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Pomegranates
The Ruby-red Superfood
by
Barbara Bowman
Pomegranates
aren’t like apples or bananas. You can’t simply
bite into them or peel back the skin. They are much more
mysterious fruits, with leathery purple skin and spongy
white flesh, revealing their complex interiors once you
break them open to expose seeds covered in juice sacs. These
arils are the only edible parts, and they are what provide
the powerful health punch pomegranates have become known
for. From one fruit, you get more polyphenols—a top
ranked antioxidant—than you would from wine and green
tea, as well as a good amount of potassium, vitamin C, folic
acid and fiber.
Not widely available in the U.S. until 2004, pomegranates
have been popular throughout the Mediterranean and Middle
East since ancient times. The old Egyptians were buried
with the fruit; images of pomegranates were woven onto the
borders of Hebrew priestly robes; and the Babylonians chewed
the seeds before battle in order to make them invincible.
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Most
often, pomegranates are used for juice, but the edible,
sweetly-tart seeds can also be consumed whole and used as
garnish. Dried pomegranate seeds add unique flavors to dishes,
and can be found readily in Pakistani and Indian markets.
Basically, the seeds can be used in anything from appetizers
to desserts. Make them into jellies, use them in salads,
even try them in guacamole or turn the juice into wine.
Health
Benefits:
- High in potassium, vitamin C, folic acid, fiber
and polyphenols
- lowers risk of heart disease by preventing the
formation of plaque
- preserves nitric oxide, a chemical that regulates
blood flow and maintains healthy blood vessel
health
- combats free radicals that may cause stroke,
hypertension and Alzheimer’s disease
- high levels of antioxidants may prevent premature
aging
- polyphenols may slow or even prevent the development
of cancer |
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Taking
out the seeds is not complex. Just slice off the top, cut
the fruit into sections, place in a bowl of water, roll
out the arils and discard the rest. One medium fruit will
yield about one half cup of juice, which can be obtained
by using a basket press or just by using a typical orange
juice squeezer. The seeds can be stored in a plastic bag
in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for months. The
best time to buy nature’s sweet-tarts is September
to January, but even in the off-season, the juice is readily
available in grocery stores as are the arils in the frozen
food section.
An
easy, tasty and healthful Middle-Eastern drink can be made
by mixing the juice of one pomegranate with a squirt of
lemon juice and 1/8 teaspoon of orange blossom water. Mix
with sugar to taste and add sparkling water.
Pomegranate
juice can also be used as an antiseptic on small cuts or
to dye natural fabrics, showing that the only caveat is
that the juice stains clothing permanently. Otherwise, drink
up!
Images
by Pomegranate Council
| P013006 |
(Updated:
01/02/07) |
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