The Pomegranate

Pomegranates have health benefits. A pomegranate—the fruit of a semitropical shrub or small tree, Punica granatum, native to Asia— is about the size of an apple or orange. It has a tough, dark-red, yellow or brownish rind; and contains many seeds enclosed in a juicy translucent scarlet-red pulp. The seeds and the pulp are the edible parts of the fruit. The skin is bitter. Used in folk medicine for centuries in the Middle East, India, and Iran, the pomegranate has recently been acclaimed for its health benefits and antioxidant potential. Studies suggest that pomegranate juice may contain almost three times the total antioxidant ability compared with the same quantity of green tea. Pomegranate juice also contains high concentrations of ellagic acid, which is known to inhibit certain carcinogen-induced cancers and may have other chemo-preventive properties.