It has been mentioned three times in the Quran:
1. It is He Who sends downwater (rain) from the sky, and with it We
bring forth vegetation of all kinds, andout of it We bring forth green
stalks, from which We bring forth thick clustered grain. And out of
the date-palm and its spathe come forth clusters of dates hanging low
and near, and gardens of grapes, olives and pomegranates, each similar
(in kind) yet different (in variety and taste). Look at their fruits
when they begin to bear, and the ripeness thereof. Verily! In these
things there are signs for people who believe. [6:99]
2. And it is He Who produces gardens trellised and untrellised, and
date-palms, and crops of different shape and taste (its fruits and its
seeds) and olives, and pomegranates, similar (in kind) and different
(in taste). Eat of their fruit when they ripen, but pay the due
thereof (its Zakât, according to God's Orders 1/10th or 1/20th) on the
day of its harvest, and waste not by extravagance. Verily, He likes
not Al-Musrifûn (those who waste by extravagance). [6:141]
3. In them (both) will be fruits, and date- palms andpomegranates. [55:68]
Benefits:
Pomegranates, another fruit mentioned in the Qur'an, contain a
plentiful supply of potassium as well as such minerals as phosphorus,
calcium, iron, and sodium, and vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, and C. Acting
together with sodium, potassium regulates the body's water equilibrium
and ensures that the heart beats normally. By maintaining the body's
potassium-sodiu m balance, it also helps the nervous and muscular
senses to function regularly, prevents edema,and decreases the amount
of sugar circulating in the blood. Pomegranates revive tired muscles
and enable them to move easily, and also strengthenthe heart.
➬ Nutrients and phytochemicals
Pomegranate aril juice provides about 16% of an adult's daily vitamin
C requirement per 100 ml serving, and is a good source of vitamin
B5(pantothenic acid), potassium and polyphenols, such as tannins and
flavonoids.
Pomegranates are listed ashigh-fiber in some charts of nutritional
value. That fiber, however, is entirely contained in the edible seeds
which also supply unsaturated oils. People who choose to discard the
seeds forfeit nutritional benefits conveyed by the seed fiber, oils
and micronutrients.
The most abundant polyphenols in pomegranate juice are the
hydrolyzable tannins called ellagitannins formedwhen ellagic acid
binds with acarbohydrate. Punicalagins are tannins with free-radical
scavenging properties in laboratory experiments and with potential
human effects. Punicalagins are absorbed into the human body and may
have dietary value as antioxidants, but conclusive proof of efficacyin
humans has not yet been shown. During intestinal metabolism by
bacteria, ellagitannins and punicalagins are convertedto urolithins
which have unknown biological activity in vivo.
Other phytochemicals include polyphenolic catechins, gallocatechins,
and anthocyanins, such as prodelphinidins , delphinidin, cyanidin,
andpelargonidin . The ORAC(antioxidant capacity) of pomegranate juice
was measured at 2,860 units per 100 grams.
Many food and dietary supplement makers use pomegranate phenolic
extracts as ingredients in their products instead of the juice. One of
these extracts is ellagic acid, which may become bioavailable only
after parent molecule punicalagins are metabolized. However, ingested
ellagic acid from pomegranate juice does not accumulate in the blood
in significant quantities and is rapidly excreted. Accordingly,
ellagic acid from pomegranate juice does not appear to be biologically
important in vivo.
➬ Potential health benefits
In preliminary laboratory research and clinical trials, juice of the
pomegranate may be effective in reducing heart disease riskfactors,
including LDL oxidation, macrophage oxidative status, and foam cell
formation. In an articlepublished in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutritionin 2000, researchers detailed an experiment in which healthy
adult men and unhealthy mice consumed pomegranate juice daily. After
two weeks, the healthy men experienced increased antioxidant levels,
which resulted in a ninety percent drop in LDL cholestoral oxidation.
In the mice, "oxidation of LDLby peritoneal macrophages was reducedby
up to 90% after pomegranate juice consumption..." .
In a limited study of hypertensive patients, consumption of
pomegranate juice for twoweeks was shown to reduce systolic blood
pressure by inhibiting serum angiotensin-con verting enzyme. Juice
consumption may also inhibit viral infections while pomegranate
extracts have antibacterial effects against dental plaque.
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