The pomegranate shell that we usually see is a kind of fruit. It used to be more common. Usually, after getting pregnant, the elderly would boil water with pomegranate shells, saying that it can help maintain pregnancy. It is now relatively difficult to find, and many people have stored them by drying them in the past. So, can pomegranate shells really help maintain pregnancy?
Pomegranate shells mainly have the effects of warming the stomach and invigorating the spleen, warming the lungs and stopping cough, and promoting blood circulation and reducing swelling. If you want to use it to maintain pregnancy, you need to understand its specific medicinal properties. Pomegranate shells are commonly used for stomach cold and vomiting, spleen deficiency and diarrhea, chronic dysentery, lung deficiency and cold cough, and ulcers. It is the fruit peel of the pomegranate tree in the Myrtaceae family, which is distributed in Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Taiwan and other places.
Pomegranate shells are tall trees, about 10 meters high. The main trunk is very short and branches a lot. The leaves are opposite; the petioles are 6-8mm long; the leaf blades are leathery, lanceolate or elongated elliptic, 12-25cm long, 3-4.5cm wide, with a long tapering tip and a wide wedge-shaped base. The leaf surface has many transparent small glandular dots, pinnate veins, and 12-16 pairs of lateral veins. The umbel inflorescence is terminal; the pedicels are 1-2cm long; the flowers are white, with a diameter of 3-4cm; the calyx tube is inverted cone-shaped, 8-10mm long, with 4 calyx lobes, semi-circular, 6mm long, 8-9mm wide; there are 4 separate petals, broadly ovoid, about 14mm long; numerous stamens, 2-2.8cm long, anthers 1.5mm long, attached in a cross shape, longitudinally split; inferior ovary, the style is as long as the stamens. The fruit is spherical, with fleshy skin, 3-5cm in diameter, yellow when ripe, and with oil glandular dots. It contains 1-2 seeds, usually with multiple embryos. It flowers from March to April and fruits from May to June.
Pomegranate shells grow in riverbanks and wet river valleys. They are distributed in Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Taiwan, and other places. The shape of the medicinal material pomegranate shells is irregularly curled blocks, 2-3.5cm long and 1-2cm wide. The surface is reddish-brown or brownish, with fine wrinkles; the inner surface is light yellowish-brown. The fruit peel is about 1mm thick, with a dried stigma in the center, 0.5-1cm long; it is brittle when dry and tough when moist. It has a slight aroma and a sweet and slightly astringent taste. It matures in batches in summer. Harvest the ripe fruits, remove the seeds, and dry the fruit peel by sun drying or baking.
Chinese medicine suggests that pomegranate shells can be brewed into tea, but it is better not to consume them randomly during pregnancy. If there are no discomfort symptoms, there is no need to maintain pregnancy, just pay attention to daily care. After all, pomegranate shells are also a type of Chinese herbal medicine, so it is best to avoid taking medicine during pregnancy.
