16 Health Benefits of Pomegranates

Pomegranates – the red fruit that has inspired many juices and beauty products – are fun to eat with their sweet and tart taste. They also have medicinal powers, making them a celebrated fruit throughout the world, especially by health enthusiasts.

Here are 15 reasons why you should add pomegranates into your grocery shopping list:

Impotency Fighter – Pomegranates have antioxidants that decrease the risk of atherosclerosis or impotency.

Inflammation Reduction – Pomegranates are rich in vitamin C, which helps treat inflammation as well as asthma, coughing, sore throat, and wheezing.

Cell Damage Prevention – Since this fruit contains high amounts of antioxidants, free radicals are easier to eliminate. If these free radicals stay inside your body, they will attack your cells and damage them. You can either consume the fruit regularly or you can drink juice to get rid of free radicals.

Anemia Cure – Due to the high iron content in this fruit, hemoglobin increases in the blood when you eat plenty of pomegranates, therefore helping cure anemia.

Osteoarthritis Rebel – Pomegranates can hold back the occurrence of osteoarthritis, particularly when consumed on a daily basis. You will have more strength in your bones, so you can perform better and avoid being worried about this disease.

Dental Plaque Prevention – Drink a glass of pomegranate juice every day to protect your teeth against plaque.

Appetite Booster – If you are looking for a tasty food that can aid you in stimulating your appetite, pomegranates are a good choice, especially for children. You can give them pomegranate juice, so they will enjoy eating after.

Digestion Helper – If you have always had a problem with your bowel movements, you should consume this fruit regularly. It has various enzymes that can help you get through nausea, hemorrhoids, dysentery, piles, indigestion, and even kill intestinal parasites.

Diarrhea Stopper – For those who are having loose bowel movements, pomegranates can help prevent such episodes or even stop them.

Alzheimer’s Prevention – While Alzheimer’s is common in aging people, you can help thwart its early occurrence by eating more pomegranates. Also, those with Alzheimer’s are said to benefit from this fruit as it aids in slowing down the disease’s progress. Analytical power also improves, so loved ones with the disease can perform their activities better.

Blood Pressure Normalizer – For those with high blood pressure, everyday consumption of pomegranates can help in lowering BP levels up to 5%. It also helps in reducing fluctuations in blood pressure.

Artery Health Booster – When you drink or eat pomegranates daily, this can help remove the development of sticky deposits where bacteria reside in your arteries. This helps make them so much healthier and free from bacteria.

Cardiovascular Disease Warrior – Since pomegranates have properties that can lower or regulate your blood pressure, it is possible to avoid heart diseases when you consume more of this fruit. Additionally, pomegranates contain lots of antioxidants that reduce low density lipoprotein or the bad type of cholesterol while inducing better blood circulation. These health benefits could lead to better heart health, so you can be free from cardiovascular diseases.

Cancer Fighter – Aside from cardiovascular diseases, pomegranates can lower your risk of getting certain cancers – thanks to its vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, and antioxidants. When all of these work together, they can readily fight free radicals, so your cells will not be damaged. Breast cancer, prostate cancer, and lung cancer are some of the cancers that pomegranates can help battle.

Diabetes Struggler – There have been a number of studies that proved just how pomegranate juice can help patients who have diabetes. This is due to the fruit’s ability to reduce bad cholesterol and remove fat deposits in the arteries. Even in low dosages, pomegranates can lower diabetes risk through the help of its phenolic antioxidants.

Weight Controller – This is one of the biggest reasons why many people are fond of the fruit. If you are watching your weight, eat pomegranates regularly to help you shed some pounds.

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BENEFITS OF GRAPES INCLUDE FATIGUE, KIDNEY DISORDERS,MIGRAINE,BLOOD PREASURE

          The health benefits of grapes include its ablity to treat constipation, indigestion, fatigue, kidney disorders, macular degeneration and prevention of cataract. 

