POMEGRANAT
The pomegranate is native to the region of Persia and the Himalayan ranges of India, and has been cultivated in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, North India, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and the Mediterranean region for several millennia.
In Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, there are wild pomegranate groves outside of ancient abandoned settlements. The cultivation of the pomegranate has a long history in Transcaucasia, where decayed remains of pomegranates dating back to 1000 BC have been found. The Kur-Araz lowland is the largest area in this region where pomegranate is cultivated. Carbonized exocarp of the fruit has been identified in Early Bronze Age levels of Jericho, as well as Late Bronze Age levels of Hala Sultan Tekke on Cyprus and Tiryns. A large, dry pomegranate was found in the tomb of Djehuty, the butler of Queen Hatshepsut; Mesopotamian cuneiform records mention pomegranates from the mid-Third millennium BC onwards. It is also extensively grown in South China and in Southeast Asia, whether originally spread along the route of the Silk Road or brought by sea traders. Pomegranate is a small tree up to 5 meter in height. The bark of the pomegranate tree is light brown with red buds and young shoots. The leaves are small, opposite, glossy and almost evergreen. The large and attractive pomegranate flowers are orange-red. The characteristic large pomegranate fruits are crowned with a calyx and contain numerous seeds in juice containing sacs. A pomegranate is about the size of an orange, with a yellowish shell that turns a rich red color as it matures. Inside the inedible husk are individual cells containing seed kernels. Each seed is surrounded by a juice-filled sac, which is pressed out during processing. It is the juice of the pomegranate which interests most cooks and health food enthusiasts.
The main reason many people have become interested in the pomegranate is its antioxidant properties. An average pomegranate contains substantially more antioxidants than even blueberries or oranges. Antioxidants are believed to protect the body's cells from the damaging effects of free radicals found in oxygen. Since straight pomegranate juice can be a challenge to drink, beverage producers may create a more palatable cocktail blend. Chilled pomegranate juice blends can usually be found in health food outlets and grocery stores. Medicinal properties
The pomegranate has been traditionally used as medicines in many countries.
Diarrhoea
Pomegranate juice is a mild astringent, used to treat diarrhoea, and reduces some fevers.
Anti-parasites
The root bark is used to treat intestinal parasites, mainly tapeworm. The alkaloids narcotise the tapeworms so they lose their grip to the intestinal wall and are expelled. These alkaloids are also very toxic so they should not be used for self-medication.
Antioxidant
Pomegranate contains many phytochemicals with antioxidant action, such as ellagic acid. Ellagic acid has anticarcinogenic, antiatherogenic and antifibrosis activity.
SkinWhitening
Studies have shown that ellagic acid can suppress UV-induced skin pigmentation when applied topically or when administered orally. Mineka Yoshimura and colleagues have shown in their study "Inhibitory Effect of an Ellagic Acid-Rich Pomegranate Extract on Tyrosinase Activity and UV-induced Pigmentation" (Bioscience, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, 2005) that pomegranate extract has skin-whitening property. This effect was probably caused by the inhibition of proliferation of melanocytes and melanin synthesis.
Another.....
Pomegranate aril juice provides about 16% of an adult's daily vitamin C requirement per 100 ml serving, and is a good source of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), potassium and antioxidant polyphenols. Pomegranates are listed as high-fiber in some charts of nutritional value. That fiber, however, is entirely contained in the seeds which also supply unsaturated oils. People who choose to discard the seeds forfeit nutritional benefits conveyed by the seed fiber, oils and micronutrients.
The most abundant polyphenols in pomegranate juice are the hydrolyzable tannins called ellagitannins formed when ellagic acid binds with a carbohydrate. Punicalagins are unique pomegranate tannins with scavenging properties in laboratory experiments and with potential human effects. Punicalagins are absorbed into the human body and may have dietary value as free-radicalantioxidants, but conclusive proof of efficacy in humans has not yet been shown. Other phytochemicals include polyphenols catechins, gallocatechins, and anthocyanins such as prodelphinidins, delphinidin, cyanidin, and pelargonidin. The ORAC (antioxidant capacity) of pomegranate juice was measured at 2,860 units per 100 grams.
Many food and dietary supplement makers have found advantages of using pomegranate phenolic extracts as ingredients in their products instead of the juice. One of these extracts is ellagic acid, which may become bioavailable only after parent molecule punicalagins are metabolized. However, ingested ellagic acid from pomegranate juice does not accumulate in the blood in significant quantities and is rapidly excreted. Accordingly, ellagic acid from pomegranate juice does not appear to be biologically important in vivo.
The most abundant polyphenols in pomegranate juice are the hydrolyzable tannins called ellagitannins formed when ellagic acid binds with a carbohydrate. Punicalagins are unique pomegranate tannins with scavenging properties in laboratory experiments and with potential human effects. Punicalagins are absorbed into the human body and may have dietary value as free-radicalantioxidants, but conclusive proof of efficacy in humans has not yet been shown. Other phytochemicals include polyphenols catechins, gallocatechins, and anthocyanins such as prodelphinidins, delphinidin, cyanidin, and pelargonidin. The ORAC (antioxidant capacity) of pomegranate juice was measured at 2,860 units per 100 grams.
