Health Topics
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Healthy Living
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January 2012
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| Pomegranate a little sweet,a little tart and a lot healthy! |
| Dr Panchali Moitra |
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Ancient literature mentions pomegranate as a valued Himalayan fruit with unique medicinal properties. Truly a wonder fruit, pomegranate has
a wide array of health promoting nutrients and
disease fighting antioxidants. |
Health benefits
- Clinical studies show that regular consumption of pomegranate helps in bringing down the ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL) levels whilst improving the good cholesterol (HDL) levels.
- Touted to be a blood thinner, pomegranates aid in reducing the heart clogging plaque and promote the flow of blood through the arteries.
- Being rich in Vitamins C, A and E, pomegranate juice alleviates wrinkles, acne and signs of premature ageing. Several beauty formulations use pomegranate seed oil or juice extracts to bestow glowing skin and a blemish free complexion.
- Pomegranates contain much more antioxidant properties (due to abundance of polyphenols such as isoflavones, tannins and anthocyanins) than green tea or red wine and are being studied extensively for their role in fighting breast, skin and prostate cancer.
- A glass of pomegranate juice provides almost half of an adult’s recommended daily dietary allowance (RDA) of Vitamins A and C and 100 per cent RDA of folic acid.
- Its high iron and fibre content qualify it as a remedy for anemia and digestive problems.
- Owing to its high natural sugar content, pomegranate juice tends to be high in calories and makes for a refreshing energy drink, especially for children and athletes. Diabetics and weight loss seekers may also choose pomegranates as a part of an otherwise low sugar diet.
Pomegranate Juice While one may enjoy the delicious juicy pomegranate seeds as a healthy snack or dessert, preparing fresh juice is also quite easy. When none of these three techniques work, that’s when someone-or something-is going to get hurt! So take a deep breath and start over.
Directions:
Break open the pomegranate; separate the seeds from the peel and the inner white membranes and grind the seeds to extract fresh juice.
Alternatively, one can cut the fruit into two halves and squeeze out the juice in a hand held citrus juicer.
The juice can subsequently be strained using a muslin cloth or strainer.
Pomegranate juice usually has a blend of sweet and tart taste and makes for an excellent salad dressing, cocktail mixer, jellies and flavoured ice candies.
Pomegranate Seeds can be paired with split bananas and nuts to make a delicious salad or added to yoghurt and soups.
Dried Seeds (anar daana) are often coarsely crushed and made into chutneys or
powdered and used for gravies. |
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Dr.Panchali Moitra is Nutrition Expert,Weight Management Consultant,Kolkata |
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