Pomegranate: Why we should eat more of it
Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit full of nutritional factors – each part of the fruit having a high medicinal value. It can be cultivated in both cold and hot climates, provided there is a good water supply. In Sri Lanka, pomegranate cultivation can be seen mainly in dry zones and it takes six-eight years to get the maximum harvest from a pomegranate tree.
Depending on the conditions, about 300 pomegranates can be plucked from one tree per year. Pomegranate can be stored below 50 0C for about seven months.
Nayana, Daya and Nimali are the Sri Lankan varieties of pomegranate recommended by the Agricultural Department of Sri Lanka in 2001. A new hybrid variety was introduced later by the Kalpitiya Research Centre.
The parts of the fruit can be categorised as : calyx, peel /rind (outer skin), albedo (thick underskin), membrane, aril and seed (aril- the juicy sac covering the seed).
Recent studies have demonstrated the potent anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial effects of pomegranate. Pomegranate has the ability to scavenge free radicals which damage the body cells and also has the ability to prevent lipid peroxidation which leads to cholesterol plaque generation. The compounds contained in pomegranate help to control the inflammatory processes seen in many disease generation processes.
Pomegranate also has anti microbial actions which act against bacteria, fungi and viruses. It prevents bacterial growth and also prevents DNA and RNA replication of viruses. Thus pomegranate has a place in treating infections.
People eat the pomegranate arils, some eat the pomegranate seeds and almost all the people throw away the pomegranate peel. Though the peel has a bitter taste, it is rich in compounds with anti oxidant, anti inflammatory and anti microbial properties. Thus it is better to consume the pomegranate peel without throwing it away. Pomegranate peels can be broken into small pieces then dried and used to make tea or it can be dried and then powdered, mixed with bees’ honey and consumed.
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