Your Newspaper - Your Health

Posted on: September 29, 2006

Juicy Details

Rich in antioxidants and full of intense, tart, sweet flavor, pomegranates can revitalize your menus and your health.

By Bev Bennett
CTW Features

When does eating fruit becoming an event? When it’s a pomegranate, of course. Reaching peak season in the fall during what used to be called an Indian Summer, the once elusive pomegranate was a gustatory occasion.

“I looked forward to pomegranate season every year,” says Pam Holmgren, a spokeswoman for California-based POM Wonderful, the brand behind the widely recognized bottles of pomegranate juice seen in ads and grocery stores all over the U.S.

“I’d open them under running water, save them and put them in salads, soups, oatmeal and yogurt,” Holmgren says. “You can put the juicy sweet seeds in rice pilaf, stuffing and even make a glaze. The seeds are the size of a grape seed, so they don’t stick in your teeth. They provide valuable fiber.”

Among Best Sources of Antioxidants

Pomegranate health benefits offer so much more than taste. The fruit, originally grown in ancient Persia and later moved through Africa and Greece, is among the richest sources of antioxidants, the stuff that staves off cancer, heart disease, the effects of aging and other conditions by neutralizing free radicals, which damage cells and tissues. (The human body does not make enough antioxidants, also found in red wine and green tea, on its own.)

While pomegranates contain vitamin C, a type of antioxidant, they are rich in polyphenols, a particularly potent type of antioxidant. They’re high in folic acid, fiber and potassium.

Among myriad medical studies of pomegranates, researchers have found:

• Pomegranates inhibit cartilage deterioration in people with osteoarthritis, according to the Journal of Nutrition.

• Studies on prostate cancer cells and mice showed that pomegranate slows cancer progression and lowers levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a key indicator of prostate cancer in humans, University of Wisconsin researchers found.

• Pregnant women at risk for premature birth could help their babies avoid low oxygen and brain injuries by drinking pomegranate juice, according to research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Savor the Benefits

The advent of pomegranate juices, teas and smoothies have revolutionized our palates. But there’s so much more than can be done in a culinary sense to gain the flavor and taste benefits of this ancient fruit.

Ellen Martin grew up in the Midwest eating pomegranate arils (the glistening, juicy red meat around the tiny seed) as a family snack while viewing Shakespearean plays on TV. Her dad would peel the leathery red skin off, and separate the arils; today, like Holmgren, she does it under water to reduce staining of the rich red arils.

Now living in Berkeley, Calif., Martin preserves pomegranate arils over six-month periods by storing them in glass containers in151-proof rum.

“You can eat them straight up or sprinkle them on salads, or cook them with lamb, chicken or fish.

Available fresh from October to January, pomegranates and the juice from it can offer versatility and diversity to your menu. Incorporate these recipes to get the full benefits.

For innovative ways to use pomegranates in your next meal, try French Green Beans with Pomegranates, Goat Cheese and Almonds; POM and Balsamic-Glazed Chicken and Stella’s Pomegranate Chutney.

Bev Bennett, a veteran food writer and editor, is the author of "Dinner for Two: A Cookbook for Couples" and "30-Minute Meals for Dummies"