        Grapes, one of the most delicious fruits, are rich sources of vitamins A, C, B6 and folate in addition to essential minerals like potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and selenium. Grapes contain flavonoids that are very powerful antioxidants, which can reduce the damage caused by free radicals and slacken ageing.

      Grapes, owing to their high nutrient content, play an important role in ensuring a healthy and robust life.

Benefits: Some of the health benefits of grapes include the following:

• Asthma: Due to its eminent therapeutic value, grapes can be used for cure of asthma. In addition to it, the assimilatory power of grapes is also higher. It increases the moisture present in lungs.

• Heart diseases: Grapes increase the nitric oxide levels in the blood, which prevents blood clots thereby reducing the chances of heart attacks. In addition the antioxidant present in grapes prevents the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, which blocks the blood vessels.

• Migraine: Ripe grape juice is an importanthome remedy for curing migraine. It should be taken early in the morning, without mixing additional water.

• Constipation: Grapes are very effective in overcoming constipation. They are considered as a laxative food, as they contain organic acid, sugar and cellulose. They also relieve chronic constipation by toning up intestine and stomach.

• Indigestion: Grapes play an important role in dyspepsia. They relieve heat and cure indigestion and irritation of the stomach. They are also preferred as they constitute a light food.

• Fatigue: Light and white grape juice replenishes the iron content present in the body and prevents fatigue. Though, the dark grape juice might not give an iron boost and on the other hand, decrease the iron levels. Drinking grape juice also provides you with instant energy. The anti-oxidants present in grapes also provide the needed boost to your immune system.

• Kidney disorders: Grapes can substantially reduce the acidity of the uric acid and helps in the elimination of the acid from the system, thereby reducing the work pressure of kidneys.

• Breast cancer:    Through a latest study, it has been discovered that purple colored Concord grape juice helps in preventing breast cancer. Significant reduction in mammary tumor mass of laboratory rats was seen after they were fed the grape juice on the experimental basis.

• Alzheimer’s disease:     Resveratrol, a beneficial polyphenol present in grapes reduces the levels of amyloidal-beta peptides in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Studies suggest that grapes can enhance brain health and stall the onset of neurodegenerative diseases.

• Macular degeneration:    Grapes can prevent the age related loss of vision or macular degeneration. Three servings of grapes a day can reduce the risks of macular degeneration by over 36 %.

• Prevents cataract:     Flavonoids present in grapes have antioxidants, which can reduce and fight the damage caused by free radicals such as cataract apart from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and age related problems.

• Blood cholesterol:      Grapes contain a compound called pterostilbene, which has the capacity to bring down cholesterol level. Saponins present in grape skin can also prevent the absorption of cholesterol by binding with it.

• Antibacterial activity:      Red grapes have strong antibacterial and antiviral properties and can protect you from infections. They have a strong antiviral property against poliovirus and herpes simplex virus.

• Anticancer properties:       Grapes are found to have strong anti cancer properties due to the anti-inflammatory effect of resveratrol present in grapes. It is particularly effective in colorectal cancer and breast cancer. Anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins present in grapes have properties of an anti-proliferate and can inhibit the growth of cancer causing agents. Grape juice not just prevents the risk of cancer but also suppresses the growth and propagation of cancer cells. The pigments contained in grapes enhance the overall immunity of the body.

       Thus, grapes play a pivotal role in preventing innumerable health disorders and can be used as home based remedies for several ailments. Dried grapes, known as raisins, are extremely nutritious and help in many disorders including constipation, acidosis, anemia, fever, sexual weakness and help in gaining weight and eye care. Read more about benefits of raisins.

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BENEFITS OF BITTER GOURD

Bitter gourd is highly beneficial in the treatment of blood disorders like blood boils, scabies, itching, psoriasis, ring-worm and other fungal diseases. A cupful of fresh juice of bitter gourd mixed with a teaspoonful of lime juice should be taken, sip by sip, on empty stomach daily for four to six months in these conditions. Its regular use in endemic regions of leprosy acts as a preventive medicine.

