Pomegranate and menopause: A wonderful fruit for women’s health (Part 1).

It’s official: menopause “is not a disease” . Even though some medical experts are keen to warn of the dangers of “over-medicalizing” a life stage, drug treatment of menopause is a reality for many women – particularly in Western countries. Worldwide, however, “most women navigate menopause without the need for medical treatments”,  such as the cocktail of artificial hormones recommended by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellent (NICE) . Perhaps surprisingly, one of the best food-based navigational tools for women during menopause is pomegranate – and here’s why.

Pomegranate and menopause: The evidence in 2024
The state of the current research is outlined in a very recent paper, entitled Pomegranate effects on the health aspects of women during peri- and postmenopause: A systematic review and meta-analysis. We don’t have access to the full-text version, unfortunately, but the conclusions can be summarised as follows:

• Pomegranate can significantly improve the severity of hot flashes and undefined “menopause symptoms”
• Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels are decreased by pomegranate
• Pomegranate improves high-density but not low-density lipoprotein
• Pomegranate improves body mass index (BMI) and weight.

The authors point out that there was a lack of randomized, controlled trial evidence available to include in their review and that sample sizes were small, making it difficult to draw any firm conclusions.  Even so, the totality of the available evidence in 2024 does point to a clear role for pomegranate in managing menopause-related symptoms – which only means that we are catching up with ancient knowledge.

The language of Nature
Pomegranates (Punica granatum) have been cultivated for over 4000 years. The name pomegranate derives from the mediaeval Latin words pōmum (‘apple’) and grānātum (‘seeded’).

It is very interesting to note the similarity between pomegranate seeds and the eggs contained in the female ovary. When we look at the pomegranate fruit more closely, it looks like a female ovary, as shown in the images below. This is yet another example of the ‘doctrine of signatures’ in Nature, when the appearance of a plant offers a clue to its medicinal use.

Many modern women are experiencing menopausal symptoms much earlier than before. Pomegranate can offer natural relief for those who suffer from hormonal changes.

It is not too surprising, then, that pomegranate was a symbol of fertility in many ancient cultures. Looking at a cross-section of the pomegranate seeds and the ovary’s eggs reveals how similar they are.

Ovarian oestrogen exists in pomegranate
If you’re sitting there thinking that the doctrine of signatures can’t be anything more than an old wives’ tale, consider this: pomegranate seeds are a source of oestrone – an oestrogen produced by the ovaries!
Oestrone is one of three types of oestrogen made in the body. The other two types are called oestradiol and oestriol. Oestrone is primarily produced by the ovaries and the adrenal gland and it declines as women enter menopause.
Low levels of oestrogens are associated with osteoporosis, hot flushes, fatigue, loss of libido and depression.

As oestrone is the main oestrogen in postmenopausal women, it is thought that low levels can worsen symptoms associated with menopause, particularly in the case of osteoporosis.
Intriguing as the presence of oestrone in pomegranate may be, the key question at this point becomes: is there any evidence that pomegranate has positive effects for menopausal women? Let’s take a look.

Bone loss and pomegranate
In a 2004 study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, rats which had their ovaries removed suffered from accelerated bone loss, a typical symptom of menopause. When they were fed an extract of pomegranate juice and seeds for 2 weeks, their bone mineral loss normalized.

Improved mood and pomegranate
In the same Japanese study from 2004, the authors used a forced swimming test to examine the effect of pomegranate extract on depression. Apparently, “the behavioral immobility of mice or rats which occurs during forced swimming has been reported to be able to reproduce some aspects of human depression”. Rats given pomegranate extract experienced a shortened immobility time compared with control animals, leading the authors to conclude that pomegranate may be effective for women suffering from low mood during menopause. We have to feel sorry for the rats and point out that, obviously, women are very different from rats – but the results were encouraging all the same. Other studies have provided evidence for the benefits of pomegranate on memory  and mood  among menopausal women and middle-aged adults.

In Part Two of this blog article, we’ll widen our focus slightly to take a look at the role of pomegranate in two health topics related to menopause: cardiovascular health and breast cancer.

The role of pomegranate antioxidants
Hopefully, we’ve convinced you that pomegranates are a potent addition to your diet, especially if you’re a woman approaching menopause – even if the available evidence isn’t rife with gold-standard, placebo-controlled studies. As to why this is the case, the probable answer lies in the phytochemical and antioxidant content of pomegranates.
Believe it or not, the antioxidant potential of pomegranates is actually higher than that of red wine or green tea! This is thanks to the presence of polyphenols such as ellagitannins and hydrolysable tannins. Furthermore, “This fruit is rich in flavonoids, anthocyanins, punicic acid, ellagitannins, alkaloids, fructose, sucrose, glucose, simple organic acids, and other components and has antiatherogenic, antihypertensive, and anti-inflammatory properties.”
No wonder, then, that we at CrystalNutri made it a priority not only to include this health powerhouse in our female-focused Crystal Blessing formula, but also to make pomegranate a proud member of our single-crystal range. All hail the power of pomegranate!

Pomegranate