Pomegranates, being one of the oldest historically recorded fruit, have extensive research about its nutritional and medical advantages. Less so is the research on the dried variety. Usually, pomegranates are red, but when dried it can take any other shade, including pink, but most often white. The name derives from Medieval Latin for apple “pōmum” and seeded “grānātum”. It is native to the Western Himalayan range and the Armenian region of Persia, now known as Iran. The only edible part of the fruit is the arils, i.e. the juicy seed casings of which every fruit can contain up to 1400. They are usually embedded in the pulp of the fruit, so an easy way to get them is to cut the fruit in half and scrape the arils while submerged in water; the heavy arils will sink while the inedible pulp will float.
Being known to the ancients, pomegranate has solidified itself in both history and mythos of man. Some scholars argue that it was the pomegranate, not the apple, which led to the banishment of man from the Garden of Eden. In many cultures around the world, the fruit symbolizes longevity and prosperity, possibly due to the one fruit containing hundreds of juicy, delicious arils. It is also believed to be the cure of many, if not all, diseases. Aptly, there are many sources arguing that the pomegranate is actually the panacea of lore. Modern medical practices have caught up with this. In 2011 alone, there are 32 clinical trials registered with the National Institute of Health to examine the effects of pomegranate extract or juice against a wide variety of diseases such as diabetes, lymphoma, prostate cancer, prostatic hyperplasia, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, rhinovirus infection, and even the common cold.
When pomegranate is dried and preserved, its nutritional contents are concentrated. Dried pomegranates, pound-for-pound, contain nearly five times the amount of energetic calories, over four times the carbohydrate, triple the fiber content, and nearly double the sugars. This makes dried pomegranates one of the best food items to use as a snack in low-fat high-energy diets.
Explore Articles
Benefits Of Dried Pomegranates For Your HeartSeveral studies have suggested that dried pomegranates are healthy for your heart. Daily consumption of the dried fruit can help in normalizing your blood...
Dried Pomegranates in everyday food around the worldDried pomegranates are a health food and have been found time and again to be enriched with vital nutrients. It is mentioned in scriptures...
Dried Pomegranates – Their History, Origin and other such thingsPomegranates is native to the area once known as Armenia and Persia (modern day Iran) and Iraq. The tree can grow between five and...
Enriched Dried PomegranateThe luscious fruit Pomegranate is native to the region of Armenia , Persia named as Iraq nowadays and the western Himalayan range. But now...