Antioxidant Foods: Pomegranate
source:flickr by:joe marinaro
Antioxidant Ingredient Close-Up: Pomegranate Extract
One of the most powerful (and yummy) antioxidants foods is the pomegranate. This lush, seed-bearing fruit provides vitamins C and B5, potassium and, of course, antioxidant polyphenols. Pomegranate juice contains 2,860 ORAC units per 100 grams and is said to rival the antioxidant capabilities of red wine, green tea and wild blueberries . With all of these great benefits, it’s no wonder why skin care companies have started to harness the power of the pomegranate.
So, aside from being a potent skin antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals, what are the benefits of using pomegranate extract skin care products? Take a look below to learn about the protective and anti-aging abilities of pomegranate extract in skin care.
Anti-Aging
Pomegranate extract is proven to boost the skin’s collagen production. Collagen is what gives youthful skin a supple, plump texture and appearance. The loss of collagen is what leads to many visible signs of aging, including fine lines and sagging skin. Pomegranate can also rebuild the skin’s outer layers and protect against the visible effects of oxidation.
In addition to pomegranate extract’s potent collagen-boosting capabilities, some skin care companies, such as Rodial, also use pomegranate ellagic tannin. This pomegranate derivative is supposedly nature’s most potent firming and collagen-enhancing ingredient.
Sun Protection
Using an antioxidant product formulated with pomegranate extract can boost your SPF formulation by up to 20%! This means you may be able to go longer between re-application of your sunscreen products and experience fewer or less severe sunburns.
Cancer
Researchers from the University of Wisconsin claim that pomegranate is a powerful anti-skin cancer ingredient. Before inducing skin tumors, researchers pretreated a percentage of skin samples with pomegranate extract. These pretreated samples showed “substantially reduced tumor incidence.” Since skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, the effects of pomegranate on skin cancer tumors is quite a breakthrough!
With all these proven benefits, plus the possibility of even more unknown benefits, pomegranate extract is definitely an ingredient you’d like to see in your antioxidant skin care regimen.