A fruit that promises to do everything from fight cancer to increase the effectiveness of your sunscreen.

There is a fruit from the Mediterranean region that has been around for more than a thousand years and scientists are starting to take notice. The health benefits of the pomegranate may be more profound than you know.

In the Thomas household, pomegranate products are as common as the kid’s toys.

Tiffany Thomas said, “I use a lot of things with pomegranate, it just kind of turns out that way because the smell is really good and the health benefits are really good.”

She not only drinks pomegranate juice… she also uses beauty products made with the exotic fruit. She said, “I do have two beauty products a sugar scrub and a mask.”

Nutritionist Patti Milligan says tiffany is right about the promise of pomegranate. She said, “Pomegranate falls into this category known as super fruits, because when it analyzed it, we saw that there was rich minerals which typically you don’t always get in fruits, very high in potassium, a whole bath of vitamins, but more importantly, these compounds called phytochemicals, biological active compounds for cells.”

You can find pomegranate in all types of products like lotions, salad dressings and even waffles. Milligan said, “Do your due diligence; look at the label to make sure that it’s one of the top ingredients.”

Patti says pomegranates are beneficial in many ways: they’re higher in antioxidants than blueberries. They have flavanoids, which may help fight cancer. And this red fruit has an anti-aging compound called ellagic acid.

Milligan said, “When they add pomegranate to sunscreens, it appears it enhances the way the sunscreen works.”
Patti believes everyone should try to work pomegranate into their diets. She said, “What’s interesting is the form is probably not so key as making sure that you have a constant source of it.”

Milligan says pomegranate hasn’t been shown to have any side effects and it doesn’t seem to interact with medications, so it should be safe for everyone.

FAST FACTS:
A single pomegranate is a powerhouse of nutrition, providing protein, carbohydrates, vitamin C and potassium and only 104 calories.
Pomegranates also contain three different types of natural antioxidants, called polyphenols.
Researchers have found pomegranate juice to have at least 20 percent higher levels of antioxidants than red wine, grape juice, blueberries, and other kinds of fruit.
For more details, refer to our comprehensive research summary.

For general information on pomegranates:
American Dietetic Association, http://www.eatright.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/pomegranate.html
Pomegranate Council, http://www.pomegranates.org