Pomegranate Super Fruit

Pomegranate Super Fruit – A Worldwide Favorite Fruit

Pomegranate arils, a super fruit rich in vitamin C and other health benefits

Pomegranate Super Fruit is one of the most popular,  nutritionally rich fruit with unique flavor,  taste,  and heath promoting characteristics.  Along with sub-arctic pigmented berries and some tropical exotics such as mango,  it too has novel qualities of functional foods,  often called as “super fruits – Pomegranate Super Fruit”.

Botanically,  it is a small size fruit-bearing deciduous tree belonging within the Lythraceae family,  of genus:  Punica.  The fruit is thought to originate in the Sub-Himalayan range of North India.

World’s best pomegranates are grown in the southern states of Afghanistan in Kandahar,  Balkh,  Helmand and Nimruz provinces.  The scientific name is Punica Granatum,  over 760 varieties and grow best in hot dry climate.

Pomegranate Super Fruit History

This super fruit dates back to 1000 BC have been found in Transcaucasia.  Ancient Egyptions were often buried with pomegranates.  A large, dry pomegranate was found in the tomb of Djehuty,  the butler of Egypt’s Queen Hatshepsut.

Pomegranates are mentioned numerous times in the Bible.  Exodus 28:33-34 says that images of pomegranates should be woven onto the hem of the robe worn by the Hebrew High Priest.  Pomegranate is one of the Seven Spices (shivat haminim) or seven fruits and grains named in the Hebrew Bible as being native to Israel.  Jewish tradition teaches that the pomegranate is a symbol of righteousness because its 613 seeds correspond with the 613 commandments of the Torah.  However;  the number of seeds in a pomegranate varies.

Many scholars believe it was a pomegranate rather than an apple that tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  In the Qur’an, pomegranates are named as one of the fruits that will grow in the gardens of paradise.  In Hinduism, the pomegranate symbolizes prosperity and fertility.

The city of Granada,  Spain is named after the Spanish word for pomegranate,  “granada” and the city’s heraldic device is the pomegranate.  In early English,  the pomegranate was called the “apple of Grenada.”

The English word “pomegranate” comes from the Latin words for apple (“pomum”) and seeded (“granatus”).  In Greek mythology,  Persephone is condemned to spend every winter in the underworld after the god Hades tricks her into eating pomegranate seeds.  A traditional Greek housewarming gift is a pomegranate placed under or near the ikonostasi (home altar) of the house in order to bring good luck,  fertility and abundance.  It is traditional to break pomegranates on the ground at Greek weddings and on New Year’s day.  In Japan, the pomegranate plant is often used for bonsai because of the interesting twisted bark some pomegranate plants can attain.  Every October, the Pomegranate Festival is held in Goychay,  Azerbaijan.  The festival features pomegranate cuisine,  dancing and music.
Pomegranate season is from September to February in the Northern Hemisphere. This has earned it the nickname “The Jewel of Winter.”

Pomegranate Health Benefits

The primary source of pomegranate’s benefits come from its antioxidant content;  particularly ellagitannin compounds like punicalagins and punicalins,  which account for about half of the pomegranate’s antioxidant ability.  It’s also an excellent source of the antioxidant vitamin C, with one pomegranate providing about 40 percent of the daily requirement for this vitamin.  In fact,  according to a 2008 study,  which compared the potency of 10 different polyphenol-rich beverages,  pomegranate juice scored top billing as the most healthy of them all.  Its potency was found to be at least 20 percent greater than any of the other beverages tested,  beating out Concord grape juice,  acai and blueberry juice — three well-known sources of potent antioxidants.  It beat them primarily because it contains the most of every type of antioxidant.

Pomegranates Super Fruit contain three types of antioxidant polyphenols, including tannins,  anthocyanins and ellagic acid,  in significant amounts.  Antioxidants are nature’s way of providing your cells with adequate defense against attack by reactive oxygen species (ROS). 
 
As long as you have these important micronutrients,  your body will be able to resist cellular damage and aging caused by your everyday exposure to pollutants.

If you don’t have an adequate supply of antioxidants to help neutralize free radicals,  then you can be at risk of oxidative stress,  which leads to accelerated tissue and organ damage.  Antioxidants may also help to lower chronic inflammation in your body.

If you’ve never eaten a pomegranate before you may be curious what part is actually edible and what’s not.  If you cut a pomegranate in half,  you’ll find it’s filled with juice-filled seed sacs called arils, there are approximately 600 arils per pomegranate,  separated by thin white and bitter membranes.

Arils are the “jewels” of the pomegranate,  they’re the part to separate and use.  Many people enjoy pomegranates alone as a snack,  although sprinkle the arils over salads or cooked dishes for a burst of flavor.  Inside each aril is a crunchy fiber-rich seed.

How to Remove the Pomegranate Seeds

To easily De-seed a pomegranate, cut it in half and pull lightly apart at the edges. Hold it over a bowl and hit it with a wooden spoon.

This great video below shows you how to do it also.

Pomegranate Super Fruit helps your Mood and Outlook

Research suggests pomegranate does more than just work at the cellular level;  in fact,  some research is showing that the fruit may aid mental and emotional health.  In a study involving both men and women,  pomegranate juice improved outlook and mood,  as well as response to anxiety.

For a beautiful and refreshing salad using this super-fruit,  try our Tabouli Pomegranate Salad.