Perfection Fresh (Aust)
Royal Pom® pomegranates - discover the goodness of this super fruit
Pomegranates have extraordinary health benefits with medicinal properties in every juicy aril.
Now with Australian-grown Royal Pom® pomegranates available up to six months of the year, consumers are discovering the simple pleasure of eating pomegranates is one of the easiest - and most natural ways to boost health.
Pomegranates are high in polyphenols, some of nature's most effective antioxidants which protect the body against free radicals. They are also a good source of vitamin C, potassium, folic acid and iron. One pomegranate weighing approximately 154g supplies about 439 kilojoules (105 calories).
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.
- Anthocyanins, 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.
