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Pomegranate Arils and Wild Salmon: A Match Made In Heaven

Pomegranate Arils and Wild Salmon- A Match Made In Heaven

There are many ways you can use “food as medicine”. I have learned over the years, whether using foods for nourishment or in a therapeutic way, it is very much one in the same. True therapy and nourishment begins with real wholesome foods.The end result is to provide the body with well-balanced foods which support your body in healing itself.

Is it possible to take that up a notch? The answer is YES

Last month I wrote an article about using your foods as a targeted approach to improve your vitality. While individual quality whole foods give the body a powerful kick of nourishment, the foods you combine not only provide a unique synergy of compounds to nourish but, will help to bring the healing response up another notch.

I can’t think of a more beautiful synergy of foods when nourishing both the heart and the brain then Wild Salmon and Pomegranate Arils. Let’s take a look at these foods.

The power Polyphenolic compounds in Pomegranate

According to a paper published in Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy 2002, polyphenols are the most abundant of the 3 classes of antioxidants in the human diet. Known as “reducing agents” and with the help of other dietary agents referred to as antioxidants they “Protect the body’s tissues against stress and associated pathologies”. (1)

Foods that contain these powerful compounds have been extensively studied for supporting cardiovascular and neurological health through their ability to support a healthy inflammation response which, effect a wide range of biomarkers in a positive way. In a research paper titled “Pomegranate for Your Cardiovascular Health,” it was stated “All these antioxidative and anti-atherogenic effects of pomegranate polyphenols were clearly demonstrated in vivo, in humans (healthy subjects, CAS patients, as well as diabetic patients).The preferred pomegranate product in terms of biological potency and consequent health benefits is PJ from the whole fruit”. (2)

Another study showed pomegranates neuroprotective effects against environmental Induced Cytotoxicity and Oxidative Stress in Human Primary Neurons. It was stated “Data shows that PJE can reverse the effect of MPTP on the activities of antioxidant enzymes and attenuate MPTP-induced toxicity” and, “The neuroprotective effects of polyphenols have been associated with their antioxidant and free-radical scavenging, iron/metal chelating ability, as well as their anti-inflammatory properties”. The study concluded that pomegranate “provides protection against the neurotoxic effects of MPTP in human neurons, and the mechanisms of protection may be related to their antioxidant activity and botanical phenolic constituents”.(3)

The Power of Essential Fatty Acids in Wild Salmon

Your dad was right when he told you to eat your fish because it will make you smarter. What your dad didn’t know was that fish like wild salmon which, are high in essential fatty acids (omega 3&6) do a lot more than just make you smarter. Eating fatty fish 1-2 times a week (as suggested in the Mediterranean diet) has been shown to support healthy blood flow, support blood vessel health and a healthy inflammation response (just to name a few).

In one study discussing the importance of diet and blood vessel health, it was stated “ Broader adherence to recommendations for daily intake of fruit, vegetables, fish and fatty acid composition may take away as much as 20-30% of the burden of cardiovascular disease and result in approximately 1 extra life year for a 40-year-old individual. Promotion of a healthy diet should be given more emphasis in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.” (4)

In a review of fish consumption and reduction of cardiovascular disease, it compared fish intake with the use of omega 3 supplements from fish. It was concluded that “Consumption of fish as a source of long chain omega 3 fatty acids has been demonstrated to be superior to the use of n-3 oil supplements, thereby making fish intake the most effective source of long chain omega-3 fatty acids. The level of LCn-3 in circulation and tissue stores is higher after intake of fish than of fish oil supplements. Serum levels of EPA and DHA were demonstrated to be higher after the intake of cooked or smoked salmon (129% rise in EPA and 45% rise in DHA) compared with cod liver oil (CLO) supplements (106% and 25%, respectively) for 8 weeks despite the EPA and DHA dosing of 1.2 g/day as fish and 3 g/day from 15 mL CLO.” (5)

In a review of dietary fatty acids and the aging brain, it was stated: “increasing intake of omega-3 fatty acids including marine long chain omega-3 and DHA in particular, appears to offer some protection against unhealthy brain aging leading to dementia”. (6) Finally in a paper titled “A fish a day, keeps the cardiologist away! – A review of the effect of omega-3 fatty acids in the cardiovascular system” it was concluded, “In view of the potential benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids on CV health, a dietary approach to increasing Omega 3 fatty acid intake is preferable.” (7)

The intent is the guiding light when eating for optimal vitality. Therefore, the foods you put together to nourish and support a healthy healing response should have similar abilities with a wide variety of different mechanisms of action. The Polyphenolic compounds found in Pomegranate and Omega 3 fatty acids found in Wild Salmon are a true match made in heaven.

By

Mike Stuchiner

Master Herbalist

References

1)Tapiero H1, Tew KD, Ba GN, Mathé G. “Polyphenols: do they play a role in the prevention of human pathologies?”. Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy. 2002. Pubmed.gov Sourced 4/10/18

2)Michael Aviram, D.Sc* and Mira Rosenblat, M.Sc. “Pomegranate for Your Cardiovascular Health” 2013, Pubmed.gov Sourced 4/15/18 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3678830/

3)Nady Braidy, 1 Subash Selvaraju, 2 , 3 Musthafa Mohamed Essa, 2 , 3 Ragini Vaishnav, 2 , 4 Samir Al-Adawi, 3 , 4 Abdullah Al-Asmi, 3 , 4 Hamed Al-Senawi, 3 , 4 Ammar Abd Alrahman Alobaidy, 3 , 4 Ritu Lakhtakia, 3 , 4 and Gilles J. Guillemin 5 “Neuroprotective Effects of a Variety of Pomegranate Juice Extracts against MPTP-Induced Cytotoxicity and Oxidative Stress in Human Primary Neurons” 2013 Pubmed.gov Sourced 4/16/18

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3816068/

4)Engelfriet P1, Hoekstra J, Hoogenveen R, Büchner F, van Rossum C, Verschuren M. “Food and vessels: the importance of a healthy diet to prevent cardiovascular disease.” 2010 Pubmed.gov Sourced 4/11/18 https://www.ncbi.nlm. nih.gov/pubmed/19593150

5)Susan K. Raatz,1,2,* Jeffrey T. Silverstein,3 Lisa Jahns,1 and Matthew J. Picklo, Sr.1,4 “Issues of Fish Consumption for Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction” 2013 Pubmed.gov Sourced 4/11/18 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3705336/

6)Greg M. Cole, Ph.D.,1,2 Qiu-Lan Ma, M.D. Ph.D.,1 and Sally A. Frautschy, Ph.D.1,2 “Dietary Fatty Acids and the Aging Brain” 2014 Pubmed.gov Sourced 4/11/18 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4019000/

7)Soumia Peter, Sandeep Chopra,1 and Jubbin J. Jacob. “A fish a day, keeps the cardiologist away! – A review of the effect of omega-3 fatty acids in the cardiovascular system”. 2013. Pubmed.gov Sourced 4/11/18 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3712371/

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