WELCOME

~AHLAN WASAHLAN~SELAMAT DATANG~ SYUKRAN JAZILAN~TERIMA KASIH~

Monday, September 27, 2010

Kecewa dalam hubungan seks?

Tidak akan berlaku lagi. Nikmati jus buah yang boleh membangkitkan nafsu syahwat yang penuh berahi. Kajian terkini menunjukkan bahawa pengambilan buah yang menggalakkan nafsu syahwat adalah sangat berkesan. Jus merah yang kaya dengan bijian manis akan membuatkan anda dan pasangan anda gembira disebalik selimut!

Delima adalah Buah Seks

Kajian terkini membuat eksperimen terhadap 53 orang lelaki yang menghidap masalah libido (keinginan seks). Selepas sebulan, hampir 50% daripada pesakit tersebut mengatakan bahawa persembahan seks mereka bertambah baik selepas pengambilan jus delima. Ia menjadi aset tambahan untuk buah tersebut yang sememangnya diketahui dalam mengurangkan risiko serangan jantung dan kanser prostat.

Salah satu kajian yang telah dilakukan di Universiti Southern California pada tahun 2007 terhadap kebangkitan nafsu berahi yang kurang berfungsi atau pesakit yang mandul mendedahkan bahawa 47% lelaki melaporkan ereksi atau kebangkitan nafsu yang bertambah baik dengan penggunaan jus delima, dan hanya 32% untuk placebo

KAMI BARU BERMULA JANUARI 2010. PRODUK IMPORT 100% DARI TURKI

JUICE NATURAL DELIMA




JUICE NATURAL DELIMA hundred percent extraction POMEPURE

Introducing 100% Natural Pomegranate Juice extraction Pomepure

* Without artificial flavors
* Without added water
* Without added sugar
* Without dye
* Without stabilizers


Delima Award from the Garden with the advantages of intense
1. Reduce weight
2. Help stabilize the level of cholesterol
3. Helps lower blood pressure
4. Provide energy and stimulate the mind
5. Reduce the risk of diabetes
6. Protect maternal and infant brain
7. Fight breast cancer
8. Against heart disease
9. Reduce cough and asthma

We require a sales agent. Colony around Malaysia

Pomegranate juice is still new in Malaysia market, Grab this opportunity to leave your message in the email ajih_kufi@yahoo.com
Thank you.
Or contact as at:

FOR OTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

USTAZ FATAHUL AZIZ
0199311274

OUR TARGET

OBJECTIVES
* Building a health & beauty naturally.
* Provide opportunities for better business and more easily to more glorious.
* Strugle & raised the prestige of the MLM industry pure and ethical.


VISION OBJECTIVES

* Build and develop international market.
* Building a distributor / entrepreneurs to achieve financial glory.
* Became a producer and distributor of alternative products that provide significant contributions to the problem of universal health and beauty, without risk or without the side effects of consumers and an affordable price.

MISSION

* Creating a unique marketing plan, easy and profitable.
* Producing quality product alternatives, different from competitors.
* Commitment marketing of high (effective services) for distributors and provide systematic training programs to achieve company objectives.
* Build distributors that have a high leadership capacity and able to compete in the international market .

ADVANTAGE/BENEFIT OF JUICE

Pomepure juice is a rich source of content 'phytochemical' good for the heart and blood vessels in all. It not only lowers cholesterol levels, but also lowers blood pressure and reduce the level of breathing (altherosclerosis). Juice Pomepure also good to prevent breast cancer, bladder cancer glands, intestine cancer, leukimia, and also to avoid changes in heart tumors.

* BECOME to stabilizing LEVEL of CHOLESTROL
* HAVE A HIGHER LEVEL antioxidants
* FIGHTING Heart Disease
* GIVING AND DELIMA stimulate dysfunction
* DELIMA strengthen immune system
* DELIMA reduce the risk of diabetes
* ADMISSION DELIMA prevent HIV-1 AND MICROBICIDE
* DELIMA avoid glands PROSTATE CANCER
* DELIMA FIGHTING Breast Cancer
* DELIMA ASSIST LOW BLOOD PRESSURE
* DELIMA strengthen oral health
* DELIMA prevent Alzheimer's disease (nyanyuk)
* DELIMA protects the brain BABY
* DELIMA Reduce cough and asthma
* FIGHTING DISEASE DELIMA GOUT
* (ALAHAN IBU MENGANDUNG)DELIMA AVOID THE TIME OF DISEASE
* DELIMA to treating skin DIVERSITY AND VITAMIN A, B1, B2, B3, dan C.

PREVIEW

JUICE NATURAL DELIMA

JUICE NATURAL DELIMA hundred percent extraction POMEPURE

Introducing 100% Natural Pomegranate Juice extraction Pomepure

* Without artificial flavors
* Without added water
* Without added sugar
* Without dye
* Without stabilizers


Delima Award from the Garden with the advantages of intense
1. Reduce weight
2. Help stabilize the level of cholesterol
3. Helps lower blood pressure
4. Provide energy and stimulate the mind
5. Reduce the risk of diabetes
6. Protect maternal and infant brain
7. Fight breast cancer
8. Against heart disease
9. Reduce cough and asthma

We require a sales agent. You can increase income while helping others improve their health human.

Pomegranate juice is still new in Malaysia market, Grab this opportunity to leave your message in the email ajih_kufi@yahoo.com
Thank you.
Or contact as at:

FOR OTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

USTAZ FATAHUL AZIZ-019931274
around MALAYSIA

IKLAN UNTUK AHLI BARU

Antara khasiat-khasiat lain yang menunjukkan kebaikan meminumi Jus Delima Asli 100% “POMEPURE” bebas daripada campuran bahan pengawet, perwarna tambahan, pemantap dan pemanis iaitu;

Membantu menstabilkan paras kolestrol
Mempunyai tahap antioksidan yang tinggi
Melawan penyakit Jantung
Memberi dan merangsangkan tenaga Batin
Menguatkan sistem pertahanan badan
Mengurangkan risiko penyakit kencing Manis
Menghalang kemasukan Virus HIV-1 dan Microbicide
Mengelakkan kanser kelenjar Prostate
Melawan kanser Payudara
Mencegah daripada penyakit Alzheimer
Menguatkan kesihatan gigi.
Membantu merendahkan tekanan darah
Melindungi otak bayi dalam kandungan
Mengelak penyakit Awal Pagi (Alahan Ibu Mengandung)
Membersihkan Rahim (khas untuk wanita)
Mencantik dan merawat kulit
Meredakan penyakit batuk dan asthma
Merawat penyakit sendi dan Gout

