Traditional Medical Uses for Pomegranate
Judaism and Christianity depict pomegranates to symbolize both unity and eternal life. And biblical scholars have long theorized that this "apple with many seeds" is the apple of the biblical Garden of Eden.
Known botanically as Punica granatum, pomegranate is now cultivated in subtropical regions around the world but it's believed to be native to an area ranging from northern Iran through the Himalayas. Pomegranate is a large thorny shrub or a small spiny tree with short-stemmed leathery leaves. In warmer climates, the leaves are evergreen; in climates with cold winters the leaves fall during the colder months.
Nearly all parts of the pomegranate are used in herbal medicine but it's the thick-skinned fruit that gets the most attention. In fact, the name, "pomegranate" comes from the Latin malum granatum meaning "apple with many seeds" and it's these "many seeds" that make up around half of the fruit's mass.
Traditional Herbal Uses for Pomegranate
Nicholas Culpepper used a "strong infusion" of pomegranate to "cure ulcers in the mouth and throat and fasten the teeth". He placed pomegranate under the sign of mercury and used infusions of the bark and fruit to treat excessive bleeding and bacterial infections of the mouth, throat and vagina.
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