Therapeutic and Nutritional Effects of Pomegranate from the Perspective of Islamic Texts, Traditional and Modern Medicine

Background and Good nutrition is an important part of healthy lifestyle. Guidelines on nutrition are correlated with individual and public health and prevention or treatment of various diseases. Quran that covers all aspects of human life, provides guidance on nutrition too. Pomegranate is mentioned three times in Quran under the name of “Ar-Rumman”. The main aim of this study was to review the Quran and hadith quotes on pomegranate and its participation in traditional medicine, therapeutic effects and possible mechanisms of actions.
Electronic databases including Google scholar, Ovid, PubMed, ISI, and Medline were searched using the following keywords: pomegranate, Holy Quran, nutrition, traditional medicine, and medicinal plants. Relevant studies published until 2015 were identified. Therapeutic effects of pomegranate were extracted from traditional medicine and herbal remedies books such as Makhzan-al-Advia, Tohfeh al-Momenin, Ghanoun fi Alteb, and Al-AbniehAn-Hadaegh Al-Advieh. Islamic hadith and narrations were also collected from Islamic resources like Mostadrekol vasael.
Pomegranate seeds, juice, and peels are rich in beneficial compounds. Pomegranate is a source of antioxidants which potentially prevent cancers (breast, prostate, lung, colon, and skin), cardiovascular diseases, dental plaque and gum diseases, Alzheimer, diabetes, bacterial and viral infection, and other diseases.
Islamic notifications and traditional remedies were found to be consistent with modern scientific findings. This signifies the truth of holy Quran’s scientific miracles and calls for more attention to Quran and its concepts and commentary.