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What is the pomegranate?
The pomegranate is the edible fruit of the pomegranate, ( P. granatum ), a plant native to the area between Iran and the Himalayan chain (in north-eastern India), today widely spread in Italy as well as in the rest of the temperate bands of 'Eurasia, of Africa, of America and of Australia.
Sweet, acidulous and fragrant, pomegranates have a rather limited edible portion, consisting of a large number of arils - small woody seeds wrapped in a translucent and reddish pulp. The outer casing and internal structures are not edible.
The pomegranates belong to the VII fundamental group of foods - fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C. They also contain a lot of water, a good quantity of fructose, fibers, mineral salts and non-vitaminic antioxidants - for example the phenolic ones. They are relevant in the vast majority of dietary regimes, with few exceptions linked above all to pre-existing diseases - especially with a strong genetic basis. The seeds contain a small part of fats and other compounds, but most of them remain intact during digestion and are expelled with feces.
The pomegranate is eaten mainly shelled and raw, as a dessert or snack. It is however possible to squeeze, centrifuge or extract the juice - see also: Pomegranate juice and Pomegranate juice. Arils are sometimes also used as a topping for desserts or as an ingredient in savory recipes - for example in the first or second courses.
Considered in the past an esoteric, almost magical fruit, endowed with supernatural powers, recently the pomegranate and its antioxidants have been at the center of various scientific researches. Some have even "alluded" to boast anti-cancer properties. If on the one hand it is undeniable that, by virtue of its active ingredients, it can contribute to obstructing oxidative stress, on the other it cannot be considered a direct and effective remedy or preventive system against the onset of tumors.
The tree that produces the pomegranate is also used for other purposes; for example, there are numerous varieties and exclusively ornamental cultivars - called "da flower" or "dwarf". It is however good to keep in mind that the bark of these plants also brings potentially toxic molecules, therefore not desirable and to be avoided.
Very Easy Pomegranate Juice
X Problems with video playback? Reload from YouTube Go to Video Page Go to Video Recipes Section Watch the video on youtubeNutritional Properties
Nutritional properties of the pomegranate
The pomegranate has a lot of affinity with the VII fundamental group of foods - foods rich in vitamin C - even if it does not disappoint the level of retinol equivalents or provitamins A - instead characterizing the VI group.
The pulp of pomegranate arils contains a modest amount of calories, supplied mainly by sugars, followed by proteins and finally by lipids; however, water is the most abundant fraction. Pomegranate glucides tend to be simple / soluble, consisting of fructose, proteins have low biological value and energy lipids are characterized by a prevalence of unsaturated fatty acids on saturated.
The pomegranate does not provide cholesterol, replaced by certain steroidal phytoelements called phytosterols. Lactose, gluten and histamine do not appear either. The purine content is rather low, as is that of the amino acid phenylalanine.
The pomegranate is a source of minerals such as potassium and phosphorus, although not in particularly high quantities, and secondary levels of sodium, magnesium and slightly bioavailable iron are observed; zinc, manganese and copper are present in traces. The pomegranate contains an excellent level of vitamin C or ascorbic acid and a discrete level of provitamin A (retinol equivalent - RAE).
For more information on nutritional detail, see the table in the article: Pomegranate: Nutritional Properties and Use of Fruit, Beneficial Properties and Toxicity.
You can also find useful information in the description: Pomegranate and Health.
Diet
Pomegranate in the diet
Pomegranate lends itself to most diets. In portions and with appropriate frequency, anyone can include it in the diet, with a few exceptions related to the pathological field. More specifically, pomegranate and juice, extract or juice should be limited in nutritional therapy against obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertriglyceridemia.
On the other hand, the concentration of polyphenols and antioxidant vitamins can help to hinder oxidative stress, a decisive aspect in nutritional therapy against various metabolic disorders, such as hypercholesterolemia, the complications of type 2 diabetes and not only.
