Super food: Pomegranate
We're on to the third week of our Superfood feature, this week it's Pomegranate.
So what just is so special about this fruit and why should you try and eat it at least a couple of times a week?
Well, read on to find out just that and more.
Research has shown that drinking a glass of the fruit's juice daily can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and reduce cholesterol.
They're also a great source of vitamin C, and been found to have the capabilities to fight viruses and cancerous tumour activity.
Pomegranates have been around for thousands of years, and due to their frequent mention throughout the Old Testament of the Bible, many scholars believe it may have been the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden.
The round, leathery fruit is a powerful tool for preventing degenerative and inflammatory based diseases like cancer, heart disease and arthritis.
Thought to be native to Persia, the fruit is now grown everywhere from Spain to California.
It features richly in mythology, as a symbol of birth, eternal life, and death, owing to its abundance of seeds and ability to 'bleed'.
The deep red skin of the pomegranate was thought to link it to the blood of the earth, a taboo colour. Hence the fruit's association with forbidden desire.
How to eat a fresh pomegranate
To prepare one for eating, slice off the top half inch and cut the fruit into wedges. Hold the pom over a bowl of water, and remove the seeds. The inedible white membrane will float to the top while the edible seeds will sink to the bottom.
The juice from the fruit can stain your fingers, so wash your hands after handling the juice and the pulp.
Enjoy a glass of pomegranate juice in the morning and take another to work with you for that mid-morning snack, it's going to be much better for you rather than that chocolate biscuit.
Taryn Davies
Tagged in Health Super Food