Pomegranates are a power food containing a rich amount of Potassium and a fair amount of Vitamin C. The fruit is included among a novel category of exotic plant sources called superfruits. They are grown throughout Asia, the Mediterranean countries and in California.
The juice of the pomegranate contains antioxidants, especially polyphenols. However, pomegranate juice contains antioxidants at much higher levels than other fruit juices. Pomegranates can be eaten as fruit, used as a garnish on sweet and savory dishes or pressed to extract the juice.
The fruit is about the size of a large orange and has a thin, leathery rind or skin that can range in color from deep or purplish-red to pink-blushed yellow. After splitting the hard fruit open, a mass of red seeds in a spongy white membrane is revealed.
Inside the pomegranate are hundreds of seeds packed in compartments that are separated by bitter, cream-colored membranes. Only the seeds, with their sweet-tart flavor and juice-squirting texture, are edible. Each tiny, edible seed is surrounded by a translucent, brilliant-red pulp that has a sparkling sweet-tart flavor.
The Wonderful or Red Wonderful is the most common variety.
Choosing Quality Pomegranates
Choose pomegranates with good color and that feel heavy for their size; avoid those with dry-looking, wrinkled, or cracked rind. Look for a bright, fresh color and blemish-free skin.
Pomegranates will keep at room temperature for two to three days or in the refrigerator for up to three months. The concentrate is available throughout the year. Only the seeds of the fruit bear pomegranate juice.
Health Benefits of Pomegranate
The Pomegranate is a fall fruit containing higher anti-oxidant activity than red wine and green tea. A number of studies have shown this may prevent skin cancer, and kill breast and prostate cancer cells.
Pomegranate seeds contain polyphenols, antioxidants thought to benefit the heart and defend against cancer.
Pomegranate juice contains antioxidants. However, pomegranate juice contains antioxidants at much higher levels than other fruit juices. Antioxidants are thought to provide several heart-protecting benefits, including reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad") cholesterol.
Preliminary evidence suggests that drinking concentrated pomegranate juice may reduce cholesterol. Drinking pomegranate juice daily has been shown to keep the body from absorbing bad cholesterol into immune system cells (a major contributing factor to hardened arteries).
Pomegranate juice is generally safe to drink. Most studies have used a daily dose of 1.5 ounces of pomegranate juice with no significant side effects.
Nutritional Highlights
Potassium: 399
Vitamin C: 9.4
Calories: 105
Protein: 1g
Carbohydrate: 26g
Total Fat: 0g
Fiber: 1g
Availability
In the Northern Hemisphere, the fruit is typically in season from September to January. Pomegranates are shipped ripe and ready to eat.
Many varieties of pomegranate are available throughout the world. They are widely cultivated throughout Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, India, the drier parts of southeast Asia, Peninsular Malaysia, the East Indies, and tropical Africa.
The Pomegranate is grown for ornamentation and for the delicious edible fruit it produces.
The Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 5–8 m tall. It is native to the region from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran to the Himalayas in northern India and has been cultivated and naturalized over the whole Mediterranean region and the Caucasus since ancient times.