Superfood: Pomegranate

Pomegranates have been known in the Mediterranean region for thousands of years where they were valued as delicious fruits that are good for health and beauty.  Since then pomegranates have become so widespread that you can now buy them anywhere. So you can often find them in the fruit and veg sections in any good supermarket, as well as at the weekly market.

Pomegranate as fresh fruit.

If you want to serve these great fruits as a superfood for health and beauty, it’s best to just have them fresh, because they taste best that way and contain all their healthy ingredients that make them a superfood.  Fresh pomegranates are available in Germany from June to December.  You eat the seeds inside. 

Where do pomegranates come from?

Nowadays they are grown in many regions.  So, for instance, areas in central Asia, such as the Caucasus, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, but also Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and China.  Pomegranates are also grown in the Mediteranean, such as Spain, Italy and Greece, as well as in the Arabic and African Mediteranean countries such as Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Israel, Palestine or Anatolia. Pomegranates reached Latin America during colonisation and are now cultivated in these regions.

The healthy ingredients in pomegranate

A pomegranate is a blessing for health and beauty as it contains so many healthy ingredients.  The most important are hydrolysable tannin, anthocyanins, flavonoides and polyphenols, as well as healthy minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium or vitamin C. The oil in the seeds is also very healthy.  They are rich in linoleic acid, palmitic acid and oleic acid.  There is a much higher level of polyphenols in pomegranates than in red wine or blueberries.

Other healthy products that are made from pomegranates.

The fresh fruits are good in fruit salads or in sauces for game or poultry dishes, and pomegranate juice is also good used in cooking.   Pomegranate juice is famously used in grenadine which gives tequila sunrise or other cocktails their red colour. Pomegranate juice is also a good mixer in alcohol-free drinks and not only looks great, but is also healthy.  Pomegranate seed oil is good due to the above-mentioned ingredients.  Pomegranates are also turned into pomegranate wine, which is produced mainly in Armenia and Israel.