PELUANG MENJANA PENDAPATAN
DAFTARLAH MENJADI AHLI SEKARANG

anda berhak mendapat :
1 Botol Jus Pomepure 750ml
1 Website Percuma (utk tujuan promosi)
Kit perniagaan (utk tujuan promosi)
Brochures (utk tujuan promosi)
Sticker kereta (utk tujuan promosi)
Borang keahlian (utk tujuan promosi)
Resit Jualan (utk tujuan promosi)

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Sejuta Khasiat Delima

Buahnya bulat hampir sebesar jeruk. Berkulit keras, merah, kecokelatan atau agak ungu. Daging buahnya terdiri dari butiran-butiran merah. Rasanya manis-manis segar.

Delima (punica granatum) adalah tanaman buah-buahan yang berasal dari Iran. Namun ia sudah menyebar di daerah Mediterania. Belakangan juga sudah mudah ditemukan di Asia Tenggara dan RRC bagian selatan. Tanaman ini mudah tumbuh di hampir semua iklim, namun menyebar di dataran rendah sampai ketinggian 1.000 m dpl. Walaupun tak terlalu memilih, tapi delima bisa tumbuh subur di tanah gembur kering.

Dikenal tiga macam delima, yaitu delima putih, delima merah dan delima ungu. Namun yang paling dikenal sebagai pangan dan obat adalah delima merah. Sejak dulu, delima memang sudah dimanfaatkan sebagai penganan yang terkadang diolah menjadi minuman segar. Tak jarang pula diolah menjadi obat penyembuh berbagai penyakit.

Konon, seluruh bagian tumbuhan delima ini bisa dimanfaatkan sebagai obat. Mulai dari kulit kayu, kulit akar, kulit buah, daun, biji dan bunganya. Untuk penggunaan kulit akar, biasanya dikeringkan dahulu. Sementara pengolahan kulit buah bisa langsung dipakai segar atau setelah dikeringkan.

Khasiat delima ini memang luar biasa banyak. Kulit buah digunakan untuk pengobatan sakit perut karena cacingan, buang air besar mengandung darah dan lendir (disentri), diare kronis, perdarahan seperti wasir berdarah, muntah darah, batuk darah, perdarahan rahim, perdarahan rektum, prolaps rektum, radang tenggorok, radang telinga, keputihan (leukorea) dan nyeri lambung.

Kulit akar dan kulit kayu digunakan untuk cacingan, terutama cacing pita (taeniasis), batuk, diare. Bunga digunakan untuk penyembuhan radang gusi, perdarahan, bronkhitis.

Nah, daging buahnya bisa juga dimanfaatkan sebagai penurun berat badan, cacingan, sariawan, tenggorokan sakit, suara parau, tekanan darah tinggi , sering kencing, rematik (artritis), perut kembung. Lalu biji-bijinya juga bisa dipakai sebagai obat penurun demam, batuk, keracunan dan cacingan.

Berdasarkan penelitian, kulit akarnya yang banyak menyimpan senyawa-senyawa alkaloid, antara lain pelletierin. Senyawa ini berguna untuk pengobatan cacingan. Sementara tumbukan buah atau seduhannya berguna untuk menghentikan mencret atau disentri. Lantas, air rebusan bunganya bisa dijadikan alternatif pereda sakit gigi.

Selain alkaloid, dalam kulit akar, kulit batang dan buah, terkandung zat penyamak. Zat ini berkhasiat untuk mengecilkan pori-pori, antiseptik dan hemostatik yang baik untuk keputihan. Begitupun, olahan buah delima sebagai jus membuktikan khasiat yang lainnya.

Jus buah delima dipercaya mampu menangkal penyakit jantung dan meluruhkan penumpukan lemak. Percobaan sudah dilakukan pada tikus-tikus lab. Selain itu, delima mengandung antioksidan yang luar biasa tinggi. Karena itu, ia juga bisa dimanfaatkan untuk menangkis serangan radikal bebas.

Segelas jus buah delima mengandung asam sitrat, asam malat, glukosa, fruktosa, maltosa, vitamin A dan C, mineral (kalsium, fosfor, zat besi, magnesium, natrium dan kalium) dan tanin. Pemanfaatan lain, karena kandungan alkaloid pelletierine sangat toksik dan menyebabkan kelumpuhan cacing pita, cacing gelang dan cacing kremi. Kulit buah dan kulit kayu juga astringen kuat sehingga digunakan untuk pengobatan diare.

Membuat jus delima sangat mudah. Tinggal belah dan ambil bagian biji yang dibungkus daging berselaput. Masukkan daging buah dan biji ini ke dalam juicer atau alat pembuat jus. Setelah itu saring dan jus delima segar siap diminum. Satu buah delima ukuran sedang bisa menghasilkan setengah gelas jus. (berbagai sumber).

Seandainya Anda ingin menyimpan jus untuk pemakaian jangka panjang, bisa disimpan dengan proses tertentu. Caranya, jus dibeklukan dan disimpan dalam wadah kedap udara. Jus bisa disimpan di lemari pendingin dan bisa bertahan sampai beberapa minggu. (berbagai sumber)

Friday, September 24, 2010

POMEGRANATE

B/W sketch
Punica granatum L.
Punicaceae
Common Names: Pomegranate, Granada (Spanish), Grenade (French).

Related Species: Punica proto-punica.

Origin: The pomegranate is native from Iran to the Himalayas in northern India and was cultivated and naturalized over the whole Mediterranean region since ancient times. It is widely cultivated throughout India and the drier parts of southeast Asia, Malaya, the East Indies and tropical Africa. The tree was introduced into California by Spanish settlers in 1769. In this country it is grown for its fruits mainly in the drier parts of California and Arizona.

