There has been a lot of controversy and debates about pomegranates. Are they really the superfood which can prevent the aging process?
Until now scientific evidence has been quite weak. Many dubious marketing strategies have brought a lot of skepticism.
Scientists from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) decided to explore the subject in their study by taking a closer look in how pomegranate interacts with the body.
They discovered that a certain molecule in pomegranates, when transformed by microbes in intestines, enables muscle cells to protect themselves against one of the main causes of aging - the buildup of dysfunctional mitochondria.
Mitochondria are organelles (specialized subunits within a cell), that are responsible for generating the energy needed by the cells to function. They are found inside every living cell and are continuously recycled in order to be able to keep performing their essential functions - a process called mitophagy.
While we age, the process of mitophagy becomes less and less effective, which causes mitochondria to accumulate within the cells. This affects the health of many tissues and weakens the muscles.
The research suggests that pomegranate has potential to reverse this process of mitochondrial degradation and therefore counteract cellular ageing.
Human clinical trials are currently underway, but these initial discoveries have already been published in scientific journal Nature Medicine.
References:
"Pomegranate finally reveals its powerful anti-aging secret" (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology News)
http://actu.epfl.ch/news/pomegranate-finally-reveals-its-powerful-anti-agin/
"Urolithin A induces mitophagy and prolongs lifespan in C. elegans and increases muscle function in rodents"
http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v22/n8/full/nm.4132.html
"Evidence of pomegranate's anti-ageing properties revealed by scientists"
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/pomegranate-superfruit-anti-ageing-properties-revealed-after-exposure-gut-bacteria-1570054
The easiest way to get to those scrumptious kernels is to open it under water in a big bowl. This helps you not get squirted and the white bits that break loose will float to the top and are less bothersome. Hope this helps some people to eat more pomegranates! When there is a sale I stock up and freeze the kernels, which are great to throw on a salad!
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Thank you. This is a very good advice. I will apply it next time :-)
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