A pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit-bearing deciduousshrub or small tree growing between five and eight meters tall. The pomegranate is mostly native to the Iranian Plateau and the Himalayas in North Pakistan and Northern India. It has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times, and today, is widely cultivated throughout Iran, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, India,Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Egypt, China, Burma, Saudi Arabia,Israel, the drier parts of southeast Asia, the Mediterraneanregion of Southern Europe, and tropical Africa. Introduced intoLatin America and California by Spanish settlers in 1769, pomegranate is now cultivated in parts of California and Arizonafor juice production.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the fruit is typically in season from September to February. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is in season from March to May.
An ancient fruit, pomegranate is mentioned in Europe as early as the Iron-Age Greek Mythology in the Homeric hymns. Yet, it has still to reach mainstream prominence in the commercial markets of North America and the Western Hemisphere.
Health benefits of pomegranate
Apart from being healthy, pomegranate is delicious too. Pomegranate consists of antioxidant, antiviral and anti-tumour properties. It is said to be a good source of vitamins as it includes vitamin A, C and E as well as folic acid. This fruit consists of three times the antioxidants of wine or green tea. It is said to be the powerhouse of health. Pomegranates are known mostly for curing the problems related to heart and for maintaining effective and healthy blood circulation. Other health benefits include cure of stomach disorders, cancer, dental care, osteoarthritis, anaemia and diabetes.
Health benefits of pomegranates can be extracted by consuming it in several ways. You can take it in the form of a juice or can eat its seeds, syrup, paste, nectar or concentrate. Pomegranates are being traditionally used for clearing the skin and reducing inflammation. Pomegranate’s juice can participate in treatment of a sore throat. According to a research study stated in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, pomegranate being rich in antioxidants can prevent the oxidization of LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol. Pomegranate syrups are useful in treating the cartilage damage and protest the babies from the brain damage during their birth. This is the reason that various advantages of pomegranates have been recorded since years.
