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Pomegranates are Red Hot
The latest
hot super fruit that has been found to be good for you is the "pomegranate,”
that awkward little chap with the brown leathery skin. But inside, it’s packed
with little red bursts of flavor.
It was these little jewels inside that gave rise to the pomegranate’s name, from
the French “grenade.” The seeds looked like the filling of a hand grenade known
in Persia since ancient times. Scholars have speculated that it may have been
the pomegranate that Eve ate instead of the apple and it has been revered in
many different cultures since then, both as a symbol and as a medicine.
Although
there is a myth that pomegranates have exactly 613 seeds, the number of seeds
can be anywhere from about two hundred to over seven hundred. It takes about 42
average seeds to make up an ounce.
The anti-oxidant searchlight has now lit upon the pomegranate and the research
is coming in fast and furious as the fruit has moved center stage. However, some
of the research is being funded by the producers of pomegranate juice. While the
first run of results is impressive, there is still a lot more to be done before
the verdict is in. For example, it is said that the main ingredient of the
pressed juice is ellagic acid which the body cannot use. So researchers are
still trying to isolate the magical substances that make “poms” so healthy.
We do know
that pomegranates are rich in flavenoids and polyphenols, higher than tomatoes,
green tea or red wine and absolutely bursting with vitamin C as well as other
important vitamins.
So far there is evidence from the University of California that drinking 8
ounces of pomegranate juice per day significantly cuts down the effects of
prostate cancer in men. It is not known if there was a control group of men
drinking 8 ounces of any other juice, but the pomegranate drinkers did appear to
benefit.
From Israel
comes the research that a daily glass of pomegranate juice can reduce the levels
of LDL which is the "bad" cholesterol whose fat clogs up the arteries which then
leads to heart disease.
The news from Case Western Reserve University is that pomegranates have had a
significant effect on interleukin-1b which is an inflammatory chemical
associated with arthritis. It also had a beneficial counter-effect on certain
destructive enzymes that are responsible for the degeneration of cartilage in
the body. Cartilage cushions the bones from each other. But don’t try this at
home quite yet because the results have only been observed in the laboratory so
far.
All in all it would appear that a daily dose of pomegranate juice is going to be
beneficial to your health. Some people must think so, as sales in one
supermarket chain in England have jumped by 300%. Unless you have a particular
medical condition you are take prescribed medication for, it may be better to
swap pomegranate juice for your orange juice in the morning.
There are other ways to enjoy pomegranates, such as sprinkling fresh pomegranate
on your breakfast cereal or using in a salad. However, sorry to say, although it
sounds good and tastes great, drinking pomegranate vodka or tequila is not
likely to really have any health benefits.
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