Today we are aware of the importance of the consumption of fruits and vegetables in our daily diet. The intake of five servings a day of these foods is recommended, since they provide us with essential nutrients that our body needs to perform various types of functions and that, without these nutrients, we could suffer a wide variety of diseases and alterations in our body.
But, in addition to the importance of consuming fruits and vegetables on a daily basis, we can also take advantage of another part of these products that at first may seem of little use and that we throw away without thinking. Surely you have heard that, if possible, it is better to take the skin of fruits and vegetables because it also contains properties, instead of discarding it. But there are certain cases, such as oranges, kiwis, bananas or pomegranates, where this is not possible. Even so, you can also take advantage of the skin of the latter to help your body.
What is pomegranate and what is it for?
Although not a fruit that we usually consume in our day to day, such as apple or banana, surely you have seen it many times. With a hard shell, inside it there are a large number of small red seeds (very similar to the corn kernels that we use in salads), separated by very fine yellow membranes and a part of juice.
Including it in the daily diet brings many benefits to our body. Being a fruit, it contains a large number of essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals that help the proper functioning of our body. It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, so it helps fight certain diseases and increase defenses. Thanks to its high content of antioxidants, it intervenes in the delay of cellular aging and, therefore, in the appearance of wrinkles and skin problems, keeping it hydrated. It also helps in the treatment of digestive diseases such as diarrhea and colic.
But not only the consumption of the seeds it contains is good for health. Its shell, always discarded, also contains properties that benefit our well-being.
Healing properties of pomegranate peel
Like the seeds inside, the shell of the pomegranate also has great medicinal properties, such as the following:
- Anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties: so its use is very common to help fight diseases such as arthritis and osteoarthritis, or more acute pathologies such as a cold or flu, relieving some symptoms such as cough or sore throat.
- Increases defenses: the pomegranate peel also has the ability to improve our immune system, so its consumption is highly recommended, especially if we are sick.
- Antioxidant properties: we must add, as in the case of its content, its high concentration of antioxidants in the shell. These help keep skin well hydrated, less prone to cracking and aging.
- Helps to absorb calcium: On the other hand, it should be mentioned that the pomegranate peel helps in the absorption of calcium, so our bones are benefited.
- Relieves diarrhea: it is also very important to take into account its great benefits when we suffer from diarrhea, since it helps to cut it and improve our intestinal transit.
How to prepare pomegranate peel for consumption
Although it seems complicated to prepare the peel to consume it, it is very simple. There are two ways to benefit from its medicinal properties: in tea and powder.
pomegranate tea
First of all, you can make yourself a pomegranate peel tea.
- First, wash the shell well and put it in a saucepan with 300 ml of water.
- Bring the water to a boil, keeping it for 10 minutes.
- When they have passed, turn off the heat, wait for it to rest a bit and use a strainer so that there is no piece of shell in the tea.
- To get a nice flavor, we recommend that you use a dash of orange juice or pomegranate seeds themselves or even a little honey.
- You can take this infusion once a day, better at night.
How to dry pomegranate peel
Another way, in order not to directly consume the shell, but to be able to use it topically for the skin, adding it to your creams or to your exfoliating gels or homemade masks, is to dry it.
- Put the pomegranate peel to dry in a safe place, where it is slightly exposed to the sun, but not too much, otherwise its properties could be lost.
- When you have lost all the water, you must crush it in a mortar until you get a very fine powder.
- Then you can incorporate it into your cosmetics or in the preparation of homemade masks.
- Always put a pinch, so that the properties of the product to which you add it are also maintained.
