Pomegranates: A Tradition of Health
Filed Under Superfood
Pomegranates: A Tradition of Health
The story of the pomegranate is quite interesting in Greek mythology. Persephone, daughter of the earth goddess Demeter, was kidnapped by Hades, the god of the underworld, to become his wife. Demeter was so grief-stricken that the earth was barren and unproductive all the time she was looking for her daughter.
The people were hungry and they appealed to Zeus to bring back the bounty of the earth. Zeus forced Hades to bring back Persephone to her mother. However, it is a rule that when you have eaten or drank in the underworld, you can never go back to the land of the living.
Hades had tricked Persephone into eating pomegranate seeds (the number of seeds she ate depending on who’s telling the story). When Persephone is in the underworld, the earth is unfruitful, but when she is reunited with her mother, the earth bursts into color and life.
Since the ancient times, pomegranate has been a part of the culinary culture of the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Later on, Spanish explorers introduced it to the New World. Today, pomegranate is grown and cultivated in many areas in the world.
Pomegranate has been branded as a superfood. It has high amounts of vitamin C, vitamin B5, potassium, and polyphenols, a type of antioxidant. It also contains phytochemicals including beta-carotene.
A study in Israel has shown that pomegranate juice can help lower the levels of low density lipids (LDL) retention and cut down by nearly half the oxidation of cholesterol. The study also revealed that pomegranate juice has one of the highest levels of antioxidants as compared to red wine and tea.
One of the scientists involved in the research, Professor Michael Aviram said, “Antioxidants can protect us against the oxidative stress in our industrialized world, such as pollution, chemicals, viruses and bacteria, and consequently cardiovascular diseases and cancer.”
Pomegranate has a long line of tradition in mythology and today, it is building another legacy in health and well-being.
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