Phytoestrogens in pomegranates helps to balance hormones

annaz
Jan 15, 2021
4 min read

Have you noticed the increasing costs of pomegranates? Pomegranates have become one of the darling of superfoods (really though, all fruits and vegetables have superfood qualities)!

From October to February, you will find this unique fruit adorning the produce aisles. Not only do they make tasty toppings on salads, you can turn them into jams, jellies, drinks or just for snacking! The recipe that follows will focus on turning those ruby red seeds into a delicious juice, using just one ingredient!!! Add them to smoothies, salads or straight up! Pomegranates contain phytoestrogens to help with hormone balance and they are not just women- the seeds have been studied to help with men‘s prostrate health as well.

A little history lesson....

The pomegranate fruit grows in Mediterranean countries like Turkey, Egypt, Spain, Morocco and Tunisia, as well as India and Iran. A fruit esteemed by the Israelites, many Biblical scholars believe that it was the 'original forbidden fruit" in the Garden of Eden. There are several references in the Bible (Exodus, Kings, Song of Solomon) for the use of pomegranates; they were used symbolically in burials, carved in columns and embossed on gowns. The "Doctrines of Signatures", is a theory that states that herbs that resemble various parts of the body can be used by herbalists to treat ailments of those body parts. A botanists named William Coles, theorized that the shape of the fruit of herbs was God's way of showing men what plants would be useful for which body part. For the pomegranate, the seeds are said to resemble the ovaries. In fact, according to science, pomegranates do show healthful benefits for hormonal health. The phytoestrogen compounds in pomegranate seeds have sex steroid hormones similar to those in humankind. The 17-alpha-estradiol is a mirror-image version of estrogen. For women in menopause, where estrogen is declining, this can mean tuning down those hot flashes and depressive moments.

Pomegranates have an impressive list of benefits:

Studies support that the pomegranate fruit could be used in the treatment of prostate cancer and other cancers like skin, breast, lung and colon because it could inhibit cell growth and induce apoptosis.

Fermented pomegranate juice has double the antiproliferative effect compared to fresh pomegranate juice in human breast cancer cells; other studies show that pomegranate extract could reduce the onset and

incidence of collagen-induced arthritis in mice.

Severity of arthritis, joint inflammation, and IL-6 level were significantly reduced in pomegranate extract-fed mice; other studies show it to help with diminishing the amyloid plaque in the hippocampus and thus is being considered for Alzheimer's disease improvement; it can help prevent or treat various disease risk factors including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, oxidative stress, type 2 diabetes and inflammatory diseases. Certain components of pomegranate such as polyphenols have potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic effects. The antioxidant potential of pomegranate juice is more than that of red wine and green tea. [1, 2, 3, 4,5 ]

Here are some of the big player nutrients also in pomegranates: Vitamin C, K, folate, choline, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and omega 6 fatty acids and more! With that list of potent health benefits, you would be hard pressed (haha, no pun intended) not to add a moderate amount of daily juice to your diet!

So go ahead, add them to your breakfast gruels, top your salads and add them to your smoothies. If you don’t like to peel them and extract the fruit (like me...) you are in luck as they sell pomegranate arils in the frozen and fresh fruits section!!

A cautionary note:

Consuming pomegranate juice can have blood pressure lowering effects and therefore individuals on high blood pressure medications or if you have low blood pressure, consult with a healthcare professional. Individuals with plant allergies may be more susceptible to pomegranate allergies; if you are on blood thinners, exercise caution and seek the advice of your healthcare provider. If you are scheduled for surgery, do not consume pomegranate juice within 2 weeks of surgery.

Ruby Red Pomegranate Juice

Choose pomegranates that have a bright red shiny outer peel with no significant indentations or scarring for best results.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Equipment: High powered blender or a juicer

Ingredients:

6 pomegranates for 1 Litre of juice (double for 2 L)
Optional for juicer version but needed for blender: 1/2 cup of spring water

Preparation:

wash the pomegranates
have a large bowl ready for the arils aka 'berries'
score the top of the pomegranate making sure not to cut right through. Pull off the top stem.
score the rest of the fruit following the veins of the pomegranate fruit (white skin)
gently loosen the sides of the pomegranate till it separates; pull out the centre pith
flip the pomegranate over; with the back of a wooden spoon or solid utensil tap the arils out of the pomegranate; this make take some time to master and you may have to pick out the remaining arils/berries.
pick out any remaining arils/berries and any pith in the bowl
place fruit in a juicer or blender (with 1/2 cup of spring water). Juice or blend
If you used a juicer, there will still be some juice in the discarded fibre, squeeze juice through a small sieve. If you used a blender you will need a cheesecloth or a nut milk bag and again extract as much juice as possible.
chill before serving