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Pomegranate nutrition facts

Pomegranate is among the most popular, nutritionally rich fruit with unique flavor, taste, and heath promoting qualities making it a common ingredient in new functional foods often called “super fruits”.

The plant is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree belongs to the family of Lythraceae of genus; Punica.  Scientific name "Punica granatum". It is believed to be originated in the Himalayan range in India. The tree grows to about five and eight meters tall and is being cultivated vastly across Indian sub-continent, Iran, Caucuses and Mediterranean regions for its fruits.

Pomegranate fruit -Punica granatum	Cut section of the fruit with thin whitish membrane envoloping the sacs of arils.

Mature plant bears numerous round, bright-red, purple or orange-yellow colored fruits depending on the cultivar. Each fruit measures about 6-10 cm in diameter and weigh is about 200 gm. Outer skin or rind is tough, leathery in texture.

Interior of the fruit is separated by membranous walls and white, spongy, bitter tissue into compartments; packed in sacs that are filled with edible juicy, red, pink pulp or arils, containing single angular, soft or hard (in over mature fruit) seed.

Pomegranate is one of the most extensively cultivated fruits for food, juice, flavor, and color, making it a common ingredient in new functional foods often called “super-fruits”.

Health benefits of Pomegranate

• The fruit is good in calories and contain no saturated fats; but contain numerous health promoting anti-oxidants, minerals and vitamins.

• It is rich source of soluble and insoluble dietary fibers, providing about 4 g per 100 g (about 12% of RDA), which are known to help regulate the functioning of the digestive system and smoothen constipation conditions. It is therefore, this fruit  is suggested in the diet for weight reduction and cholesterol controlling programs. Regular inclusion of fiber fruits in the diet helps protect from colon cancers.

• Laboratory research suggests, polyphenolic anti-oxidant compound, punicalagin in the pomegranate juice is effective in reducing heart disease risk factors, by scavenging harmful free radicals from the body.

• It is also good source of antioxidant vitamin-C, provides about 17% per 100 g of daily requirement. Consumption of fruits rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful free radicals.

• Regular consumption of pomegranate has also been found to be effective against prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, diabetes, and lymphoma.

• It is also good source of many vital B-complex group of vitamins such as pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5), folates, pyridoxine and vitamin K, and also minerals like calcium, copper, potassium and manganese.

Selection and storage

World’s best pomegranates are grown in eastern and central provinces of Afghanistan. Fruits are ripe when they have developed a distinctive color and make a metallic sound when tapped with the finger. Fruits must be picked before over maturity as they tend to crack open and the seeds become hard and inedible.

In the store, choose pomegranates that have smooth skin that is free from any bruises, cuts or mold. In general, they have long shelf life; can be kept at room temperature for 5-8 days or can also be placed in the refrigerator for several days.

Preparation and serving method

Wash pomegranate fruit in cold water or rinse in tepid water to bring to normal temperature if kept in the cold storage.

To experience its rich flavor, eat fresh fruit all alone without adding anything. Generally, eaten out of hand by making superficial vertical incision on the tough skin and then breaking it apart. Clusters of juice sacs are then lifted out and the white membranes and rinds are separated from the arils. Separating the red arils is simplified by performing this task in a bowl of water, whereby seeds sink and pulp floats, then remove water and gently pat dry seeds.

Arils also make an attractive garnish when sprinkled on various dishes.

Here are some serving tips:

• Fresh Pomegranate fruits are most often consumed as juice.

• Pomegranate juice can be used in a variety of ways to make soups, jellies, sorbets, sauces as well as to flavor cakes, baked apples.

• The juice can also be made into a wine.

• Pomegranate is used in the preparation of traditional Persian recipes such as fesenjan, made from pomegranate juice and ground walnuts, boiled duck or chicken and rice and delicious soup ash-e-anar.

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