A pomegranate is a fruit about the size of an orange with a yellowish shell that turns red with ripening. The husk which is inedible encases jewel-like bright red seeds packed closely together in pale yellow pith. Each seed consists of a core surrounded by an abundant juice sack. The seeds are eaten whole or the juice is extracted.
The fruit is native to Iran and ancient Persian warriors used to eat pomegranates before they went into battle believing it gave them mystical strength. While Middle Eastern cuisines have long adorned their dishes with the seeds and made grenadine with the juice, in the West it has mainly been consumed as a juice until the last few years. Pomegranate is now more widely consumed thanks to it being thought of as a superfood.
Why is Pomegranate a superfood?
Pomegranates are full of vitamins and nutrients required by the body to function properly and stay healthy but it is the anti-oxidants that make this gorgeously red fruit a superfood. Pomegranates contain as much as three times as many anti-oxidants as red wine and green tea and more than any natural foodstuff.
The polyphenols, tannins and anthocyanins which also give the fruit its colour, fight free radicals that can damage DNA and cell membranes and cause diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s. These anti-oxidants clear or keep clean arteries preventing heart disease and lowering blood pressure, thereby reducing the risk of stroke. Studies have shown that drinking 8 oz of pomegranate juice every day can significantly increase the oxygen flow to the heart. These same compounds also reduce dental plaque build up meaning the fruit is good for mouth health.
Pomegranates also contain a compound that fights the enzyme that eats away at cartilage, the cause of arthritis. Additionally, its anti-inflammatory properties can relieve symptoms after the onset on osteoarthritis.
There may be basis in truth in those Persian warriors believing pomegranates gave them additional strength before battle. Research has linked the fruit with increased libido in both men and women and is being touted as a cure for erectile dysfunction.
If you can’t be bothered with the effort involved in extracting the goodness by eating the seeds directly from the fruit itself, they are now available ready to eat from supermarkets or you can drink the juice which because it is still in its natural form still has all the same benefits. Pomegranate juice also comes in blends of other juices such as cranberry and blueberry, both of which are also superfruits.
Food Group: Spices
Nutritional Values: Per 100g
- 83 Calories
- 1g Fat of which 0% is saturated
- 19g Carbohydrates
Nutrients:
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin C
- Fibre
- Folate
- Copper
- Potassium
- Manganese
