Pomegranates have long been known for their health-promoting properties [1]. Pomegranate seed oil, which is pressed from pomegranate seeds, has been attracting research attention in recent years, because it seems to have a huge number of health benefits.In searching for the active ingredient of pomegranate seed oil, researchers discovered a compound called punicic acid, which is a type of fatty acid. This compound has been shown in studies to have a number of health benefits, particularly for brain health.What are the health benefits of punicic acid? How can you ensure that you’re getting enough of it?
What is Punicic Acid?
Punicic acid is an omega-5 fatty acid that’s found at particularly high levels in pomegranate seed oil. The membranes that surround every cell in your body are made up of fats, and omega-5 fatty acids have been found to make cell membranes more stable [2], which helps to protect the cells. These compounds are also powerful antioxidants, and they’ve been found to act as signaling molecules, which means that they can affect the function of many different types of cells in the body.
Punicic Acid Benefits
Because it can have so many different effects, it’s not surprising that punicic acid has been associated with a huge number of potential health benefits. Research is still ongoing, and more benefits of punicic acid are constantly being discovered. Some of the benefits that have already been shown in multiple scientific studies include:
- Reducing the riskof cognitive decline and dementia [3]
- Reducing chronic inflammation [4]
- Improving insulin sensitivity [5]
- Acting as an antioxidant to help prevent damage to cells [6]
- Promoting a healthy cholesterol balance (higher HDL and lower LDL) [7]
- Reducing the accumulation of fat in the liver [8]
Helping to support a healthy body weight [5]
It’s important to note that the specific formulation of punicic acid is very important. In order for the delicate compound to be absorbed in the digestive tract, travel through the blood, and successfully cross the blood-brain barrier, a nanoparticle formulation of punicic acid is needed. This means that the oil is suspended in extremely tiny droplets, which allows it to cross membranes much more easily. In fact, studies have found that in order for punicic acid to have a protective effect against dementia, it needs to be consumed in a nanoparticle formulation [9].
Is Punicic Acid Safe to Use?
Pomegranates have been consumed for many centuries in some parts of the world without any evidence of toxicity, which points to the safety of punicic acid. However, it’s still important to check for safety scientifically. Both human and animal studies have found that there are no adverse effects of punicic acid when it’s consumed at normal levels [6], meaning that it’s considered to be very safe to use.
When it’s consumed in extremely high amounts (well beyond what would be found in any food or supplement), then it can potentially cause liver damage. However, someone would need to take many times the recommended dose of a supplement to be at risk for this.
Source and Foods of Punicic Acid
Pomegranate seeds are particularly high in punicic acid. In fact, punicic acid is the primary type of fat found in pomegranate seeds – about 65% of the fat in a pomegranate seed is punicic acid.
There are also a few other known sources of punicic acid, including the seeds of the snake gourd and Chinese cucumber (two plants that are related to each other) [6]. In general, if you’re looking to consume punicic acid, this will be difficult to do through your diet, because it’s unlikely that any of the foods you eat on a regular basis have punicic acid in them.
What Oils Are High in Punicic Acid?
Of all known oils, pomegranate seed oil is the highest in punicic acid. Snake gourd seed oil and Chinese cucumber seed oil also both contain a significant amount of punicic acid, although the levels are much lower than what is found in pomegranate seed oil.
Most common cooking oils, like olive oil, coconut oil, and vegetable oil, don’t contain appreciable amounts of punicic acid. This highly beneficial compound is relatively rare in the plant kingdom.
Alternative Way to Get Punicic Acid - Punicic Acid Supplement
To ensure that you’re getting enough punicic acid on a daily basis to get the benefits, taking a supplement is the most reliable way. This will also allow you to get punicic acid in a nanoparticle formulation, so that it’s able to protect your brain.
Tahiro offers two different products with this highly beneficial compound. Both of these use a patent-pending nanoparticle formulation to ensure that the punicic acid is able to enter the brain, where it can exert its many benefits. The omega-5 fatty acidcan be combined either with cinnamon or with hemp oil. Both of these have also been shown to have beneficial effects on brain health, and work together with punicic acid to help support the brain.
