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The Weird Fruit You Need To Eat More Of!
Photo credit: bigstock.com
Everyone knows that fruits are good for you, and most fruits generally “work” the same way: You eat the flesh of the fruit, and you spit out the seeds or you can avoid eating the core. But there is one weird fruit that flips this whole dynamic upside down, and oddly enough, it might just might be the healthiest fruit in the world.
Originating in the Middle East and Mediterranean region, pomegranates are one of the strangest fruits available in stores. The fruit has a magenta color and looks something like a cross between a beet and a tomato. They are somewhat soft, but are not meant to be eaten whole. When cut open, you can see the white, spongey and inedible flesh of the fruit surrounding what we’re really after: The juicy and delicious seeds.
Yes, that’s right, you eat the seeds, not the “meat” of the fruit. The seeds are small and easily swallowed, and are contained within small juicy sacs called arils. A typical pomegranate has around 600 arils, which are separated by a delicate membrane. The juice within these arils has a strong and sweet flavor, and contains all of the nutritional goodies that pomegranates are known for.
To eat a pomegranate, don’t over think it. Just cut them open, scoop out the arils and eat them whole. You do not need to spit out the seeds, they are tiny and pose no health risk. Discard the rest of the fruit.
But what’s the big deal with pomegranates? What are the health benefits?
1. Packed full of vitamins and antioxidants
Everyone knows that vitamins are necessary for a strong immune system, and pomegranates certainly deliver in this department. They are an excellent source of vitamins C and K, and well as B vitamins like folate. Pomegranates are also a great source of fiber. But where pomegranates really shine are the enormous levels of antioxidants they offer.
Oxidative stress from free radical particles left over from breaking down food for energy increases the likelihood of disease, and also contributes to the aging process. Foods that are rich in antioxidants provide our bodies with nutritional ammunition to resist these harmful compounds and reduce the damage they do to our cells. Pomegranates are one of the richest sources of antioxidants in the world.
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