Does Depression Have Any Herbal Medicine in Islam? (3)
From the Viewpoint of Medicine
Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit with healing effects on anxiety. Since the minerals of pomegranate juice are combined with organic substances, they are absorbed rapidly, and help healing rickets, anemia, and neurasthenia.
Besides, it strengthens body and can be used in this regard. Nutritionists believe that: “pomegranate purifies blood, produces suitable substances for the body, vitalizes the nerves, relieves nervous tensions, opens skin sweat pores, relaxes bowel, helps urine flow and improves liver function.
It also cures jaundice, spleen disorders, heart palpitations, soothes severe coughs, and relieves voice hoarseness, brightens the face, hydrates body and kills stomach worms”.
Different studies have shown that this fruit contains flavonoids, saponins, and tannins. These compounds may be effective against CNS disorders. Kumar et al. in the study on the effect of prescribing alcoholic extract of pomegranate seed on CNS (central nervous system) in rat, showed that different doses of this extract has anxiolytic effects.
From the Viewpoint of Islamic Texts
The eighth Imam, Imam Reza (AS), says: “feed your children with pomegranate, because it helps them to attain puberty earlier.”
The Messenger (SAW) says: “anyone who eats one complete pomegranate, God brightens his heart for forty nights”. He also says: “eat pomegranate because there is no place for its seeds in stomach, except that it brightens heart and exorcises the devil from heart”.
Imam Ali (AS) says: “it has been considered in any seed of pomegranate which is placed in the stomach, a life for heart, brightness for soul, and the illness (cripple) for the devil which is called “obsession” will be kept away for forty nights .
Imam Sadigh (AS) says: “anyone who eats pomegranate keeps the obsession devil away from himself”.
In this regard, Imam Reza (AS) also says: “suck sour and sweet pomegranate, because it gives you more power and purifies your blood”.