I have been eating and drinking pomegranate fruit daily for the past two years, and have not found anything else that compares to it for naturally balancing my hormones and kicking nasty menopause symptoms like hot flashes, bloating and moodiness. If you are a menopausal woman, listen up…you will not find another all-natural, delicious way to alleviate the uncomfortable symptoms that often accompany menopause and protect your future health at the same time.
Trust me, I am in the thick of “the change” and I could not get through a day without my little cup of pomegranate fruit. Read on to find out just what benefits this powerful fruit, that bears a striking resemblance to the female ovary, has to offer.
We don’t often think of the fact that fruit, by definition is the “ripened ovary together with the seeds, from one or more flowers of the plant.” There are differences, fruit-ovaries spread their seeds by animals who eat them and excrete them whereby humans spread their “seeds” (eggs) inside the human body through the fallopian tubes.
Look close…it resembles a female ovary
Pomegranates have been cultivated for thousands of years. The word pomegranate originates from the Latin “Punicum malum” which means “Phoenician apple.” This wondrous fruit is often called a “Chinese apple.” Although it is often compared to an apple, the pomegranate looks very much like a female ovary.
Not surprisingly, pomegranates are a symbol of fertility for the Zoroastrians and other ancient cultures. A cross-section of the pomegranate compared to a female ovary shows how the containers for the fruit’s seeds and ovary’s eggs look very similar. What is even more amazing is that the pomegranate holds something special for menopausal women. This fruit provides the same estrogens as the female body. Wow, right?
Just one 8 ounce glass of pomegranate juice contains 40% of RDA for vitamin C, and also is loaded with vitamins A and E along with folic acid. Pomegranates contain powerful antioxidants known as phytochemicals that protect plants from environmental threats. When we ingest these phytochemicals, they protect the cells in our body. Pomegranate juice is higher in protective antioxidants than cranberry juice, blueberry juice, red wine, and green tea.
Here are some of the ways that pomegranate fruit can become your best friend during menopause and beyond!
Bone loss reversal
A 2004 study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology found that rats who had their ovaries removed suffered excessive bone loss, a common symptom of menopause due to a drop in estrogen. When they were fed a pomegranate extract and seeds for two weeks, the bone loss was entirely reversed and went back to normal
Elevated mood
One frustrating symptom of menopause is moodiness. Some days you may be blue, and other days you may just be frustrated with everything around you. The same researchers that discovered the way pomegranates can reverse bone loss also found that this fruit can also help to balance and lift moods. Rats fed pomegranate extract have lower levels of depression markers. The study authors commented that pomegranate would be clinically effective for women suffering from depression.
Improved heart health
The heart takes a beating in menopause. In fact, the rate of death from coronary heart disease in women after menopause is 2 to 3 times that of women the same age before menopause. Pomegranates offer spectacular preventative effects to keep your heart in top shape.
- Pomegranates lower oxidized cholesterol – In a 2000 study, it was found that pomegranate juice, rich in antioxidants, can prevent LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and causing damage to the lining of the arteries promoting atherosclerosis.
- Pomegranates can reduce blood pressure – In a 2004 clinical study, it was found that drinking one glass a day of pomegranate juice may reduce blood pressure, reduce cholesterol oxidation and reverse the build-up of plaque in the carotid arteries by 29%.
- Pomegranates can thin the blood – A study found in the Journal of Medicinal Foods found that consumption of pomegranate juice can help thin the blood and prevent clotting.
- Pomegranates may increase oxygen flow – According to a 2007 study, drinking eight ounces of pomegranate juice daily for three months increased the flow of oxygen to the heart muscle in coronary patients.
Reduced hot flashes
My husband has fanned my neck and opened freezer doors at the grocery store for me on many occasions. However, once I started to consume pomegranate juice and seeds regularly, my hot flashes have been drastically reduced.
Reduced risk of breast cancer
Some women worry that consuming foods with estrogenic properties may increase the risk of cancer; this is not so. Pomegranate behaves as a natural adaptogen in the body. This means that it increases levels of estrogen when the supply is low but also blocks stronger estrogens when levels are high. This ability, to adapt to what the body needs, is a huge benefit found in natural foods that pharmaceuticals don’t have. When pomegranate extract was compared to two popular drugs, Tamoxifen and Estradiol, researchers found that pomegranate extract may prevent estrogen-dependent breast cancers.
Ladies, take advantage of this menopause miracle today?
-The Alternative Daily
