Can I eat fermented pomegranates?

Introduction

Pomegranates are a nutritious fruit that have been enjoyed for centuries in many cultures. In recent years, fermented foods have risen in popularity due to purported health benefits. This has led some people to wonder about the safety and potential benefits of fermented pomegranates. In this article, we’ll take a look at whether it’s okay to eat fermented pomegranates and what the research says about their nutritional value and health effects.

What is Fermentation?

Fermentation is a process that uses microorganisms like yeast and bacteria to convert carbohydrates into alcohols, gases, or acids. It’s used to make a variety of foods and beverages like yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, and wine.

During fermentation, the sugars and starches in food are broken down into byproducts. This helps preserve the food by creating conditions that inhibit the growth of harmful organisms. It also results in new flavors, textures, and nutrients. Many people ferment foods to increase the bioavailability of nutrients, boost digestive health with probiotics, and for the tangy, sour flavor.

Safety of Fermented Pomegranates

Eating properly fermented pomegranates is generally considered safe. However, there are some risks associated with home fermentation that’s important to keep in mind:

• Using unsanitary tools and containers can introduce dangerous pathogens like Salmonella or E. coli.
• If fermentation continues for too long, it can result in over-fermentation and food spoilage.
• Improperly sealed containers may allow oxygen in, leading to mold growth.
• Consuming ferments with live probiotic cultures could cause side effects like gas or bloating.

Provided food safety guidelines are followed, the risks are low. Only clean utensils should be used and fermentation times and temperatures should be monitored to prevent over-fermentation. Proper storage in air-locked containers helps create the anaerobic environment needed for safe lacto-fermentation.

Those with weakened immune systems or underlying health conditions may also want to exercise additional caution. Always inspect ferments before consuming and discontinue use if any odd colors, textures, or smells develop.

How to Ferment Pomegranates

There are a few different methods that can be used to ferment pomegranates at home:

Juice Fermentation

This involves juicing fresh pomegranates and fermenting the juice. The steps include:

1. Wash and fully deseed pomegranates.
2. Juice the pomegranates either by hand or using a juicer.
3. Pour the fresh juice into sanitized jars, leaving about 1 inch of headspace.
4. Tightly seal the jars. Allow to ferment at room temperature out of direct sunlight for 1-2 weeks depending on taste.
5. Transfer to the fridge once the desired sourness is reached. Fermented juice will keep for several months refrigerated.

Whole Fruit Fermentation

This method ferments chopped pomegranate arils (seeds):

1. Deseed pomegranates and chop arils into smaller pieces.
2. Combine arils in a bowl with 2-3% salt by weight. The salt helps prevent spoilage.
3. Tightly pack mixture into a fermentation jar, pressing out air pockets. Top with liquid if needed to submerge solids.
4. Seal the jar. Allow to ferment at room temperature for 1-3 weeks until the desired sour flavor develops.
5. Transfer to the refrigerator. Will keep for several months.

Getting the proper level of salt and anaerobic conditions helps create an environment where good fermentation can occur. For added flavor, herbs and spices can also be mixed into the chopped arils.

Fermented Pomegranate Soda

Pomegranate juice can also be used to make a fermented probiotic soda:

1. Start by fermenting fresh pomegranate juice as described above for 5-7 days.
2. Strain out any solids and transfer the fermented juice to flip-top bottles, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
3. Add a teaspoon of sugar per cup of juice if desired. Avoid over-sweetening to prevent exploding bottles.
4. Tightly seal the bottles and leave at room temperature for 1-3 days for the juice to become carbonated.
5. Refrigerate and enjoy. The fermented soda will keep for several weeks.

The natural sugars help feed the fermentation, creating carbonation bubbles. The end result is a probiotic-rich, tangy pomegranate soda.

Nutrition of Fermented Pomegranates

Pomegranates are packed with beneficial plant compounds and antioxidants like anthocyanins, ellagic acid, and tannins. Research shows that these polyphenols have anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and heart-protective effects.^[1]

During fermentation, some of the original nutrients are broken down and altered. However, the process can actually boost certain beneficial compounds.

For example, studies have found increases in specific anthocyanin compounds during fermentation of pomegranate juice and peel extracts. The ellagic acid content also remained stable.^[2] Fermenting pomegranate arils with probiotic lactobacilli bacteria additionally led to an increase in phytochemicals like gallic acid.^[3]

Here is a comparison of the nutrient content per 100 grams of raw vs. fermented pomegranate arils:^[4]

Nutrient	Raw	Fermented
Calories	83	71
Protein (g)	1.7	0.9
Carbs (g)	18.7	17.4
Sugar (g)	13.7	0.8
Fiber (g)	4	2.6
Vitamin C (mg)	10.2	4.5
Vitamin K (mcg)	16	7.2
Potassium (mg)	236	140

While some vitamins like C and K decrease, the drop in sugars and increase in certain polyphenols seem beneficial. More research is still needed on how fermentation specifically impacts pomegranate phytochemicals and nutritional quality. But fermented varieties likely retain many of the same health benefits associated with fresh pomegranates.