The abundance of fibers participates in achieving the recommended daily ration, essential for:
- Prevention and treatment of constipation - constipation is related to a greater risk of onset of: hemorrhoids, anal fissures, anal prolapse, diverticulosis, diverticulitis and large intestine cancer
- Modulation of intestinal absorption - reduction of fat absorption, slowing of sugar uptake
- Improvement of the sense of gastric fullness - even if we must not forget that fructose, the prevailing sugar in the pomegranate, represents the least effective glucose in the metabolic stimulus of satiety
- Prebiosis: nutrition of intestinal bacterial flora.
The pomegranate is free of contraindications in celiac disease, in lactose and histamine intolerance; it has no histamine-lowering effect. Even not bringing in purines in abundance, containing a lot of fructose, in case of hyperuricemia it is advisable not to exceed with sweet fruit - the excess of this nutrient can hinder the disposal of uric acid with urine. It also lends itself to nutritional therapy against phenylketonuria.
Rich in water and potassium - alkalizing mineral involved in muscle excitability, with a modulation function on blood pressure - the pomegranate is recommended in the diet of those who must maintain the salt and water balance - above all compromised, for example in case of sweating from high temperatures or motor activity, or in old age, when the stimulus of thirst loses its effectiveness.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a powerful antioxidant, it is also necessary for collagen synthesis and is involved in maintaining the functionality of the immune system. Carotenoids are other powerful antioxidants; moreover, provitamin A plays the role of vitamin precursor of retinol itself (vit A), necessary for the visual, reproductive function, for cellular differentiation and not only.
Pomegranates lend themselves to all vegetarian and vegan diets, and to all religious diets. The average portion is 100-200 g of edible portion.
Kitchen
Pomegranate in the kitchen
The main consumption of pomegranate is raw, as a whole fruit - obviously shelled to separate the edible portion consisting of arils, from the non-edible fibrous one - or in the form of juice, juice or extract; these last forms, for practical reasons, are gaining more and more importance.
In addition to being a snack, a meal or a drink, pomegranate can be a main or secondary ingredient for different recipes. We are not just talking about desserts in which, in addition to being a decoration, it becomes a primary constituent - for example in ice cream - but also in first and second courses.
There are now numerous recipes seasoned with sauces and pomegranate juice squeezed, or sautéed with a knob of butter, whole arils and some exotic spice. Furthermore, like apple, orange, pear, plums, loquats and dried fruit or oil seeds, pomegranates also go perfectly with certain meats, such as game or black meat. Fresh pomegranate arils enhance several fish-based recipes, especially crudités - carpaccio, tartare, oyster leaves etc.
With the pomegranate, various alcoholic beverages can be flavored, either by adding pure alcohol and sugar to the juice, or by infusing the arils into a mixture of syrup and ethyl alcohol or distillates - such as grappa, vodka, gin etc.
Check out Alice's recipes, our personal cooker, in the dedicated area: Pomegranate Recipes.
Pomegranate grappa
X Problems with video playback? Reload from YouTube Go to Video Page Go to Video Recipes Section Watch the video on youtubeBotany
Notes on pomegranate botany
The pomegranate tree, called pomegranate, is a plant - tree or shrub, with deciduous leaves - belonging to the Punicaceae Family, Genus Punica and granatum species. Fruits in the fall.
Originally from the area between Iran and the Himalayan range, today this tree is well present throughout the temperate belt of the planet. It abounds in Eurasia, America, Africa and Australia.
The pomegranate is not only grown for food, but also for ornamental purposes, due to the beauty of the flowers and fruits. For this reason, varieties have been selected that do not produce large pomegranates, but yield a lot during the flowering period, and others that remain small, called dwarf.
Pomegranate trees mostly fear insects like Virachola isocrates and Leptoglossus zonatus . For the rest, the cultivation is rather simple and in Italy, in areas with a temperate climate, it does not require large measures.
