Nutrition for Health: Pomegranate

Pomegranate: Food for Thought

Health Benefits of Pomegranate:

Pomegranates are beneficial for health.  A fruit that has been categorised as a super-food known for its nutrient density and as such has been studied for many years to investigate its health benefits.  

Some of the benefits are: 

• A fat-buster
  • pomegranate seed oil reduces the body's ability to store fat;
  • they prevent fat deposits (triglycerides) from clogging the arteries;
  • pomegranates increase the level of HDL (good) cholesterol in the blood;
• Reduces recovery time
  • pomegranate's contain uric acid which is known to speed up recovery rates;
  • it's a natural anti-inflammatory so eases painful joints;
  • it helps to relieve muscle soreness
• Packed with antioxidants
  • Pomegranates are packed with high levels of antioxidants (polyphenols) such as anthocyanins, flavonoids and tannins;
  • Antioxidants can protect against free-radical induced diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative disorders (e.g. Parkinson's) and premature ageing.

Note:  As a rule I tend to eat the fruit and avoid drinking pomegranate juice as some of the nutrients (and fibre) are lost in the juicing process.  It's worth struggling with those pips to obtain the most nutritional value and to avoid a higher concentration of sugar intake.

Go Organic?

Yes.  Fruits and berries have been shown to have up to 50% more antioxidants than non-organic versions.  So worth getting hold of organic or sustainably farmed versions.

New Paleo Research

I personally follow a Paleo diet, but I am still open-minded about this.  So it was interesting to read a news article this morning with a UK source.  

Unilever has gathered a leading research team of scientists and experts in fields such as evolutionary genetics, food scientists and anthropologists to explore how the stone-age Paleolithic diet could benefit us in the modern era (which is based on an agricultural neolithic diet).  

Palaeolithic man may have died earlier than we do now, but he didn't die of bad nutrition...”

- Prof Mark Thomas, University College London

As further stated in the article, previous research has shown that the nutrition of the paleolithic era (as hunter-gatherers) saw lower incidences of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.  Diseases which plague the modern era.

Read more about it on the BBC website here: Recreating the caveman diet

Nutrition: Eggs a wholesome food?

Science:

For about 20 years scientists have advised us to limit the amount of eggs in our diet due to the level of cholesterol in the yolk.

However the American Heart Association has recently identified a boiled egg as an ideal combination of increased satiety (the feeling of being full) and of prolonged energy release due to it being low GI in nature.

An egg also contains several important nutrients such as Choline which is essential for cellular health, and preserving memory.

Nutrition:

A boiled egg is only around 80 calories, and contains 72% protein.  It's a high quality protein food containing all nine essential amino acids.  A complete and balanced source of protein which is easy to digest.  Although there are many protein shakes and formulations available, the egg is still considered the standard against which all other protein foods are measured because their protein composition is so perfectly balanced.  It also offers great value for money.

Organic:

The nutritional value improves significantly when you go organic.  A study conducted by "Mother Earth News" (Oct/Nov 2007) found that free-range organic eggs have 2/3 more vitamin A, three times more vitamin E, seven times more beta carotene and twice the omega-3 essential fatty acids in comparison to non-organic.

Summary:

Eggs should no longer be viewed as an icon of too much cholesterol and should be viewed as a staple part of a healthy individual's diet.  Easy to cook, prepare and of great nutritional benefit.