They’re one of the world’s favorite fruits due to their sweet taste, but pomegranates are special for other reasons too. Eating pomegranate before bed could actually help you sleep, protect you from disease, and boost your immune system.
Disclaimer: You must always consult your doctor before including a new supplement or food into your daily routine as only your doctor can explain any pros or cons that are specific to you. Some supplements & foods may interfere with medications and/or cause allergic reactions.
Pomegranate Before Bed: The Surprising Sleep Aid
Pomegranates have been cultivated since 5000 BC, but what’s captivating is their role as a natural sleep aid. Like blueberries, they contain melatonin, a hormone vital for regulating sleep.
People with insomnia often take melatonin supplements, so consuming pomegranates can naturally aid sleep. Additionally, pomegranates are rich in Vitamin B9 (folate), often deficient in those with sleep disorders.
Boosting folate can enhance sleep quality. Furthermore, pomegranates provide magnesium, which has proven benefits for insomnia relief, sleep efficiency, and anxiety reduction. In essence, eating pomegranates before bed may improve sleep due to their melatonin, magnesium, and folate content.
Eating Pomegranates: What Are the Health Benefits?
This remarkable fruit is also an anti-inflammatory and is loaded with antioxidants. Both are crucial to keeping your health in check and can even reverse the damage done to your body.
The anti-inflammatory nature of pomegranate has been studied before and is important to note as many major diseases like heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s are often linked to chronic inflammation. Therefore incorporating anti-inflammatory foods into your diet – like pomegranate or walnuts – is a no-brainer.
Pomegranate is also a great source of antioxidants. That’s important as antioxidants appear to have a direct effect on sleep quality, as they support the immune system and help promote restfulness at night.
Antioxidant foods also help protect your body and can even reverse the damage that has been done by oxidative stress. Oxidative stress comes about when there’s an imbalance between free radical molecules (which can cause harm) and antioxidants – that imbalance then causes illness and tissue damage. The result can be the development of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, and many others. Therefore eating antioxidant foods – like pomegranate or grapes – should be a priority.
The science has been backed up too. Pomegranates have been seen to reduce gut inflammation, potentially prevent arthritis, could help fight Alzheimer’s, and could even prevent cancer growth.
Pomegranate has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities. Because of that, several studies have shown pomegranate to have a positive effect on health, potentially protect against disease, and boost the immune system.
Pomegranate Before Bed and Overall Health: Incorporating It Into Your Diet
Pomegranates can be found in shops and supermarkets around the world. They are delicious and can be eaten in their natural form, so are easy to incorporate into your diet.
There are many different ways to incorporate pomegranate into your diet too. You can use them as a topping for yogurt, as part of a fruit salad, in a salsa, or just as they are!
What About Side Effects?
If you don’t have a pomegranate allergy then moderate consumption of pomegranate shouldn’t cause any side effects. However eating pomegranates in excess could lead to side effects like bloating, gas, and diarrhea.
As always, we recommend consulting with your doctor if undertaking a diet change, or if you have concerns about how a specific food may interact with any preexisting conditions or medicines.
Final Words
Incorporating pomegranates into your diet, especially before bed, can offer a range of health benefits. From aiding sleep with its melatonin content to providing essential nutrients like folate and magnesium, pomegranates have the potential to improve sleep quality and overall well-being.
Moreover, their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties contribute to disease prevention and immune system support. While pomegranates offer numerous advantages, it’s essential to consume them in moderation and consult your doctor before making significant dietary changes.