Understanding Why You Should Consume Pomegranates For Heart Health

If your physician has recently informed you that you have heart disease, then you should understand that heart disease causes the most deaths in the United States. In fact, coronary heart disease kills about 380,000 people every year. To reduce your chances of dying from the disease, your doctor will likely start you on a variety of treatments. You will likely need to take some medications that reduce the risks of blood clots, and you may be asked to stop smoking. A significant change in your diet is often recommended as well. In general, you will need to reduce your consumption of fat and salt, and start eating healthy fruits and vegetables. There are several foods that you should include in your new diet since they are quite healthy for the heart. Pomegranate is one of them, so find out how the fruit can help you and also learn how you can juice it. 

Understanding How Pomegranates Are Heart Healthy

You may already know that berries as well as red colored fruits are extremely heart healthy. These fruits contain a variety of antioxidants called polyphenols that give the fruits their distinctive dark coloring. These antioxidants stop cell damage across the body so that cells can remain healthy and intact. Stopping cellular damage also allows the body to rebuild tissues where damage has already occurred. When it comes to the heart, the antioxidants can help to reduce muscle damage that can lead to a heart attack.

While berries and other fruits can help your heart, pomegranates offer the most assistance. Studies show that the polyphenols and antioxidants, called punicalagins, in the fruit actually stop and reverse some of the damage that has occurred across the cardiovascular system. Specifically, pomegranates reduce the atherosclerotic lesions that line the arteries, and they reduce the amount of plaque that builds in the blood vessels. This means that blood can flow more freely through the blood vessels and less stress is placed on the heart. Lees heart stress means a reduced risk of a heart attack.

Juicing A Pomegranate

A glass of pomegranate juice in the morning is a great way to provide your heart with the antioxidants it needs. While you can purchase pomegranate juice from the store, store bought products typically contain quite a bit of added sugar. You can easily reduce sugar content by making your own juice at home.

To juice a pomegranate, use a knife to scour the top crown of the fruit and gently pull off the top. Cut the outer edge of the fruit into three sections and gently full the pomegranate apart. You want to separate the seeds from the peel and pitch. Place the cut sections into a bowl with some cool water. Use your hands to start pulling some of the seeds away from the pitch. As you do this, the seeds will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the pitch and peel will float. Use a spoon to remove the rind and pitch and discard it.

Once all the seeds have been freed from the pomegranate, place them in a strainer and gently rinse them. Place all the seeds in a blender and blend them to release the juice. Use your strainer to remove the seed pulp from the juice and let the juice collect in a glass. The juice can be placed in the refrigerator until you are ready to drink it. A single pomegranate will not create a lot of juice, so consider juicing several pomegranates at once. The juice can last a week or more in your refrigerator.

If you have heart disease, then it is imperative that you work hard to keep your heart as healthy as possible. Changing your diet can assist with this, and you should add some foods to your daily diet that are heart healthy. Pomegranates are one of these foods.  For more information on keeping your heart healthy, make an appointment with a medical clinic like Van Wert County Hospital.