London: Scientists have hailed an extract from the humble pomegranate as the "biggest breakthrough" in natural medicine since aspirin was discovered in willow trees in 1829.
They have described it as the "Swiss Army Knife" of natural pharmaceuticals as it can do so many things – from improving heart health, lowering blood pressure, treating inflammation and reducing the risk of cancers to tackling sexual dysfunction, the `Sunday Express` reported.
In fact, this is for the the first time that they have been able to unlock the precious new extract from seeds, skin and pith of the fruit. It contains concentrated punicalagins,
a plant nutrient that is virtually unique to pomegranates.
Punicalagins are mostly found in the fruit`s inedible husk, rind, seeds and inner yellow membranes, which until now we tended to throw away.
Dr Sergio Streitenberger, head of research at ProbelteBio which made the breakthrough, said: "We`ve been throwing away the seeds, skin and the pith of pomegranates for thousands of years because they are inedible and we haven`t had the science to enable us to release the benefits."
Dr Emad Al-Dujaili at Queen Margaret University in the UK claims to have been examining the results of trials. He added: "The pomegranate continues to offer remarkable health benefits.
"This new extract and the research that supports it suggests the fruit may prove to be a very beneficial natural supplement for the prevention of risk factors associated with
serious diseases."
PTI