Have you ever eaten delicious organic pomegranate seeds or drink
refreshing pomegranate juice? What a great tasting and refreshing snack! This
slightly peculiar fruit has held legendary powers for countless centuries.
Persians believe Eve actually ate
a pomegranate she plucked from the tree of
knowledge in the Garden of Eden, not an apple. Ancient Egyptians buried their
dead with pomegranates because they believed it offered eternal life.
This fruit is also featured in mythology and tradition as a
symbol of good tidings. Greeks break open a pomegranate at wedding
celebrations, and the Chinese eat candied pomegranate seeds for good luck.
Current Research into Pomegranates
Researchers are discovering the truth surrounding the
pomegranate’s powers, proving why this exotic fruit has claimed such a fabled
place in cultures throughout the ages. Scientists conducting research on the
many health benefits of pomegranates have made some startling finds.
First, organic pomegranates are full of antioxidants. These are vitamins and
enzymes known for keeping low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol
from oxidizing and causing atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.
Organic pomegranate seeds act a lot like aspirin, keeping blood platelets
from sticking together and forming dangerous
blood clots.
Antioxidants also buffer the effects of
free radical damage to your cells caused by oxidation. Free radicals are produced by functions
within the body and elements outside the body, such as radiation from the sun.
You can’t stop free radical occurrence and oxidation but you can consume foods
that help neutralize their potential damage.
Research also shows that eating
organic pomegranate seeds and drinking pomegranate juice can increase oxygen levels to the heart.
Other studies reveal that, over time,
organic pomegranates might help combat erectile dysfunction. This super fruit might
also reduce the inflammation of arthritis by slowing down the enzymes that
break down cartilage.
How to Eat Organic Pomegranate
The pomegranate is an intricate fruit containing a maze of seeds
inside of inedible flesh that’s covered in a bark-like skin. Still, there is an
easy way to get to all those nutritious,sweet and juicy seeds.
1. Cut
off the crown (you’ll see it) and throw it away or better yet use it for
compost
2. Score
and slice the rind all around, but don’t cut the rind all the way through.
3. Soak
the pomegranate face down in cold water for about ten minutes.
4. While
the pomegranate is still in the bowl of water, break apart the scored rinds,
and remove the seeds from the flesh (the seeds will sink to the bottom of your
bowl).
5. Remove
the rind and membrane from the bowl with a sieve or spoon.
6. Drain
the seeds with a colander and pat dry with a paper towel.
To get the most out
of an organic pomegranate, eat the seeds while they’re at their freshest and
juiciest, and at the peak of their medicinal powers.
Some people suck the
juice out and spit out the seed. It is a personal choice but most of the
beneficial fiber comes from the seed so it is beneficial to eat it. Organic
pomegranate seeds are bursting with a delicious, pleasant, slightly acidic
flavor that has all the sweetness of cranberries without the tartness.
I suggest sprinkling
the seeds on a green salad or a fruit salad for a surprising taste sensation.
You can add them to any recipe that calls for fruit or seeds, too. Pomegranates
are often used in Middle Eastern dishes and make a great cranberry-style sauce.
Organic pomegranate
seeds are also perfectly delicious eaten all by themselves.
Health
Benefits of Organic Pomegranates
Packed
with antioxidants equal to those in green tea and red wine, and especially
loaded with Vitamin C and Potassium, pomegranates are said to help:
o Lower
Risk of Heart Disease
o Lower
Risk of Cancer, Especially Prostate and Breast
o Lessen
Symptoms of Diarrhea
o Reduce
Cholesterol
o Control
Your Weight
o Fight
Cell Damage
Pomegranates are one
of the few fruits whose juice is just as beneficial as its fruit or seeds. The
peel, which you can’t eat, contains the most antioxidants, and they are released
in abundance when the fruit is squeezed for juicing.
Note: Eating
pomegranates might interfere with certain medications in the same way that
grapefruit juice does. Be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist about any drug
interactions.
Pomegranate’s wine-red
juice will stain your fingers, clothes, and countertops! Be careful with these.
-Dr. G.
No comments:
Post a Comment