Adaptation: Pomegranates prefer a semi-arid mild-temperate to subtropical climate and are naturally adapted to regions with cool winters and hot summers. A humid climate adversely affects the formation of fruit. The tree can be severely injured by temperatures below 12° F. In the U. S. pomegranates can be grown outside as far north as southern Utah and Washington, D.C. but seldom set fruit in these areas. The tree adapts well to container culture and will sometimes fruit in a greenhouse.
DESCRIPTION
Growth Habits: The pomegranate is a neat, rounded shrub or small tree that can grow to 20 or 30 ft., but more typically to 12 to 16 ft. in height. Dwarf varieties are also known. It is usually deciduous, but in certain areas the leaves will persist on the tree. The trunk is covered by a red-brown bark which later becomes gray. The branches are stiff, angular and often spiny. There is a strong tendency to sucker from the base. Pomegranates are also long-lived. There are specimens in Europe that are known to be over 200 years of age. The vigor of a pomegranate declines after about 15 years, however.

Foliage: The pomegranate has glossy, leathery leaves that are narrow and lance-shaped.

Flowers: The attractive scarlet, white or variegated flowers are over an inch across and have 5 to 8 crumpled petals and a red, fleshy, tubular calyx which persists on the fruit. The flowers may be solitary or grouped in twos and threes at the ends of the branches. The pomegranate is self-pollinated as well as cross-pollinated by insects. Cross-pollination increases the fruit set. Wind pollination is insignificant.

Fruit: The nearly round, 2-1/2 to 5 in. wide fruit is crowned at the base by the prominent calyx. The tough, leathery skin or rind is typically yellow overlaid with light or deep pink or rich red. The interior is separated by membranous walls and white, spongy, bitter tissue into compartments packed with sacs filled with sweetly acid, juicy, red, pink or whitish pulp or aril. In each sac there is one angular, soft or hard seed. High temperatures are essential during the fruiting period to get the best flavor. The pomegranate may begin to bear in 1 year after planting out, but 2-1/2 to 3 years is more common. Under suitable conditions the fruit should mature some 5 to 7 months after bloom.
CULTURE
Location: Pomegranates should be placed in the sunniest, warmest part of the yard or orchard for the best fruit, although they will grow and flower in part shade. The attractive foliage, flowers and fruits of the pomegranate, as well as its smallish size make it a excellent landscaping plant.

Soil: The pomegranate does best in well-drained ordinary soil, but also thrives on calcareous or acidic loam as well as rock strewn gravel.

Irrigation: Once established, pomegranates can take considerable drought, but for good fruit production they must be irrigated. To establish new plants they should be watered every 2 to 4 weeks during the dry season. The plants are tolerant of moderately saline water and soil conditions.

Fertilizing: In the West, the trees are given 2 to 4-ounce applications of ammonium sulfate or other nitrogen fertilizer the first two springs. After that very little fertilizer is needed, although the plants respond to an annual mulch of rotted manure or other compost.

Pruning: Plants should be cut back when they are about 2 ft. high. From this point allow 4 or 5 shoots to develop, which should be evenly distributed around the stem to keep the plant well balanced. These should start about 1 ft. from the ground, giving a short but well-defined trunk. Any shoots which appear above or below should be removed as should any suckers. Since the fruits are borne only at the tips of new growth, it is recommended that for the first 3 years the branches be judiciously shortened annually to encourage the maximum number of new shoots on all sides, prevent straggly development and achieve a strong well framed plant. After the 3rd year, only suckers and dead branches are removed.

Propagation: The pomegranate can be raised from seed but may not come true. Cuttings root easily and plants from them bear fruit after about 3 years. Twelve to 20 inches long cuttings should be taken in winter from mature, one-year old wood. The leaves should be removed and the cuttings treated with rooting hormone and inserted about two-thirds their length into the soil or into some other warm rooting medium. Plants can also be air-layered but grafting is seldom successful.

Pests and Diseases: Pomegranates are relatively free of most pests and diseases. Minor problems are leaf and fruit spot and foliar damage by white flies, thrips, mealybugs and scale insects. The roots are seldom bothered by gophers but deer will browse on the foliage.

Harvest: The fruits are ripe when they have developed a distinctive color and make a metallic sound when tapped. The fruits must be picked before over maturity when they tend to crack open, particularly when rained on. The pomegranate is equal to the apple in having a long storage life. It is best maintained at a temperature of 32° to 41° F. and can be kept for a period of 7 months within this temperature range and at 80 to 85% relative humidity without shrinking or spoiling. The fruits improve in storage, becoming juicier and more flavorful.

The fruit can be eaten out of hand by deeply scoring several times vertically and then breaking it apart. The clusters of juice sacs are then lifted out and eaten. The sacs also make an attractive garnish when sprinkled on various dishes. Pomegranate fruits are most often consumed as juice and can be juiced is several ways. The sacs can be removed and put through a basket press or the juice can be extracted by reaming the halved fruits on an ordinary orange juice squeezer. Another approach starts with warming the fruit slightly and rolling it between the hands to soften the interior. A hole is then cut in the stem end which is placed on a glass to let the juice run out, squeezing the fruit from time to time to get all the juice. The juice can be used in a variety of of ways: as a fresh juice, to make jellies, sorbets or cold or hot sauces as well as to flavor cakes, baked apples, etc. Pomegranate syrup is sold commercially as grenadine. The juice can also be made into a wine.

Commercial Potential: The primary commercial growing regions of the world are the Near East, India and surrounding countries and southern Europe. In California commercial cultivation is centered in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Consumer demand in this country is not great. More pomegranate fruits probably wind up as decorations in fruit bowls than are consumed.
CULTIVARS

