A bit of history
The birthplace of this wonderful fruit is considered to be Iran,Afghanistan, Azerbaijan and the states bordering these countries. Over the centuries, many different varieties have been bred. Historically, it has been proven that the pomegranate spread across all continents during the 16th - 17th centuries. In Russia, this fruit can be found in the Caucasus and Crimea. The Greeks considered the fruit a symbol of a happy marriage, and in Central Asia, the pomegranate is a symbol of goodwill and friendship. The fruit got its name "Punica granatum" from the ancient Romans and Greeks. The former called it the Punic apple (since it came from the Punics), while the Greeks called it "grenade", which means "granular".
The composition of a very tasty and useful fruit
The pulp of the fruit contains fructose, malic andcitric acid, rich in micro-, macro- and ultramicroelements, vitamin C, provitamin A, flavonoid pigments and anthocyanins. Fruits collected from the branches can lie until spring, preserving all the useful properties. Pomegranate juice contains 8-10% sugar, and some varieties can boast organic acids (citric, malic), nitrogenous substances, phytoncides, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, phosphorus, manganese. The peel and roots contain alkaloids, the beneficial properties of which consist in a strong antihelminthic effect.
So what are the useful properties of garnet?
The juice was used to relieve pain even before our era.stomach pain. It is also used for colds, sore throats and loss of voice. Another useful property is the ability to increase the hemoglobin content in the blood. The course of treatment is 2 - 4 months. 100 - 200 ml of pomegranate juice is taken before meals 3 times a day. After this, a break of 1 month, and the treatment can be continued again. In this case, you should adhere to a certain diet. Regular consumption of pomegranates reduces blood pressure, but do not forget that this fruit has an astringent effect and sometimes causes constipation. You can also increase the hemoglobin level by drinking 100 ml of a mixture of pomegranate, grapefruit, lemon, carrots, apples, honey and beets 3 times a day before meals. The juice is also used for cosmetic purposes: it whitens the skin of the face, removes age spots, acne and freckles. A mask of pomegranate juice and sour cream is very nutritious and useful. It not only promotes whitening, but also nourishes the skin. One of the beneficial properties of this fruit is its general tonic effect, which affects the digestive system and the absorption of food. In addition, it can be considered a biogenic stimulant for the treatment of pancreatic diseases. Doctors recommend taking juice for gastrointestinal disorders, after operations and infectious diseases as a general tonic. Syrups, refreshing drinks and extracts are prepared from pomegranate nectar. Its beneficial properties have been known to mankind for many centuries. Hippocrates, Avicenna, Galen in their works recommend using pomegranate juice for medicinal purposes: for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, throat, colds, fever, headaches and as an antihelminthic agent. Pomegranate peel contains tannins, which are effective in the treatment of intestinal disorders and tapeworms. And its decoction will help get rid of dandruff and improve hair growth. In case of increased nervousness, restless sleep and depression, it is recommended to add pre-dried peel to tea. Women during menopause can eat not only the pulp, but also the seeds of the fruit, as they contain fatty oils that normalize hormonal processes in the body, have an analgesic effect, reduce blood pressure and relieve irritability. The bark, removed from the roots, has no smell, has an astringent taste, and when the surface of the bark is moistened from the inside with a solution of water and lime, it turns yellow (tannins). Contains such alkaloids as:
- Pelletierin;
- methylisopelletierin;
- isopelletierin;
- pseudopelletterine.
Medicines based on the barkare used as a remedy to help fight tapeworms. This is due to the action of pelletierine, isopelletierine and methylisopelletierine, while pseudopelletierine does not have this effect. The peel of the fruit contains up to 30% tannins, which are used to treat dysentery and intestinal disorders. Folk recipes recommend eating pomegranate together with the peel for bronchitis, inflammation of the colon, colds, malaria, etc. Although the best option would be to take a decoction of the bark of the plant, this should be done very carefully. Strict adherence to dosage is required: no more than 3-4 times a day, a teaspoon, otherwise it may lead to internal bleeding, and alkaloids can cause complete blindness. As a tonic, you can use a decoction of 5 g of peel and 100 ml of water. Take 0.5-4 times a day. 1 tsp. 3 times a day. You can improve the taste by replacing water with syrup, adding a little dry wine. Syrup for removing tapeworm from the body. 50 g of pomegranate seeds are soaked for 6 hours in 400 ml of water, after which the mixture is placed on the stove and boiled until the solution is reduced by half. The decoction is filtered through gauze or a fine sieve and gradually drunk within an hour, preferably in the morning on an empty stomach. After 2-3 hours, take laxatives (castor oil or Glauber's salt).
A few more tasty and useful recipes
A very tasty sauce is made from pomegranate juice.nasharabi, which is one of the best additions to Caucasian dishes. Freshly squeezed juice is poured into a container and boiled down to 3 times the original volume. Then poured into a glass container and cooled. This sauce will give the dish a unique piquancy. Pomegranate sauce with nuts. For 200 ml of pomegranate juice, take 50 g of walnuts, a clove of garlic, a little fresh cilantro and hot chili pepper (to taste). The juice is diluted with cold drinking water (about 0.5 cups). Nuts, peppers, garlic and cilantro are mixed and passed through a meat grinder. The resulting mixture is added to the juice and salted to taste. Uzbek salad of pomegranate and onions. For 2 servings you will need: 1 medium-sized pomegranate, 4 onions, a little salt, fresh dill, parsley and cilantro. Finely chopped onion is placed in a clay bowl and poured with boiling water twice. After that, the onion is placed in a sieve and lightly salted. Ripe pomegranate is peeled. Some of the grains are turned into juice and placed in the refrigerator, and the rest are mixed with onions in a ceramic bowl, where the juice is then added. As a decoration, the salad is sprinkled with chopped herbs. This salad goes well with shashlik or pilaf. An unusual appetizer. You will need 8 eggplants, a small onion, 50 grams of walnuts, half a glass of pomegranate seeds, salt and pepper. Peel the eggplants baked in the oven and chop them, add pepper, salt, chopped onion, walnuts (crushed) and pomegranate seeds. All this is thoroughly mixed. A very tasty and healthy salad is ready. It is best served chilled.
