Perfection Fresh (Aust)

Accredited Australian nutritionist Catherine Saxelby talks pomegranates

With the hype about their incredible antioxidant content, it looks like pomegranates are on their way to becoming the next 'super fruit,' poised to knock over goji and acai.

It's easy to see why they were so prized in days gone by (they were grown in ancient gardens alongside grapes, olives, figs, dates and almonds around the Mediterranean region). They kept well, were easy to transport on a camel train and yielded a refreshing crimson juice that was beautifully sweet counterbalanced with a soft acidity.

Today they are prized for their impressive line-up of different polyphenols (a type of antioxidant), matching some of those found in red wine, some found in berries, tea, cranberries and some grapefruit. For example, there are:

• Punicalagin and punicalin, the two most abundant polyphenols unique to pomegranates, chemically known as hydrolysable tannins.

• Anthocyananins, which give pomegranates their bright pink colour and have been extensively studied in blueberries where they help delay ageing and boost brain power.

• Ellagic acid, also found in berries and dark grapes. These keep arteries flexible.

• Quercetin, kaempferol, catechins and gallic acid, big-name polyphenols from wine and tea with their well-known anti-inflammatory properties.

• Chlorogenic acid, usually in coffee, for healthy liver and gallbladder function.

Pressing the seeds to make juice extracts additional polyphenols from the white membrane surrounding the clusters of seeds (pericarp), so the juice is richer than the fruit on its own. Commercial juices have been reported to have antioxidants such as luteolin and narigenin (like grapefruit). Research confirms that - like wine, tea and blueberries - pomegranates can:

• Limit the oxidation of LDL-cholesterol

• Fight off bacteria and viruses

• Lower blood pressure

• Block the formation of skin tumours

• Protect DNA and nitric oxide from oxidation

• Boost brain power and possibly prevent Alzheimer's

• Possibly improve sperm quality and lower prostate enlargement

Reproduced from http://ginews.blogspot.com. Catherine Saxelby is the author of Nutrition for Life.