Interesting Facts About POMEGRANATES

The pomegranate fruit has taken center stage not only for its taste but for its magnificent health properties. Not only are they rich in heart healthy antioxidants, they also help to keep platelets from clumping together to form dangerous blood clots. Here are some interesting facts about this Fruit :-

1. This sweet fruit with its characteristic tart undertones is one of the oldest fruits in existence. The first records of this fruit date back to 100 B.C. where it's thought to be native to Persia.

2. There are over 760 varieties of pomegranate.

3. The ancient Egyptians believed the pomegranate to be a symbol of fertility and used it in a variety of food preparations.

4. The ancient Romans used pomegranate rinds as a form of leather.

5. A pomegranate tree can grow up to fifteen feet in height and may live for more than one hundred years.

6. Once the pomegranate fruit is picked from the tree it stops ripening but will become more flavorful after being in storage.

7. An entire pomegranate has about one hundred calories and yields a little over a half cup of pomegranate seeds.

8. Pomegranates are a rich source of a strong anti-oxidant class known as punicalagins which are thought to be responsible for the major health benefits of the juice.

9. The antioxidant potential of the pomegranate fruit is thought to be up to three times higher than that of green tea and red wine.

10. There is more scientific research being done on the health benefits of pomegranate than almost any other fruit due to its potential health benefits.

11. The pomegranate fruit was mentioned in the book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament of the Bible.

12. Pomegranates contain about five grams of fiber per serving and are fat free.

13. The city of Granada, Spain is named after the Spanish word for pomegranate, "granada." The city's heraldic device is the pomegranate.

14. Many scholars believe it was a pomegranate rather than an apple that tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

15. In the Qur'an, pomegranates are named as one of the fruits that will grow in the gardens of paradise.

16. In Greece it is traditional to break pomegranates on the ground at weddings and on New Year's.

17. In Japan, the pomegranate plant is often used for bonsai because of the interesting twisted bark some pomegranate plants can attain.

18. Pomegranate season is from September to February in the Northern Hemisphere. This has earned it the nickname "The Jewel of Winter."