Balegal
Originated in San Diego, Calif. Selected by Paul H. Thomson. Large, roundish fruit, 3 inches in diameter. Somewhat larger than Fleshman. Skin pale pink, lighter then Fleshman. Flesh slightly darker than Fleshman, very sweet.
Cloud
From the Univ. of Calif., Davis pomegranate collection. Medium-sized fruit with a green-red color. Juice sweet and white.
Crab
From the Univ. of Calif., Davis pomegranate collection. Large fruit have red juice that is tart but with a rich flavor. A heavy bearing tree.
Early Wonderful
Large, deep-red, thin-skinned, delicious fruit. Ripens about 2 weeks ahead of Wonderful. Medium-sized bush with large, orange-red fertile flowers. Blooms late, very productive.
Fleshman
Originated in Fallbrook, Calif. Selected by Paul H. Thomson. Large, roundish fruit, about 3 inches in diameter, pink outside and in. Very sweet flavor, seeds relatively soft, quality very good.
Francis
Originated in Jamaica via Florida. Large, sweet, split-resistant fruit. Prolific producer.
Granada
Originated in Lindsay, Calif. Introduced in 1966. Bud mutation of Wonderful. Fruit resembles Wonderful, but displays a red crown while in the green state, darker red in color and less tart. Ripens one month earlier than Wonderful. Flowers also deeper red. Tree identical to Wonderful.
Green Globe
Originated in Camarillo, Calif. Selected by John Chater. Large, sweet, aromatic, green-skinned fruit. Excellent quality.
Home
From the Univ. of Calif., Davis pomegranate collection. The fruit is variable yellow-red in color, with light pink juice that is sweet and of rich flavor. Some bitterness.
King
From the Univ. of Calif., Davis pomegranate collection. Medium to large fruit, somewhat smaller than Balegal and Fleshman. Skin darker pink to red. Flavor very sweet. Has a tendency to split. Bush somewhat of a shy bearer.
Phoenicia (Fenecia)
Originated in Camarillo, Calif. Selected by John Chater. Large fruit, 4-5 inches in diameter, mottled red-green skin. Flavor sweet, seeds relatively hard.
Sweet
Fruit is lighter in color than Wonderful, remains slightly greenish with a red blush when ripe. Pink juice, flavor much sweeter than other cultivars. Excellent in fruit punch. Trees highly ornamental, bears at an early age, productive.
Utah Sweet
Very sweet, good quality fruit. Pink skin and pulp. Seeds notably softer than those of Wonderful and other standard cultivars. Attractive pinkish-orange flowers.
Wonderful
Originated in Florida. First propagated in California in 1896. Large, deep purple-red fruit. Rind medium thick, tough. Flesh deep crimson in color, juicy and of a delicious vinous flavor. Seeds not very hard. Better for juicing than for eating out of hand. Plant is vigorous and productive. Leading commercial variety in California.

FURTHER READING

* Butterfield, Harry M. A History of Subtropical Fruits and Nuts in California. University of California, Agricultural Experiment Station. 1963.
* Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990. pp. 166-167.
* Johns, Leslie and Violet Stevenson, Fruit for the Home and Garden. Angus and Robertson, 1985. pp. 215-218.
* Morton, Julia F. Fruits of Warm Climates. Creative Resources Systems, Inc. 1987. pp. 352-355.
* Popenoe, Wilson. Manual of Tropical and Subtropical Fruits. Hafner Press. 1974. Facsimile of the 1920 edition. pp. 375-383.

PASti ANda TerPIkat










Delima (Punica granatum L.), Menghadang Infeksi HIV

Delima (Punica granatum L.), Menghadang Infeksi HIV
Natural Healing Sat, 21 Feb 2004 08:21:00 WIB

"Apa sih enaknya buah delima? Buah kok isinya biji semua." Pernah mendengar komentar begitu? Biasanya nada sumbang terhadap delima dilontrakan oleh mereka yang tak mau repot. Banyak juga yang enggan memakan delima karena bingung cara memakannya.

Buah delima memang unik. Bila buah yang berbentuk buni ini dibelah dua, akan terlihat tumpukan biji yang berdempetan satu sama lain. lalu dimana daging buahnya? Daging buah delima menempel pada biji, menyerupai selaput pembungkus biji, menyerupai selaput pembungkus biji. Rasanya asam-asam manis, segar di lidah.

Untuk mendapatkan daging buahnya, keseluruhan biji harus turut dikulum. Persis memakan buah markisah. Bedanya markisah biasa ditelan bersama bijinya, buah delima tidak demikian. Umumnya bagian biji tidak ikut dimakan karena keras dan bila tergigit menimbulkan rasa baru yang membuat daging buah delima tak seenak dan sesegar semula.

Khasiat tak ternilai
Tak salah pepatah mengatakan berakit-rakit ke hulu berenang-renang ketepian, bersakit-sakit dahulu, bersenang-senang kemudian. Jika mau sedikit repot memakan buah delima, Anda akan menuai manfaat yang tak ternilai harganya. Buah delima menyimpan khasiat bagi kesehatan, suatu anugerah yang tak bisa dinilai dengan uang.

Daging buah delima berkhasiat sebagai penyejuk dan dapat digumakan mengobati sariawan, suara serak, sakit di tenggorokan, cacingan, perut kembung, rematik, sering buang air kecil, menurunkan tekanan darah tinggi, bahkan menurunkan berat badan. Biji delima yang sering dibuang juga menyimpan khasiat antara lain dapat menurunkan demam dan menyembuhkan batuk.

Menghadang kerja virus
Rupanya khasiat delima tak hanya terpendam pada daging buah dan biji. Sejumlah penelitian membuktikan kulit kayu, kulit akar, kulit buah, dan bunga delima juga potensial mengobati penyakit.

Contohnya bunga delima, dapat mengobati radang gusi dan bronkitis. Begitu dengan bagian kulit buah yang oleh masyarakat Cina disebut shi liu pi, merupakan obat alami mengatasi radang tenggorokan, radang telinga, keputihan dan perdarahan.

Contohnya bunga delima ini kini menkadi perhatian para ilmuwan kedokteran karena berpotensi mengendalikan penyebaran infeksi di dalam tubuh, termasuk infeksi karena virus HIV penyebab penyakit AIDS.

Jadi, masih tidak tertarik mencoba delima?

Pengobatan tradisional dengan delima

Sering buang air kecil
Sediakan 1 buah delima masak yang masih segar lalu ambil isi berikut bijinya. Tambahkan segenggam kucai yang sudah dicuci bersih dan dipotong seperlunya. Rebus bahan dengan 3 gelas air bersih sampai tersisa separuhnya. Setelah dingin saring. Minum ramuan 2 kali sehari, masing-masing tiga perempat gelas.

Keputihan
Sediakan 30 gram kulit delima kering dan 15 gram herba sambiloto kering. Cuci bersih, lalu rebus dengan 1 liter air, sampai airnya bersisa separuhnya. Setelah dingin, saring air rebusan. Lalu bagi menjadi 3 bagian untuk diminum 3 kali sehari, pagi, siang dan malam. Ramuan ini juga dapat digunakan untuk mencuci vagina.

Batuk yang sudah berlangsung lama
Sediakan buah delima yang belum terlalu masak. Di malam hari sebelum tidur junyah bijinya sampai halus, setelah itu buang dan jangan ditelan.