Many food and dietary supplement makers have found advantages of using pomegranate phenolic extracts as ingredients in their products instead of the juice. One of these extracts is ellagic acid, which may become bioavailable only after parent molecule punicalagins are metabolized. However, ingested ellagic acid from pomegranate juice does not accumulate in the blood in significant quantities and is rapidly excreted. Accordingly, ellagic acid from pomegranate juice does not appear to be biologically important in vivo.
Drinking pomegranate juice may protect diabetics from developing heart disease, according to a new Israeli study published in the August issue of the journal Atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis a condition in which the walls of the arteries become thickened and hard is associated with roughly 80 percent of all deaths of patients with diabetes. The study conducted by researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology examined the effects of daily consumption of pomegranate juice on the development of atherosclerosis.
The researchers, led by Professor Michael Aviram of the Technion Faculty of Medicine, found that patients who drank 6 ounces of diabeticpomegranate juice every day for 90 days experienced a lower risk of developing atherosclerosis. The study's authors concluded that the juice inhibited the uptake of oxidized "bad" LDL cholesterol by immune cells called macrophages a process that can bring about the development of atherosclerosis.
Though pomegranate juice contains sugars identical to those found in other fruit juices which can increase blood sugar and exacerbate diabetes the sugars found in pomegranate juice did not appear to adversely affect the patients, the researchers found. Though the study was fairly small consisting of only 20 participants it was part of a larger study aimed at proving the beneficial effects of pomegranate juice on cardiovascular diseases and the oxidation of cholesterol.
Previous research has also examined the beneficial antioxidant and anti-atherosclerosis properties of onions, olive oil, licorice and red wine. Pomegranate juice has also been shown in earlier studies to be effective at reducing the risk of prostate cancer and Alzheimer's disease. A type of antioxidant found in pomegranates may account for the fruit's benefit to prostate health, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles and published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Researchers found that antioxidants known as ellagitannins and their metabolites accumulated in the prostates of mice in the laboratory. Then the researchers grafted prostate cancer cells onto mice whose immune systems had been deliberately hampered. They then treated one group of these mice with ellagitannins and their metabolites. The treated mice demonstrated significantly less tumor growth than mice in the control group.
Pomegranates have been shown to be rich in antioxidants, and increased consumption has been correlated with improved cardiovascular health. Claims have also been made that consuming pomegranate can help slow the cartilage loss caused by arthritis while also helping prevent prostate cancer. The same team of researchers previously demonstrated that consumption of pomegranate juice by prostate cancer patients leads to an increased doubling time for prostate specific antigen, a primary indicator of prostate cancer risk. This suggested that the fruit helps slow the growth of cancer, a hypothesis that has been supported by the current study.
Animal and laboratory studies have also suggested that pomegranate juice may also slow the progress of other types of cancer, including breast and lung cancer. The researchers expressed hope that pomegranate may be eventually developed into a cancer treatment, but cautioned that further studies are needed before this can occur. In particular, clinical studies on humans must take place before any treatment can be developed or approved, as the fruit may function differently in the human body than in a mouse or a lab.
The researchers, led by Professor Michael Aviram of the Technion Faculty of Medicine, found that patients who drank 6 ounces of diabeticpomegranate juice every day for 90 days experienced a lower risk of developing atherosclerosis. The study's authors concluded that the juice inhibited the uptake of oxidized "bad" LDL cholesterol by immune cells called macrophages a process that can bring about the development of atherosclerosis.
Though pomegranate juice contains sugars identical to those found in other fruit juices which can increase blood sugar and exacerbate diabetes the sugars found in pomegranate juice did not appear to adversely affect the patients, the researchers found. Though the study was fairly small consisting of only 20 participants it was part of a larger study aimed at proving the beneficial effects of pomegranate juice on cardiovascular diseases and the oxidation of cholesterol.
Previous research has also examined the beneficial antioxidant and anti-atherosclerosis properties of onions, olive oil, licorice and red wine. Pomegranate juice has also been shown in earlier studies to be effective at reducing the risk of prostate cancer and Alzheimer's disease. A type of antioxidant found in pomegranates may account for the fruit's benefit to prostate health, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles and published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Researchers found that antioxidants known as ellagitannins and their metabolites accumulated in the prostates of mice in the laboratory. Then the researchers grafted prostate cancer cells onto mice whose immune systems had been deliberately hampered. They then treated one group of these mice with ellagitannins and their metabolites. The treated mice demonstrated significantly less tumor growth than mice in the control group.
Pomegranates have been shown to be rich in antioxidants, and increased consumption has been correlated with improved cardiovascular health. Claims have also been made that consuming pomegranate can help slow the cartilage loss caused by arthritis while also helping prevent prostate cancer. The same team of researchers previously demonstrated that consumption of pomegranate juice by prostate cancer patients leads to an increased doubling time for prostate specific antigen, a primary indicator of prostate cancer risk. This suggested that the fruit helps slow the growth of cancer, a hypothesis that has been supported by the current study.
Animal and laboratory studies have also suggested that pomegranate juice may also slow the progress of other types of cancer, including breast and lung cancer. The researchers expressed hope that pomegranate may be eventually developed into a cancer treatment, but cautioned that further studies are needed before this can occur. In particular, clinical studies on humans must take place before any treatment can be developed or approved, as the fruit may function differently in the human body than in a mouse or a lab.
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