Pomegranate perfection. The health benefits of Pomegranates

Pomegranate! The not so new superfood that everyone’s been talking about. If your thinking of juicing with Pomegranates read on and we’ll try and explain a few of the reasons you should add this unusual but tasty fruit to your diet.

The fruits history

Research shows that the pomegranate hasn’t been cultivated by mankind without reason for more than 5.000 years. In former times the skin and juice were often used as ink as well as dye for oriental carpets. Pomegranates are a wonderful addition to any diet, now available all year round in the UK, A native fruit of Iran Pomegranates are now cultivated in most most of the  Mediterranean, some parts of the United States, Afghanistan, Russia, India, China, and Japan.

Refreshing pomegranate juice is a delicious, refreshing snack! This slightly peculiar fruit has been thought to hold legendary powers for centuries. Persians believe Eve actually ate a pomegranate when 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.

Pomegranate Research

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 incredible discoveries.

First, organic pomegranates are full of antioxidants. These are compounds 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.

anti oxidants 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 the enzymatic activity that breaks down cartilage.

Health Benefits of Organic Pomegranates

• Lower Risk of Heart Disease
• Lower Risk of Cancer, Especially Prostate and Breast
  
• Lessen Symptoms of Diarrhea
  
• Reduce Cholesterol
  
• Control Your Weight
  
• Fight Cell Damage
  
• stimulates type I procollagen synthesis in the skin, helps promote skin repair
• reduces hardening of the arteries
• slows the deterioration of human cartilage

Pomegranates are one of the few fruits where the juice is just as beneficial as the 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 drug interactions.

Pomegranate’s wine-red juice will stain your fingers, clothes, and countertops! Be careful with these.

Anti Ageing

Pomegranate juice is rich in tannins, possesses anti-atherosclerotic properties, has anti-aging effects, and potent anti-oxidative characteristics. As some antioxidants have been shown to reduce blood pressure and increase cardiovascular health.

Pomegranate juice consumption may reduce systolic blood pressure, inhibits serum ACE activity, and is convincingly a heart-healthy fruit. Pomegranate juice consumption inhibits serum angiotensin converting enzyme activity and reduces systolic blood pressure.

How to open a Pomegranate

We love Pomegranates but they can be a little daunting at first because they can be difficult to open. See the following youtube video for a great and mess free way of removing the sedes from your Pomegranates

Juicing pomegranates

Pomegranates are very easy to Juice, you don’t even need a juicer! but to get the most from the juice we would recommend putting the seeds through a masticating or centrifugal juicer although the latter can be quite wasteful with the little seeds.

Break your pomegranate open in like in the youtube video above and feed them into your juicer in the normal way. Pomegranates are great with cooling Cucumber, Fresh Mango, Coconut water or any other fruits and vegetables, you get a great juice yield from a Pomegranate and they also taste great all on their own.