Menurunkan berat badan
Sediakan 2 buah delima yang masih muda. Ambil isinya, lalu tumbuk sampai halus. Tambahkan setengah cangkir air masak dan sedikit garam. Remas sampai merata lalu peras dengan kain. Minum air perasan sekaligus. Lakukan setiap hari sampai kelihatan hasilnya.

Sumber: CBN

Jus yang Menyehatkan

KHASIAT delima untuk kesehatan, terutama buahnya, sudah dikenal sejak dulu. Bahkan ada yang mengatakan, wine dari sari buah delima sudah dikenal di Mesir sekitar 5.000 tahun lalu. Belakangan, penelitian mengenai khasiat buah delima makin digalakkan, terutama di Amerika Serikat (AS).

Menurut American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2003), seseorang yang minum 200 ml/hari selama satu minggu berturut-turut bakal mengalami peningkatan aktivitas antioksidan sekitar sembilan persen. Zat ini sangat bermanfaat untuk mencegah dan mengobati berbagai jenis penyakit kanker.

Dalam konferensi kanker yang diadakan American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), November 2003, dipaparkan temuan bahwa ekstrak buah delima bisa membantu menyembuhkan dan mencegah kanker kulit.

Majalah Time, edisi Desember 2003, pun pernah mengupas habis khasiat biji delima. Dalam 100 gram biji buah delima terkandung 259 mg kalium, 63 kal energi metabolis, dan 30 mg vitamin C.

Disebutkan pula kalau buah ini memiliki kandungan flavonoid yang cukup tinggi. Flavanoid merupakan jenis antioksidan kuat, yang amat berperan dalam menurunkan radikal bebas, sehingga bisa memberi perlindungan terhadap penyakit jantung dan kanker kulit. Kandungan antioksidan dalam satu gelas jus delima lebih banyak ketimbang segelas red wine, green tea, dan orange juice.

Sejak itulah, budi daya tanaman delima berkembang pesat di AS, terutama di California. Hasil panen dipasok ke industri-industri sari buah delima yang disebut pom wonderful. Empat buah delima dapat diolah menjadi sebotol pom wonderful, yang dijual dengan harga empat dolar AS (sekitar Rp 38.000) per botol.

Pom wonderful kini menjadi tren minuman kesehatan di AS. Rasanya yang segar, manis, dan kesat membuat banyak konsumen tertarik. Apalagi jika mengingat khasiatnya yang bagus untuk kesehatan. Material yang digunakan adalah biji buah delima berwarna merah; bukan putih sebagaimana banyak dijumpai di Indonesia.

Membuat Jus

Melihat potensinya, masyarakat petani atau pelaku agribisnis dapat mencontoh kesuksesan AS dalam membangun industri sari buah delima. Tentu skalanya tidak besar-besaran sebagaimana di California, karena industri ini juga bisa dikembangkan dalam skala rumahan (rumah tangga). Sama seperti usaha pembuatan jus jambu biji dan mangga, yang telah lama dilakukan sebagian pelaku agribisnis di negeri ini.

Proses pembuatannya tak terlalu rumit. Sebuah delima ukuran sedang bisa menghasilkan 3/4 cangkir biji. Masukkan biji-biji delima yang masih berselimut cairan bening ke dalam blender. Hidupkan mesin pemecah ini sehingga biji-biji lumer menjadi cairan pekat.

Pisahkan cairan dari biji-bijian yang belum pecah sempurna, menggunakan penyaring dari kain kassa. Apabila Anda memasukkan enam cangkir biji delima, maka akan di-peroleh sekitar empat cangkir sari buah atau jus delima.

Jus yang su-dah berbentuk bisa disimpan dalam kulkas. Jika ingin lebih tahan lama lagi, bekukan dulu dalam freezer, kemudian disimpan dalam tempat yang kedap udara. Cara ini mampu membuat jus tahan hingga enam bulan lamanya. (Sriyati-32)

Khasiat Buah Delima…

Khasiat Buah Delima…
Posted in Petua on January 28, 2008 by nEJi
Source : vinosa.wordpress
Sejuta Khasiat Delima

Buahnya bulat hampir sebesar jeruk. Berkulit keras, merah, kecokelatan atau agak ungu. Daging buahnya terdiri dari butiran-butiran merah. Rasanya manis-manis segar.

Delima (punica granatum) adalah tanaman buah-buahan yang berasal dari Iran. Namun ia sudah menyebar di daerah Mediterania. Belakangan juga sudah mudah ditemukan di Asia Tenggara dan RRC bagian selatan. Tanaman ini mudah tumbuh di hampir semua iklim, namun menyebar di dataran rendah sampai ketinggian 1.000 m dpl. Walaupun tak terlalu memilih, tapi delima bisa tumbuh subur di tanah gembur kering.

Dikenal tiga macam delima, yaitu delima putih, delima merah dan delima ungu. Namun yang paling dikenal sebagai pangan dan obat adalah delima merah. Sejak dulu, delima memang sudah dimanfaatkan sebagai penganan yang terkadang diolah menjadi minuman segar. Tak jarang pula diolah menjadi obat penyembuh berbagai penyakit.

Konon, seluruh bagian tumbuhan delima ini bisa dimanfaatkan sebagai obat. Mulai dari kulit kayu, kulit akar, kulit buah, daun, biji dan bunganya. Untuk penggunaan kulit akar, biasanya dikeringkan dahulu. Sementara pengolahan kulit buah bisa langsung dipakai segar atau setelah dikeringkan.

Khasiat delima ini memang luar biasa banyak. Kulit buah digunakan untuk pengobatan sakit perut karena cacingan, buang air besar mengandung darah dan lendir (disentri), diare kronis, perdarahan seperti wasir berdarah, muntah darah, batuk darah, perdarahan rahim, perdarahan rektum, prolaps rektum, radang tenggorok, radang telinga, keputihan (leukorea) dan nyeri lambung.

Kulit akar dan kulit kayu digunakan untuk cacingan, terutama cacing pita (taeniasis), batuk, diare. Bunga digunakan untuk penyembuhan radang gusi, perdarahan, bronkhitis.