Eye problems: The high beta-carotene and other properties in bitter gourd makes it one of the finest vegetable-fruit that help alleviate eye problems and improving eyesight.

Hangover: Bitter melon juice may be beneficial in the treatment of a hangover for its alcohol intoxication properties. It also help cleanse and repair and nourish liver problems due to alcohol consumption. 

Bitter gourd contains nutrients which is beneficial to cleanse blood from toxins. Taking 2 ounces of Bitter Gourd Juice with honey regularly can help to cleanse liver and improve asthma and respiratory orders.

The cellulose content of bitter guard is rich in fibre and acts as a bulk residue that helps to prevent habitual as well as chronic constipation,  reduce piles, as well as plays an active role in Weight Control.

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BENEFITS OF ONION

Onion is a Good anti-septic which is rich in vitamin A, B and C.  It is also source of folic acid, calcium, magnesium, chromium, phosphorus, iron and dietary fiber.  

Anemia:  

Onion is rich source of Iron, which is  beneficial for the treatment of anemia.

 Heart attacks.: 

 Just eating a small raw onion daily can significantly lower cholesterol and also help prevent heart attacks.

Anti-septic: 

 Fights infection some of bacteria and is effective against tuberculosis and infections of the urinary tract.

Blood pressure: 

 Onions,in raw or cooked form,  help to lower blood pressure.  It also thins the blood, dissolve blood clots and clear the blood of unhealthy fats.

Cholesterol: 

Eating a small onion daily helps to correct thrombosis, lower the LDL cholesterol and prevents heart attacks significantly.

Diabetes: 

Chromium in onion helps diabetics' cells respond appropriately to bringing down the insulin level and improve glucose tolerance.

Hair loss: 

 Applying onion juice on scalp twice a week for 2 months will cause hair regrowth. 

Immune booster: 

Useful in cold weather to ward off infection, reduce fever and sweat out colds and flu.

Osteoporosis: 

Beneficial for women who are at risk for osteoporosis as they go through menopause.

Respiratory: 

Mix equal amounts of onion juice and honey and take 3-4 teaspoons of this mixture daily.  It helps liquefy mucus and prevents its further formation.  It is also one of the best preventive potions against common cold.

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TOP 10 HEALTH BENEFITS OF GUAVA

Guava fruit (amrood), usually 5 to 10 cm (2-4 inches) long, are round or pear shaped depending on the variety. It bears a green, yellow or maroon cover while the inside of the fruit features the white ("white" guavas) or pink ("red" guavas) fleshy part containing many small, hard seeds. There are many varieties of guava that are grown for their fruit, including Psidium guajava (apple guava), Psidium cattleianum (strawberry guava), and Psidium friedrichstahlium. The most frequently encountered variety, and the one often simply referred to as “the guava”, is the Apple Guava.

Guava with its sweet smell can be taken raw or you can even enjoy guava jams and jellies with fresh bread slices! Whatever might be the mode of intake, guava, being a storehouse of nutrients, would provide many health benefits. Here are the health conditions which are targeted by the nutrients present in guava:

1. Cancer Prevention: Guava is an excellent source of the cancer-fighting antioxidant, lycopene. Lycopene in guava is more easily absorbed by our body than lycopene from tomato becuase of the difference in the cell structure that allows the antioxidant to be absorbed whether the fruit is raw or cooked. Lycopene consumption is associated with significantly lower rates of prostate cancer, and it has also been found to inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells. Lycopene promotes good health by acting against the influence of “free radicals”, which can damage cells and can contribute to developing cancer and coronary heart disease. All varieties of guava are loaded with antioxidants but the one with the red flesh type contains more than the white-fleshed apple guava.
2. High Blood Pressure: Guava, being hypoglycemic in nature (if taken without skin) and fiber rich, helps in decreasing blood pressure and cholesterol levels. This makes guavas highly beneficial for those at risk for heart disease and hypertension. Also, a medium guava (165 gm) provides you with 20 percent of the recommended daily value (DV) for potassium. Studies have shown that people who consume more potassium have lower blood pressures than those who consume less.
3. Diarrhea: Guava has proved to be beneficial to individuals suffering from Diarrhea. Guava has astringents (chemical compound that tends to shrink or constrict body tissues, for example compounds those make your gums feel tighter and fresh after you eat a raw guava), which are helpful in binding up loose stools during the conditions of diarrhea. These alkaline compounds display antibacterial properties and have the ability to prevent microbial growth during dysentery. Other disinfectants present in guava include Carotenoids, Vitamin C and Potassium. These properties and ingredients of guava also support healing in cases of gastroenteritis.
4. Cough and Cold: The decoction of guava leaves or the juices of raw or immature guavas bring relief to individuals suffering from cough and cold. This can be attributed to the astringent properties of guava juice. The juice works by loosening the cough, decreasing mucus and by making the respiratory tract, throat and lungs infection-free. Guava is also rich in vitamin C and iron, which provide protections against cold and viral infections.
5. Skin Care: The astringents of guava enhance the skin texture and tighten loosened skin. In fact, guava works more effectively than any other skin nourishing lotions in the market. Decoction of immature leaves and fruits can be applied on the skin for tightening and toning purposes. Additionally, guava has high contents of vitamin A, vitamin C and Potassium, which are characterized by their antioxidant functions. These nutrients carry out detoxification processes and keep the skin healthy and wrinkle-free.
6. Constipation: High amount of dietary fiber present in guava helps prevent constipation. A medium guava provides you with 36 percent of the recommended daily value for dietary fiber. Also, the seeds of guava are very effective laxatives. Both these attributes help in the formation of bowels and the cleaning up of the excretory system.
7. Diabetes: According to a study conducted on rats, both the guava fruit and its leaves can help diabetic patients by lowering their blood glucose levels. However, if consumed along with its skin, it can be bad for your blood sugar. According to the research published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research and conducted by researchers at the Medicinal Research Laboratory of the University of Allahabad, blood sugar levels in rats injected with guava peel extract rose by 91% in sub-diabetic rats within two hours of administration and by 27% in normal rats after eight hours of administration. So, the best way to consume a guava for diabetics is to peel off its skin.
8. Weight Loss: Guava forms an essential component of a weight loss diet. Guava is rich in fiber, proteins and vitamins and this implies that individuals looking to lose weight would not have to compromise on their intake of these nutrients! Guava with no cholesterol and low carbohydrates, can still offer a feeling of fullness. A medium sized guava for lunch is enough to supply nutrition till dinner. Again, guava can help thin people gain weight. This can be attributed to its nutrients which aid in the better absorption process of the body.
9. Scurvy: The Vitamin C content of a common guava (apple guava) is about four times than what we find in an orange. Thus, guavas are effective remedies for scurvy, which is characterized by swollen and bleeding gums due to deficiency of Vitamin C.
10. Dental Care: The juice of the guava leaves containing astringents and vitamins is a remedy for toothaches, swollen gums and ulcers of the mouth.

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BEETROOT FOR BLOOD PRESSURE

        Beetroot juice has been shown to lower blood pressure and thus help prevent cardiovascular problems. Research published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension showed drinking 500 ml of beetroot juice led to a reduction in blood pressure within one hour.

       The reduction was more pronounced after three to four hours, and was measurable up to 24 hours after drinking the juice. The effect is attributed to the high nitrate content of the beetroot. 

     The study correlated high nitrate concentrations in the blood following ingestion of the beetroot juice and the drop in blood pressure. Dietary nitrate, such as that found in the beetroot, is thought to be a source for the biological messenger nitric oxide, which is used by the endothelium to signal smooth muscle, triggering it to relax. 

     This induces vasodilation and increased blood flow.Other studies have found the positive effects beetroot juice can have on human exercise and performances. In studies conducted by Exeter University, scientists found cyclists who drank a half-litre of beetroot juice several hours before setting off were able to ride up to 20% longer than those who drank a placebo blackcurrant juice.

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