by Michele Blacksberg

Created on: February 14, 2009   Last Updated: February 27, 2009

Pomegranates have a "royal" history dating back to ancient times of Babylon. Helen of Troy was thought to use pomegranates to beautify her "face that launched a thousand ships." Babylonian soldiers ate the seeds with the belief that it would increase their strength in battle. Long seen as a symbol of fertility and increased sex drive, some historians feel that the pomegranate, not the apple, was the original forbidden fruit in the bible.

Some of the touted benefits of pomegranates are the result of embellished myths, but today, this unusual looking fruit is the focus of medical studies that substantiate significant health benefits of the pomegranate.

Pomegranate juice is a rich source of vitamins A, C and E. It has a higher antioxidant level than grape, cranberry or grapefruit or orange juice and is three times higher than the content in red wine or green tea. Clinical studies are exploring whether the anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory substances called polyphenols can reduce the incidence of our most common medical problems.

Coronary artery disease:

A decrease in atherosclerosis was reported in patients with coronary artery disease in Clinical Nutrition's Aug. 08 issue. Lipid levels were decreased in diabetics after drinking pomegranate juice for 3 months, documented in Atherosclerosis 2006, without significantly elevating their glucose level.

Cancer:

Reduced incidence of lung cancer has been shown in mice given pomegranate fruit extract at the Carbone Comprehensive cancer center in 2007. Pomegranate extract inhibited prostrate cancer growth in another study at UCLA in 2008.

Arthritis:

Osteoarthritis symptoms are shown to be improved from consumption of pomegranates. Pomegranate extract reduced the inflammatory chemical interleukin and blocked some of the enzymes that degrade cartilage in a Case Western Reserve University study.

Woman's health:

Pomegranate seeds are known to be rich in estrogens and studies have found it may be helpful in reducing bone loss and depression in post menopausal women.

Consuming pomegranate juice is the easiest way to introduce this beneficial elixir to your diet. "Pom" is one of the most popular producers of 100% pomegranate juice without added sugar or other fruit juices. Their website has a wealth of pomegranate information and recipes along with delicious looking pictures of pomegranate garnished delights. There are recipes suitable for every meal as well as cocktails, smoothies and appetizers. The pomegranate ginger muffins look lovely, rice pilaf with pomegranates complements its Mediterranean roots and "Pomegranate, Gouda and Pear Quesadilla with POM Salsa" made my mouth water as it flashed on the screen.

As a child, I remember the first time I ate this unusual looking fruit, marveling at the red robust color as I cut it open to taste the sweet sour juice inside. Hopefully, all those years of consuming pomegranates have boosted my resistance to cardiovascular disease, cancer and menopausal problems.

Now that I have discovered so many ways to prepare pomegranates, I am looking forward to reliving that childhood memory. I wouldn't mind if they made me as beautiful as Helen as well.

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