Nah, daging buahnya bisa juga dimanfaatkan sebagai penurun berat badan, cacingan, sariawan, tenggorokan sakit, suara parau, tekanan darah tinggi , sering kencing, rematik (artritis), perut kembung. Lalu biji-bijinya juga bisa dipakai sebagai obat penurun demam, batuk, keracunan dan cacingan.

Berdasarkan penelitian, kulit akarnya yang banyak menyimpan senyawa-senyawa alkaloid, antara lain pelletierin. Senyawa ini berguna untuk pengobatan cacingan. Sementara tumbukan buah atau seduhannya berguna untuk menghentikan mencret atau disentri. Lantas, air rebusan bunganya bisa dijadikan alternatif pereda sakit gigi.

Selain alkaloid, dalam kulit akar, kulit batang dan buah, terkandung zat penyamak. Zat ini berkhasiat untuk mengecilkan pori-pori, antiseptik dan hemostatik yang baik untuk keputihan. Begitupun, olahan buah delima sebagai jus membuktikan khasiat yang lainnya.

Jus buah delima dipercaya mampu menangkal penyakit jantung dan meluruhkan penumpukan lemak. Percobaan sudah dilakukan pada tikus-tikus lab. Selain itu, delima mengandung antioksidan yang luar biasa tinggi. Karena itu, ia juga bisa dimanfaatkan untuk menangkis serangan radikal bebas.

Segelas jus buah delima mengandung asam sitrat, asam malat, glukosa, fruktosa, maltosa, vitamin A dan C, mineral (kalsium, fosfor, zat besi, magnesium, natrium dan kalium) dan tanin. Pemanfaatan lain, karena kandungan alkaloid pelletierine sangat toksik dan menyebabkan kelumpuhan cacing pita, cacing gelang dan cacing kremi. Kulit buah dan kulit kayu juga astringen kuat sehingga digunakan untuk pengobatan diare.

Membuat jus delima sangat mudah. Tinggal belah dan ambil bagian biji yang dibungkus daging berselaput. Masukkan daging buah dan biji ini ke dalam juicer atau alat pembuat jus. Setelah itu saring dan jus delima segar siap diminum. Satu buah delima ukuran sedang bisa menghasilkan setengah gelas jus. (berbagai sumber).

Seandainya Anda ingin menyimpan jus untuk pemakaian jangka panjang, bisa disimpan dengan proses tertentu. Caranya, jus dibeklukan dan disimpan dalam wadah kedap udara. Jus bisa disimpan di lemari pendingin dan bisa bertahan sampai beberapa minggu. (berbagai sumber)

Untuk melangsingkan badan

Tubuh yang langsing dan luwes idaman setiap wanita. olah raga dan diet bisa menolong, tetapi Anda juga bisa menempuh jalan lain. Tumbuklah 4 buah delima putih yang masih muda sampai halus. Campurkan air matang sebanyak satu cangkir. Saringlah dan beri garam sedikit. Siapkan ramuan ini pada sore hari dan diminum pada pagi harinya. Lakukan seminggu dua kali.

Untuk melangsingkan badan

Ambil 3 buah delima yang masih muda, tumbuk sampai halus. Seduh dengan air hangat, beri sedikit garam dapur, kemudian disaring hingga menjadi satu gelas.

Minumlah ramuan ini setiap pagi selama satu minggu berturut-turut. Dengan cara ini berat badan akan turun dan tubuh menjadi langsing. Hentikan minum ramuan ini bila tubuh Anda sudah langsing, agar tidak menjadi kerempeng.

Kebaikkan dan khasiat Delima

Have you eaten a pomegranate? The fruit features in Greek mythology in the story of Persephone, daughter of the harvest goddess Demeter. Hades, the lord of the underworld, kidnapped the beautiful maiden. Because she ate a few pomegranate seeds before being rescued, she had to spend several months every year in the underworld with him. According to the myth, that?s when the earth was forced to endure winter.

Modern stories about pomegranates are not quite as fanciful as the myth, but there is a lot of buzz lately about the exotic fruit. How much is supported by scientific research?

Pomegranates grow wild from Iran to northern India, but they are cultivated throughout India, the Middle East, southern Europe and California. Scientists in Israel have been conducting research on the health benefits of pomegranates and pomegranate juice for years, and now others have joined in.

What are pomegranates good for? Researchers report that they are rich in antioxidants that can keep bad LDL cholesterol from oxidizing (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, May 2000). This degradation of LDL seems to be an initial step in the development of atherosclerosis. In addition, pomegranate juice, like aspirin, can help keep blood platelets from clumping together to form unwanted clots.

Does this make any difference clinically? More recent research has found that eight ounces of pomegranate juice daily for three months improved the amount of oxygen getting to the heart muscle of patients with coronary heart disease (American Journal of the College of Cardiology, Sept. 2005). Other researchers report that long-term consumption of pomegranate juice may help combat erectile dysfunction (Journal of Urology, July 2005).

Investigators are also excited about the possibility that pomegranate compounds might prevent prostate cancer or slow its growth. In mice, treatment with pomegranate extract delayed the development of tumors and improved survival (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Sept. 26, 2005). Other research reports suggest that pomegranate juice might help reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Even arthritis may yield to the power of pomegranates. Scientists at Case Western Reserve University have reported that tissue cultures of human cartilage cells respond to pomegranate extract. Inflammation is reduced and the enzymes that break down cartilage become less active (Journal of Nutrition, Sept. 2005). This is still far from a prescription for aching joints, but most experts agree that a little pomegranate won?t hurt and might help.

One traditional use of pomegranate juice is to calm diarrhea. We have seen no research supporting this claim, but we have heard from a reader with personal experience: ?One of the best things to take for diarrhea is pomegranate juice, which can be found in grocery stores. You can actually get constipated if you drink too much (as I found out!)?

A word of caution: Pomegranate juice appears to interfere with certain medications much as grapefruit juice does (Drug Metabolism and Disposition, May 2005). So when grapefruit juice is risky, pomegranate juice might be as well.

Persephone might have done better to resist eating pomegranate seeds, but modern science suggest most of us could benefit.


* * *
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist. Teresa Graedon holds a doctorate in medical anthropology and is a nutrition expert. Their syndicated radio show can be heard on public radio. In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or e-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.

Minum jus Delima untuk kesihatan anda

The benefits of pomegranate juice.I hope you drink more pomegranate juice after reading this.

