by Pat Lunsford

Created on: August 13, 2008   Last Updated: October 30, 2009

Pushing passed green tea, blueberries, and red wine to the top of the healthiest foods list is the powerful pomegranate. Having proved its ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure while cleaning arteries, this bright red fruit has certainly gained popularity.

Pomegranates are rich in Iron, vitamin A, E, and C, and have three times more antioxidants than green tea or red wine. Even though red wine has been found to be a healthy drink in moderation, pomegranate juice provides even more benefits without the side effects of alcohol and the damage it can do to the liver.

According to the latest studies, pomegranates are a natural healing fruit. This study was done in Israel where they learned that pomegranate juice reduced the development of breast cancer in mice and has quickly gained the status of "superfood."

The Centers for Disease Control named pomegranates the "food of the month." This miracle fruit fights heart disease, Alzheimer's, and prostate cancer with 60% more antioxidants than other juices. Therefore, pomegranate juice is more effective in fighting free radicals which cause hypertension, stroke, and heart disease.

The pomegranate is a red, round fruit that comes in a variety of sizes and usually has a good shelf life. The inside if packed with gel-covered seeds which makes it quite unique. While it may appear to have more seeds than juice, one pomegranate can yield a lot of juice. The seeds are pressed to extract the juice which can be purchased in any grocery store, but for the full benefit of this potent fruit, fresh is best.

In the days of Jesus Christ and the apostles, the pomegranate represented fertility because of its many seeds. Early Christians believed they were from the tree of life. Pomegranates hung on the walls of the Jewish temple where the Savior preached.

The "Jesus diet" is a new trend due to Colbert's book, "What Would Jesus Eat?" It is well documented that Jesus drank wine and likely as not, since pomegranates are in many of the biblical paintings, he surely ate pomegranates as well. Even today, pomegranates are used in Christian churches as a symbol of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

In summary, pomegranate juice is heart-healthy and evidently, it's good for just about any kind of health problem. It not only fights existing health problems but helps prevent future ones. They're difficult to eat as you have to scoop out the seeds, suck the juice off them then spit them out. The juice is easier and it really does taste good.

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