These days we’re constantly hearing of “superfoods” with all kinds of incredible health benefits. Well, pomegranates and pomegranate juice may be one of the most super.
It’s weird the things that stick with us. Because of a grade school teacher’s fascination with Roman mythology, I will forever link pomegranates with winter. Ceres, the harvest goddess, was a working mom who couldn’t always keep an eye on her daughter Prosperina. Naturally, she got herself whisked away by Hades, god of the underworld. Before she could be rescued, the poor child ate a few pomegranate seeds.
As a punishment, she had to return to the underworld for a corresponding number of months each year. Ceres, understandably distraught, would plunge the world into winter while her daughter was gone. Why eating a few pomegranate seeds should invoke such a punishment was never clearly explained. But every time I see a pomegranate, I think of ancient Rome, Ceres and winter.
Now, though, growing research has me looking at these seed-filled red globes in a whole new light. Apparently, Israeli scientists have been studying the health benefits of pomegranates and pomegranate juice for years, and recently, researchers around the world have joined in. And more than two years ago, NPR was proclaiming it the fruit du jour: “There’s pomegranate juice, vodka, salad dressing, ice cream, salsa, lollipops and gummy bears. You can put pomegranate essence in your hair [conditioning rinse] or on your skin [cream and perfume]. In the last few years, hundreds of new pomegranate products have come on the market.”
So what exactly do pomegranates and their juice do for our health? In clinical studies, the juice has been shown to have significant benefits, especially in fighting heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. It is a natural blood thinner, promoting improved blood flow to the heart. It also has been shown to raise “good” levels of cholesterol and lower “bad” cholesterol.
Ounce for ounce, it has about three times the antioxidants found in green tea and red wine; studies indicate it can be effective in fighting certain forms of cancer, including breast, skin and prostate cancer.
There are also promising preliminary studies showing that pomegranate juice may inhibit cartilege deterioration with osteoarthritis and even improve erectile function.
Good health, more convenient than ever. Fears of being banished to the underworld aside, eating pomegranates on a daily basis is messy and time consuming. Bottled pomegranate juice is a better bet. And leading pomegranate juice maker POM Wonderful has just made it even more convenient. They recently sent me some 8-ounce bottles to try. Besides being cute, they’re handy to stick in a backpack or a briefcase. Because they’re single servings, there’s no need to refrigerate leftovers. That not convenient enough for you? POM Wonderful has just introduced Pomegranate Pills, capsules equal to 8-ounce servings of juice. An interesting idea, but I think I’ll stick with the nicely tart taste of the juice.
For many years (before I got lazy) I used to eat pomegranates one juicy seed at a time. It was one of my favorite treats. Nice to know at least one thing I did back then was actually good for me. Thanks also for the tasty trip down mythology lane. It sure was tough living in those times!
Ronnie Ann
I love pomegranates and do occasionally take the time to pull out all the seeds. If you love the seeds, but want to avoid the mess, Whole Foods sells containers of the seeds when the fruit is in season. I find them in the berry/pre-chopped fruit section.
I do love pomegranates, but they can only be eaten in solitude or with extremely close friends. My last attempt had me holding a bowl of the pomegranates on one side and a spittoon on the other…not cute. But very delicious.
I went to the local quick-mart the other day and while looking in the ice cream freezer noted that they have a line of ice cream which is based on pomegranates. It is much like the cranberry juice mixed with berries, apples, etc to make different combos. I got one of pomegranate with blueberry and it was really quite good. Only place I have ever seen the stuff. The major ingredient is pomegranate juice.
Well, Ronnie Ann, Marianne and Laura, you all make me feel pretty lazy for opting for the juice instead of ripping open an actual pomegranate. On the rare occasions I do so, they are delicious and fun to eat in a messy, interactive way. But somehow, a glass of juice seems a little more practical at work or whatever. And Laura, that’s a great visual with the spittoon.
Dick—That ice cream sounds delicious! And blueberries are another super food. Pomegranate is one of the flavors available at the iCream store I wrote about last week.
We should have invested in pomegranate futures, instead of our 401-k’s! Think how healthy and stress free that would have been for us.
I’ll stick to red wine for pleasure and health benefits. Just too much work with those seeds. And remember the chaos caused in Eden by a simple apple.
I have a very old commercial juice squeezer and for years have used this to get the fresh juice from the pomegranate. Delicious.
It’s always easy to see brilliant investment strategies in hindsight, Shauna.
Yeah, Helmut. For all the supposed benefits of fruits, they have caused some problems, haven’t they?
Dianne M—You’ve been way ahead of the curve!
Pomegranates are to fruit what oysters are to seafood.
A tip to open and peel… do it under water, in a bowl. This prevents squirting juice and helps separate the fruit from the pith; pith floats, arils don’t.
A great substitute for nuts… I make a Walfdorf – type salad, we named “Pomdorf”, where I substitute pomegranate instead of nuts. (My young nephew who has the dreaded nut allergy loves this salad.)
Intoxicatingly healthy … The Pom juice is a favorite cocktail mixer. Vodka+seltzer+Pom+a wedge of lime.
Vodka+Orange juice+Pom, which is also fun as a frozen slushy cocktail on a hot summer day!
Lastly, a few years ago I purchased Pomegranate syrup from Trader Joe’s, but sadly, they stopped carrying it. So now I buy a molasses form from a mideastern food shop. I enjoy it drizzled on a green salad just as is (with no oil).
Sharon—Wow, what a lot of great ideas! I have to admit, the first time I tasted POM Wonderful, I thought of vodka. Pomegranate molasses and syrup are pretty much the same beast, so whichever you can find, they’re both great. If you can’t find either, Jess over at Hungry Mouse recently posted a Pomegranate Molasses recipe. And for those of you wondering what to make with pomegranate molasses, Marion recently made a delicious Roasted Beet Salad with Oranges and Blue Cheese.
Isn’t it just wonderful when something you love turns out to be so good for you! I love the POM pomegranate juice. When I was growing up, we had a pomegranate bush in our back yard and we ate them all the time. They were hard to find in other areas though until a few years ago when they began showing up in some of the high end grocery stores. Now they’re pretty readily available.