I eat all kinds of fruits for my health.But I like eating sourish ones particularly.Fruits are good vitamin source, especially the source of vitamin C.Unlike all other vitamins,vitamin C can be obtained from outside the body by fruits.Pomegranate is not only a source of vitamin C but there are other benefits of it for our health.Pomegranate also includes vitamin B,potassium,pantothenic acid and antioxidant polyphenols.Most of the people consume it in the form of juice.


After reading this article,I am sure that you consume much pomegranate juice because you have learnt such benefits. This is the list of benefits of pomegranate juice.

* Since pomegranate contains tannins,polyphenols and anthocyanins,it is a good source of antioxidant.So,it is beneficial for our health.
* It might prevent prostate cancer or slow its growth.
* It reduces the risk of breast and skin cancer.It also fights against other forms of cancer.
* It delays the development of tumors.
* Long-term consumption of pomegranate juice may help combat erectile dysfunction.
* It is an excellent agent for promoting blood flow to the heart.
* It works as a blood thinner.
* It reduces the plaque in the arteries.
* It balances the cholesterol level in the body.
* It prevents heart disease and reduces the risk of heart attacks.
* It is recommended by dieticians in diet and exercise programs.
* It acts as an inhibitor on enzymes responsible for damaging cartilage.
* It is a diuretic.
* It reduces the systolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients.

Let's drink a glass of pomegranate juice daily for a healthy life.

Jus delima membantu warga tua pulih dari kanser prostate

July 1, 2006 - Pomegranate juice packs a punch on prostate cancer that prolongs post-surgery PSA doubling time, drives down cancer cell proliferation and causes prostate cancer cells to die, according to a study of older men published in the July 1 issue of Clinical Cancer Research.


Related Stories



Pomegranate Hottest Health Remedy: Fad or Fact?

What's all this hype about a little known and rarely seen fruit

By Tucker Sutherland, editor

Sept. 29, 2005 – So what's with this surge of pomegranate hype. This fruit is being touted as a miracle drug for aging, Alzheimer's, cancer, heart disease, arthritis and even protecting unborn babies from brain injuries. It cures about anything that can ail an aging senior citizen. It has become a popular ingredient for mixed drinks, ice cream and even bottled water. It's now a popular decoration for table displays. President Bush even brought it up in his meeting in May with Afghanistan President Karzai, suggesting they grow these trees rather than poppies. The Centers for Disease Control honored it by naming it the fruit of the month. Read more...

Centers for Disease Control Names Pomegranate Fruit of Month

How to prepare it, recipes, more - click here

Read more on Health & Medicine


PSA, or prostate specific antigen, is a protein marker for prostate cancer. The faster PSA levels increase in the blood of men after treatment, the greater their potential for dying of prostate cancer.

Researchers at the Jonsson Cancer Center at UCLA reported that patients with recurrent prostate cancer who drank pomegranate after surgery or radiation treatment saw their PSA blood content levels double after about 54 months. By comparison, PSA levels in the same patients prior to drinking the daily doses of eight-ounce pomegranate juice accelerated more quickly, doubling their PSA levels in only 15 months.

"The velocity of the increase in PSA is decreased by 35 percent among those who drank the pomegranate juice," said Allan Pantuck, M.D., associate professor, Department of Urology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, and lead author of the paper.

"That's a big increase. I was surprised when I saw such an improvement in PSA numbers," Pantuck said. "In older men 65 to 70 who have been treated for prostate cancer, we can give them pomegranate juice and it may be possible for them to outlive their risk of dying from their cancer. We're hoping we may be able to prevent or delay the need for other therapies usually used in this population such as hormone treatment or chemotherapy, both of which bring with them harmful side effects."

"We are hoping that pomegranate juice offers a novel strategy for prolonging the doubling time in men who have been treated for prostate cancer," Dr. Pantuck added.

According to the study, sera from patients after treatment yielded a net decrease of almost 30 percent in the numbers of prostate cancer cells raised in culture. Similarly, cultured sera from these patients decreased cell proliferation by 12 percent, compared to cells grown with sera from the men taken prior to initiation of the pomegranate treatment program. In addition, treated sera induced 17 percent more programmed cell death, or apoptosis, than sera from the men prior to treatment.

Additional exploratory experiments conducted by Dr. Pantuck and his colleagues examined antioxidant characteristics of the fruit juice.

"Pomegranate is high in antioxidants, and there is good evidence that inflammation plays an important role in prostate cancer," he said.

Dr. Pantuck and his colleagues detected a 23 percent increase in nitric oxide sera content from patients after they began their daily pomegranate regimen. These studies were conducted in the UCLA laboratory of Louis Ignarro, Ph.D., the Nobel laureate who contributed key scientific findings to define the role of nitric oxide in health and disease.

As with vitamin C and other antioxidants, ellagic acid – a primary antioxidant in pomegranate juice – works to quench molecules that oxidate, or add oxygen, to cellular and circulatory proteins and fats, altering their biological function.

"By quenching oxidative species with antioxidants, you are basically preserving circulating nitric oxide, so it can have a greater biologic effect," Dr. Pantuck said. "By decreasing the amount of free radicals, you are probably decreasing the circulating factors that are destroying nitric oxide."

While their findings on nitric oxide, cell proliferation and apoptosis served as exploratory endpoints, Dr. Pantuck stressed that clinical trials with more precise design are necessary to confirm the biological role the fruit plays in prolonging or preventing recurrence of prostate cancer in men.

"We don't believe we are curing anyone from prostate cancer," he said.

"In our initial trial, although a third of patients experienced a decrease in their PSA during the study, nobody's PSA went to zero.

"The PSA doubling time, however, was longer. For many men, this may extend the years after surgery or radiation that they remain recurrence free and their life expectancy is extended. They may be able to prevent the need to undergo additional therapies, such as radiation, hormonal or chemotherapies."

More about study:

Dr. Pantuck's colleagues who contributed to this study included Ignarro, John Leppert, Nazy Zomarodian, William Aronson, Jenny Hong, James Bernard, Navindra Seeram, Harley Liker, Hejing Wang, Robert Elashoff, David Heber, and Arie Belldegrun from the departments of Urology, Medicine, Physiologic Science or Biomathematics at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA. Michael Aviram from the Technion Faculty of Medicine, the Rambam Medical Center, Bat – Galim, Haifa, Israel, also contributed to these studies.

