He pomegranate (Punica granatum) grows wild, but also It is grown in orchards, parks and gardens. In fact, it is an easy-care tree that will provide good shade in the garden. It’s a deciduous shrub up to 4 meters high, highly branched and thorny, with shiny, narrow, lanceolate leaves. Blooms from the month of May and The fruits ripen in September.
Originally from North Africa and the Middle East, it was well known to Persians, Egyptians and Israelis, with remains of pomegranates having been found in Egyptian tombs from four millennia ago. For the ancient greeks this fruit was a fertility symbol.
One of his fellow citizens, the doctor Dioscorides, in the first century, already attributed the ability to expel tapewormssince its alkaloids and tannins make it easier for the worm to become paralyzed, lose its attachment to the walls of the intestine and can be eliminated with the feces.
With medicinal purposes are harvested root and trunk bark of the pomegranate tree, in addition to the fruits, the skin, the leaves and flowers.
Medicinal properties of the pomegranate tree
In the pomegranate root bark There is an abundance of tannins, mineral salts and, to a lesser extent, various alkaloids such as peletierines. The rind of the fruits is also rich in tannins, while the grains that make up its interior also contain malic acid.
The pomegranate seeds are refreshing and vitamin and act as mucosal protectors (demulcents).
The root bark, trunk and branches stand out for their power astringent, antidiarrheal and antihemorrhagicand has been traditionally used in summer diarrhea and, in external useabout superficial wounds, mouth wounds and bleeding gums.
However, the most used medicinal application of pomegranate is as a natural resource to get rid of intestinal parasites: pinworms, ascaris and, above all, the tapeworm or tapewormto whom children and the elderly are especially susceptible to infection.
The fruits are astringents and febrifugesconstituting a traditional remedy highly appreciated in respiratory infections diverse. Pomegranates are consumed as a refreshing dessert, and juices, sorbets, liqueurs and liqueurs are made with them. a syrup known as granadillawith a pleasant flavor, also useful in case of respiratory condition.
How pomegranate is used in phytotherapy
The pomegranate is taken in maceration or bark decoction of root, trunk or fruit, in the form of syrup, juice and in decoction for washes, eye drops and rinses.
Gargle with pomegranate for a swollen throat
In case of laryngitis, tonsillitis or pharyngitis, a mouthwash can be made based on the bark of the pomegranate fruit, horsetail and plantain.
How to prepare it: Two tablespoons of the mixture are needed for each glass of water so that it remains concentrated. Boil it for 2 minutes and let it infuse. Gargling will be done in the morning and mid-afternoon.
Precautions
Due to the presence of alkaloids, Ingested pomegranate bark can cause irritation to the gastric mucosa.manifesting with nausea, vomiting and dizziness. Therefore it is contraindicated in case of gastritis and gastroduodenal ulcer and during pregnancy and lactation.
Advisor: J Mª Teixé, herbalist from “El Manantial de Salud”