute to heart disease, premature ageing and cancer.
The dried pomegranate seeds, found within the arils, have culinary importance in North Indian cooking where they are used as a flavorant with vegetables and legumes. These seeds stem from sour varieties whose fruits cannot be eaten raw. Pomegranate seeds are also substituted for raisins in cakes and other European sweets.
Medicinal Uses
Apart from its nutritious value, the pomegranate also has medical benefits. It is commonly prescribed under the homeopathic as well as the Unani Tibb medical systems. Unani Tibb, with roots in Greek, Egyptian, Arabic and Indian medicine, is a healing system based on scientific data and holistic principles, while homeopathy is a system of medicine that is based on natural laws applied therapeutically some 200 years ago.
Pomegranates are used medicinally for diarrhea, earache, bad vision, fevers, teeth and gum disorders and indigestion according to Unani Tibb medicine.
Traditional Sri Lankan plant-based remedies include boiling the buds of the pomegranate tree and taking it as a tea to treat either diarrhea or bronchitis. The beautiful flowers of the tree are also used to relieve sore eyes.
Pomegranates, along with dates and olives, are also mentioned in the following verse from the Holy Qur'an, which speaks of the dues that have to be paid upon each harvest, as well as the evil of wastefulness.
And it is He Who produces gardens trellised and untrellised, And date-palms, and crops of different shape and taste and olives, and pomegranates, similar (in kind) and different (in taste).
Eat of their fruits when they ripen, but pay the due thereof on the day of its harvest,
And waste not by extravagance.
Verily, He likes not those who waste by extravagance.
(6:141)
The Beautiful Garments of the Earth
The plant kingdom, ‘the beautiful garments of the earth', is one of the blessings of Allah. The Qur'an deals with many species of plants, such as the grape, fig, ginger, cucumber, garlic, lentils and the tooth brush tree (siwāk). Agricultural crops, grains, seeds and fodder are also mentioned. Moreover the Qur'an speaks of the pollination, reproductive and germination processes of the plant kingdom.
Plants, along with all of creation, essentially fulfill two key functions. They are living beings in their own right, worshipping and glorifying Allah in a manner that we cannot perceive. They have also been placed on Earth for the benefit of human and animal life, so beautifully illustrated in Surah ‘Abasa:
Then let man look at his food: We pour forth water in abundance.
And we split the earth in clefts.
And we cause therein the grain to grow,
And grapes and clover plants,
And olives and date palms,
And gardens with many dense trees,
And fruits and herbage
(To be) a provision and benefit for you and your cattle.
(80:24-32)
Half of the medicines in the world are derived from plants and 80% of the world's population relies for their primary health care on traditional remedies sourced from the plant, animal and mineral kingdoms (Plant Talk). Though a large percentage of the plants in the world remain undescribed and their benefits undiscovered, close to 40,000 plant species are threatened according to the World Conservation Union's (IUCN) 1997 and 2003 Red List of Threatened Species.
Let us take a lesson from the Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who is reported to have said:
Narrated Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him): Allah's Messenger (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "There is none amongst the Muslims who plants a tree or sows a seed, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, but it is regarded as a charitable gift from him."
(Bukhari 40:1071)
Mrs A adds: personally, i belief that it is good for those who just undergoes surgery. and if im not mistaken, ive read somewhere that it is good for those whom are TTC as well. i'll update on that later.
Till then,