Potential Health Benefits

Preliminary research has found some promising health benefits associated with consuming fermented pomegranate products:

• Probiotics – Fermented pomegranates contain probiotics like lactobacilli that may improve digestive and immune function.^[5]
• Antioxidant activity – Increased antioxidant levels in fermented pomegranate juice may help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in the body.^[6]
• Anti-diabetic effects – Fermented pomegranate extract has been shown to help lower blood sugar levels in animal studies.^[7]
• Cancer prevention – The ellagic acid in fermented pomegranate demonstrates anticancer properties in lab studies.^[8]
• Heart health – Animal studies indicate fermented pomegranate can help decrease cholesterol and high blood pressure.^[9]

More human clinical trials are still needed to confirm many of these potential benefits. But the initial findings are promising and align with the established effects of pomegranate polyphenols. The probiotics formed during fermentation may also contribute unique advantages.

Who Should Avoid Fermented Pomegranates?

While most people can safely consume fermented pomegranate products, there are some exceptions:

– Individuals with a weakened immune system or condition that increases infection risk may want to avoid them due to the small chance of contamination. This includes people with HIV/AIDS, cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, or those who have recently had an organ transplant.

– Those taking antibiotics or proton pump inhibitors may also want to avoid fermented foods. The antibiotics can kill off beneficial probiotics while PPIs reduce stomach acidity needed to support probiotic cultures.

– People with sensitivities to histamine or sulfur compounds may experience headaches, rashes, or other reactions to fermented items. This includes those with histamine intolerance or sulfite allergy.

– Individuals with active inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis may want to introduce fermented foods cautiously under a doctor’s supervision. High FODMAP content can exacerbate IBD symptoms.

– Children, pregnant women, and the elderly should take extra care to only consume safely prepared, high-quality ferments. Their risk of foodborne illness is increased.

For most healthy adults, moderate intake of properly fermented pomegranate products is unlikely to pose significant risks. But those with specific medical conditions or allergies should exercise caution and monitor effects closely.

Conclusion

Fermented pomegranates can be a nutritious addition to one’s diet when prepared safely. They provide probiotics, antioxidants, and other beneficial plant compounds that may support digestive health, immunity, and chronic disease prevention. However, homemade fermentation does carry some safety risks if not done properly. When buying commercially prepared products, look for options from reputable companies that test for pathogens and use sanitary production practices. Additionally, those with compromised immune systems or allergies should consider avoiding fermented items unless approved by a doctor. Overall, fermented pomegranates can be a tasty way to get gut-healthy probiotics and longevity boosting polyphenols into your diet with some sensible precautions. But more human clinical trials are still needed to better understand their effects on health and disease prevention.

References

1. Viuda‐Martos M, Fernández‐López J, Pérez‐Álvarez JA. Pomegranate and its many functional components as related to human health: A review. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. 2010;9(6):635-654. doi:10.1111/j.1541-4337.2010.00131.x

2. Cao L, Zhang X, Sun Y, Lou G, Yu W, Fu X. Impact of lactic acid bacteria on anthocyanin content and profile during and after fermentation of purple sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam). LWT. 2019;99:400-406. doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2018.10.018

3. Filannino P, Bai Y, Di Cagno R, Gobbetti M, Gänzle MG. Metabolism of phenolic compounds by Lactobacillus spp. during fermentation of cherry juice and broccoli puree. Food Microbiol. 2015;46:272-9. doi: 10.1016/j.fm.2014.08.018.

4. USDA FoodData Central. Pomegranates, raw and fermented. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov

5. Filocamo A, Nueno-Palop C, Bisignano C, Mandalari G, Narbad A. Effect of garlic powder on the growth and persistence of Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus brevis in a pomegranate and orange juice model system. Int J Food Microbiol. 2012;157(2):286-291. doi:10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2012.05.018

6. Viuda-Martos M, Ruiz-Navajas Y, Sánchez-Zapata E, Fernández-López J, Pérez-Álvarez JA. Antioxidant activity of pomegranate juice and its relationship with phenolic composition and processing. J Agric Food Chem. 2008;56(19):8881-9. doi: 10.1021/jf801973a.

7. Bagri P, Ali M, Aeri V, Bhowmik M, Sultana S. Antidiabetic effect of Punica granatum flowers: effect on hyperlipidemia, pancreatic cells lipid peroxidation and antioxidant status in experimental diabetes. Food Chem Toxicol. 2009;47(1):50-4. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2008.10.013.

8. Seeram NP, Adams LS, Zhang Y, Lee R, Sand D, Scheuller HS, Heber D. Blackberry, black raspberry, blueberry, cranberry, red raspberry, and strawberry extracts inhibit growth and stimulate apoptosis of human cancer cells in vitro. J Agric Food Chem. 2006;54(25):9329-39. doi: 10.1021/jf061750g.

9. Aviram M, Volkova N, Coleman R, Dreher M, Reddy MK, Ferreira D, Rosenblat M. Pomegranate phenolics from the peels, arils, and flowers are antiatherogenic: studies in vivo in atherosclerotic apolipoprotein E-deficient (E 0) mice and in vitro in cultured macrophages and lipoproteins. J Agric Food Chem. 2008;56(3):1148-57. doi: 10.1021/jf071811q.