Pomegranate,& Health

Introduction fruit deriving from the deciduous tree of Punica L. genus, Punicaceae family (1). This fruit inherits its name from the Latin words ‘pomus’ and ‘granum’ (apple with grains), which refer to the consumable portion of the pomegranate tree (2).

Historically, the pomegranate tree dates back to the

 early bronze age (3500-2000 B.C.) with fossil 

findings (seeds, leaves and branches) mainly discovered

 in Central Asia, the Mediterranean area and 

the Middle East (3). Currently, it is planted in 

North and South America, the Middle East and 

Caucasus region, South and Central Asia, North and tropical Africa, as well as in the Mediterranean area, including Sicily (4).

Of note, the pomegranate was considered a symbol of life, symbolizing prosperity and fertility in a number of ancient cultures and religions. For example, the Egyptians considered pomegranate as a symbol

 of life after death, while in the Bible's Old Testament, it symbolized good luck, abundance and fertility (1,5).

However, pomegranate has been known also for

 its medical use. Indeed, as described in the

 literature, pomegranate and its derivatives

(fruit, juice, pericarp, seeds and leaves) have a number of therapeutic and pharmacological properties (6), including prebiotic effects (7).

These properties are due to the presence

 of numerous phytochemicals. Among the known phytocompounds, ellagitannins, gallotannins, anthocyanins, anthocyanidins, flavonoids, flavonones, flavonols, organic acids, fatty acids and lipids, phenolic acids, alkaloids and lignans have been isolated from pomegranate (8,9).

Over the past few years, the attention of the scientific community on the beneficial effects of pomegranate and its phytochemicals on human health has increased exponentially, as demonstrated by scientific studies that have been published (10-15). Therefore, in the present review article, the beneficial properties of pomegranate and its potential effects against several pathological conditions that can affect humans are summarized.

Protective role of pomegranate in cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases, commonly defined as

 disorders of the heart and vessels, represent the main cause 

of morbidity and mortality worldwide (63). 

As widely described, a number of risk factors are 

involved in the development of cardiovascular diseases, 

for example, high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, 

especially hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis,

 smoking, sex, age, obesity, diabetes, a sedentary lifestyle, an unhealthy diet, poverty, family history and genetic predisposition (64).

In this context, several studies have demonstrated that a healthy lifestyle, characterized by a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, 

is positively associated with a lower risk of developing 

cardiovascular disorders (65,66).

 These beneficial effects are due to a wide spectrum of bioactive compounds found in fruits and vegetables; for example, vitamins, antioxidants, 

folates and phytochemicals, such as

 Lcarotenoids and polyphenols (67,68). In this field,

 recent clinical trials and in vivo/in vitro studies 

have highlighted that pomegranate can help to prevent

 several risk factors and promote cardiovascular health.

Ref

Pomegranate: A promising avenue against the most common chronic diseases and their associated risk factors (Review)

Authors: Alessandro Lavoro Luca Falzone Giuseppe Gattuso Rossella Salemi Giovanni Cultrera Gian Marco Leone Giuseppa Scandurra Saverio Candido Massimo Libra

Int Jou Of Functional Functional Nutrtion 

Vol. 2Issue 2