The
pomegranate is a very delicious and semi-seedy fruit. It has refreshing and
soothing qualities and is easier to digest than any other fruit. The fruit has
been held in high esteem from time immemorial as a food and a medicine. It is
symbolic of plenty and a basket of pomegranates was chosen as a symbol of the
18th International Horticultural Congress held in 1970. The pomegranate is a
six-sided fruit of fairly large size, with tough, leathery skin. It is divided
inside into several cells containing numerous angular seeds. These seeds are
surrounded by a succulent coating of pink or crimson color with a delicious
sub-acid flavor. The sweet ruby-pink and the sour varieties are most popular.
Origin and Distribution
The pomegranate
is a native of Iran and Afghanistan. It was grown in the hanging gardens of
Babylon and was known in ancient Egypt. The pomegranate spread early round the Mediterranean
and eastwards to India, China and Japan. In India, it is cultivated mostly around
Pune, in Maharashtra and Dholka in Gujarat and to a limited extent in Uttar
Pradesh.
Pomegranate
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Food
Value
|
Mineral
and Vitamins
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Moisture
|
78.0%
|
Calcium
|
10 mg
|
Protein
|
1.6%
|
Phosphorus
|
70 mg
|
Fat
|
0.1%
|
Iron
|
0.3 mg
|
Minerals
|
0.7%
|
Vitamin C
|
16 mg
|
Fiber
|
5.1%
|
Small amount of
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Carbohydrate
|
14.5%
|
Vitamin B
Complex
|
|
100%
|
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*Values per 100 gms edible portions
|
Calorific Value
- 65
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The
pomegranate has been regarded as a food medicine of great importance. All parts
of the tree, the roots, the reddish brown bark, leaves, flowers, rind and
seeds, have featured in medicine for thousands of years. The medical
authorities of ancient India have described it as a light food and a tonic for
the heart. The ancient medical writers of Arabia regarded it as a fruit which
is good for the inflammation of the stomach and pain of the heart. The sweet
varieties of the fruit are considered a good laxative, while those which are
intermediate between sweet and sour are regarded as valuable in the stomach
inflammations and heart pain.
The juice
from the fresh fruit is an excellent cooling beverage for alleviating thirst in
cases of fevers and sickness. It acts on the liver, heart and kidneys and tones
up their functions. It supplies the required minerals and helps the liver to
preserve vitamin A from the food. It increases the body's resistance against
infections, particularly tuberculosis.
Pomegranate
juice is of great value in digestive disorders. It is an appetizer, a digestive
food item and is useful for patients suffering from colitis and mucous. It binds
the stools and tones up the intestines. A tablespoonful of the juice mixed with
equal quantity of honey can be given with beneficial results in bilious vomiting
i.e. bile containing fluid and nausea, burning in chest due to excessive
secretion of bile, flatulent colic and morning sickness.
Diarrhea and Dysentery
The chief
value of the pomegranate is its astringent properties which cause cells to shrink
and it is a valuable food medicine for diarrhea and dysentery. If the patient
develops weakness on account of profuse and continuous purging, he should be
given repeatedly about 50 ml. of pomegranate juice to drink. This will control
his diarrhea. If the patient passes blood with stools, this will also stop by
the use of fresh pomegran3lte juice. The flower buds are also astringent and
are useful in chronic diarrhea and dysentery, especially of children.
The bark,
both of the root and the stems of pomegranate tree, is well known for its
anthelmintic properties of destroying parasitic worms. The root-bark is,
however, preferred as it contains greater quantity of the alkaloid pumicing
than the stem-bark. This alkaloid is highly toxic to tapeworms. 90 to 180 ml.
of the cold decoction of the bark, preferably fresh bark, should be given three
times at an interval of one hour to an adult. A purgative should be given after
the last dose. The dose for children is 30 to 60 ml. The decoction is also used
for expelling tapeworms.
Fevers
The juice
of the fruit with the addition of a little saffron is useful in fevers to allay
thirst. A sherbet of the ripe fruit is beneficial in the treatment of typhus
gastric and asthmatic fevers. The root bark is also given as a febrifuge
in-i.e. to prevent-fevers.
The skin
of the pomegranate fruit is considered highly beneficial in the treatment of
anal itching. Tli.is nasty discomfort may result from unhygienic habits or from
worm infection. The skin of the fruit should be roasted till it is brittle and
black. It is then powdered. The powder is mixed with a little vegetable oil and
applied over the anus.
Kidney and Bladder Stones
The seeds
of sour and sweet pomegranate are useful as a medicine. A tablespoonful of
seeds, ground into a fine paste can be given along with a cupful of horse-gram
soup to dissolve gravel in kidneys and bladder.
Teeth and Gum Disorder
Powder of
the dry rind mixed with pepper and common salt is applied as a very good
dentifrice-i.e. tooth paste or powder. Its regular application strengthens the
gum, stops bleeding, prevents pyorrhea, cleans the teeth and preserve them for
a long time.
Uses
The
pomegranate is used as a table-fruit. Its juice is regarded as a delicacy and
is made into excellent sherbet and drunk with the addition of water and sugar. It
is also used in preparing syrups, ice-creams, jellies and marmalades. The
pomegranate has a very good keeping quality. It can be kept well for about six months
in cold storage. Its thick rind protects its succulent seeds from much rough
handling.
Precautions
The fruit
should be eaten immediately after they are cut open as the seeds lose their
color quickly. Pipes should not be swallowed while eating the fruit. This is
said to have bad effect in the intestines and may cause appendicitis.
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