Pomegranates – a super food fit for the gods
Aside from being the food that bound Persephone to Hades, not much is known locally about the pomegranate.
Which may leave some wondering how it got its own month.
But in a way, it makes sense that November is National Pomegranate Month: At the moment, local stores are running specials on them.
“They’re [pomegranates] are a lot of work, if you ask me,” said Jeremy Meigs, who works in the produce department at Reasor’s and actually knew the myth of Persephone.
“The only part of the fruit that’s edible is the seeds, and they’re awfully hard to cut.
But I understand they’re rich in antioxidants, more so than a lot of other things.”
Meigs is right about pomegranates being good for you.
According to the Web site www.nutraingredients.com, which specializes in breaking news on supplements and nutrition, pomegranate juice has benefits for those suffering from diabetes, prostate cancer, heart disease, arthritis and brain damage in infants.
One of the surprising finds with regard to pomegranate juice is that its sugars bind themselves to unique antioxidants, rather than remaining free-form like many other juices.
According to professor Michael Aviram, of the Rappaport Family Institute for Research in the Medical Sciences and Rambam Medical Center in Israel, this action of sugar binding actually makes the sugars in pomegranate juice protective against hardening of the arteries — one of the symptoms of diabetes and heart disease.
In the United States, more than 20 million people — or 7 percent of the population — suffer from diabetes.
Total costs are thought to be as much as $132 billion, with $92 billion being direct costs from medication, according to 2002 American Diabetes Association figures.
Daniel Franke, of Oasis Health Foods, drinks pomegranate juice, and recommends it for a healthy lifestyle.
“Although I’m not extremely up on what pomegranates are used for in cooking, I do know it’s one of nature’s super foods,” said Franke.
Pomegranate juice is the main ingredient in grenadine, a blood-red, strong, non-alchoholic syrup used to sweeten cocktails — a lot of cocktails.
A visit to The Webtender, an online bartender, reveals grenadine is used in 583 different cocktails, including Michael’s Downfall, Belize Rum Punch, the Purple Problem Solver and a number of the Sex on the Beach drinks.
When asked to compare the flavor of the pomegranate to other fruits such as cherries or cranberries, Franke was at a loss.
While seemingly difficult to prepare, pomegranates — or their seeds — have a number of uses, including pureed glazes, juices, and also a quick, sweet treat.
In the Greek myth of Persephone’s abduction by Hades, lord of the underworld, the pomegranate represents life, regeneration and marriage.
Pomegranates: Nature’s ‘super’ food (Athens Review Online)
By Teddye Snell TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS (TAHLEQUAH, Okla.) TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Aside from being the food that bound Persephone to Hades, not much is known locally about the pomegranate.
technorati tags:pomegranate+juice, pomegranate+extract, superfoods