Funding to support these studies came from the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Revocable Trust. The Resnicks are the owners of the POM Wonderful Company. Additional NIH funding (P50CA92131 and IR01CA100938) supported portions of the science conducted in the course of these experiments.

The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 24,000 basic, translational, and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and more than 60 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17,000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special Conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment, and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication, CR, is a magazine for cancer survivors, patient advocates, their families, physicians, and scientists. It provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship, and advocacy.

Jus delima baik untuk penghidap diabitis dan melambatkan kolesterol

Pomegranate Juice Could Benefit Diabetics and Slow Bad Cholesterol

Another research report touting the health benefits of the drink

August 24, 2006 – Pomegranate juice can reduce the risk for atherosclerosis, and thus the risk of death for diabetics, since the condition leads to arterial wall thickening and hardening, and accounts for 80 percent of deaths for diabetic patients. It also reduces the uptake of bad cholesterol, according to studies at Technion-Isreal Institute of Technology.

According to results published in the August 2006 issue of Atherosclerosis, subjects reduced their risk of atherosclerosis by drinking 180 ml (6 oz.) of pomegranate juice per day for three months.

The researchers also found that drinking pomegranate juice reduced the uptake of oxidized LDL ("bad" cholesterol) by large, versatile immune cells known as macrophages. Oxidized LDL uptake by macrophages is a main contributing factor to the development of atherosclerosis.

One surprising finding, said lead researcher Professor Michael Aviram of the Technion Faculty of Medicine, was that the sugars contained in pomegranate juice – although similar in content to those found in other fruit juices – did not worsen diabetes disease parameters (including blood sugar levels) in the patients, but in fact reduced the risk for atherosclerosis.

"In most juices, sugars are present in free – and harmful – forms," explained Aviram. "In pomegranate juice, however, the sugars are attached to unique antioxidants, which actually make these sugars protective against atherosclerosis."

The findings of this small (20 subjects) study are part of Aviram's ongoing research into the effects of pomegranates on cholesterol oxidation and cardiovascular diseases. In his previous widely published studies, Aviram was the first to prove that consuming red wine reduces cholesterol oxidation and arteriosclerosis, which leads to heart disease, a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the Western world. His later studies confirmed the antioxidant and anti-atherosclerotic benefits of licorice, olive oil, onions and pomegranates.

According to the American Diabetes Association, 20.8 million people in the United States have diabetes. Both type I and type II diabetes are powerful and independent risk factors for coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral arterial disease.

The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology reports it is Israel's leading science and technology university. Home to the country's only winners of the Nobel Prize in science, it commands a worldwide reputation for its pioneering work in nanotechnology, computer science, biotechnology, water-resource management, materials engineering, aerospace and medicine. The majority of the founders and managers of Israel's high-tech companies are alumni. Based in New York City, the American Technion Society is the leading American organization supporting higher education in Israel, with 17 offices around the country.

Delima : Adakah ia berkesan?

Chloe Rhodes finds out the truth about the latest 'superfood'

Is there anything that pomegranates don't do? As well as being achingly fashionable - pomegranate martinis were served at the Oscars and Jo Malone's new fragrance is called Pomegranate Noir - the fruit has achieved "superfood" status.

A drawing of a pomegranate
Pomegranates are notoriously tricky to eat

Pomegranates have beneficial effects on heart disease, haemorrhoids, fertility and blood pressure - among other things - and this week, scientists have discovered their usefulness in treating prostate cancer and osteoarthritis.

What makes pomegranates so great?

A single pomegranate provides 40 per cent of an adult's recommended daily allowance of vitamin C, and is a rich source of folic acid and vitamins A and E. One pomegranate also contains three times the antioxidant properties of red wine or green tea.

What do they do?

Cancer:pomegranates contain high levels of flavenoids - a type of antioxidant - which are exceptionally effective at neutralising cancer-causing free radicals. Research published this year suggests that the fruit may be effective at fighting both breast and skin cancer, and this week American scientists found that pomegranate juice slowed the growth of prostate cancer cells in mice injected with the human form of the disease.

Heart disease: new research has found that one glass of pomegranate juice a day could improve blood flow to the heart by more than a third. The fruit's antioxidant properties prevent bad cholesterol from forming, which keeps the arteries clear and reduces the likelihood of heart attacks and strokes. A separate study found that drinking pomegranate juice regularly can also dramatically reduce the size of atherosclerotic lesions, which narrow the arteries and cause heart failure.

Osteoarthritis: the most recent revelation about the pomegranate's health benefits suggests that extracts of the fruit could prevent the onset of osteoarthritis. Scientists in America treated samples of human cartilage damaged by osteoarthritis with the extract and found that it inhibited the production of the enzyme responsible for causing the damage. Further research is needed to establish whether consuming the extract could protect cartilage as effectively.

How should you eat them?

Pomegranates are notoriously tricky to eat as the flesh is attached firmly to the bitter pith; for this reason, perhaps, they are not common in supermarkets. The easiest way to get a good portion is by drinking the juice, which is available widely and is proving popular.

A final word

Claire Williamson of the British Nutrition Foundation sounds a note of caution: "Animal or in vitro studies that have shown the potential health benefits of consuming pomegranates are promising, though further research is needed in humans to confirm them."

Thursday, September 23, 2010

History & Legend of the Pomegranate

The pomegranate is one of the earliest cultivated fruits. Historical evidence suggests that man first began planting pomegranate trees sometime between 4000 B.C.E and 3000 B.C.E.


Although Pomegranates grew in the wild before the dawn of agriculture, they were one of the first five domesticated crops along with olives, grapes, figs and dates. Believed to be first domesticated somewhere in northern Iran or Turkey, pomegranates still occur in the wild. However, the first archeological evidence of domesticated pomegranates isn't until around 3000 B.C. at Jericho.


Soon after their appearance at Jericho, they turned up in Mesopotamia and Egypt.


Throughout history, this richly-colored and delicious fruit has been revered as a symbol of health, fertility, and rebirth. Some cultures also believed it held profound and mystical healing powers. Still others chose to use it in more practical ways, as a dye or decoration.


The pomegranate's irresistible appeal and legendary medicinal properties have also made it the subject of countless myths, epics and works of art, from Raphael and Cezanne to Homer and Shakespeare.


Many scholars now suggest that it was a pomegranate, not an apple, depicted in the biblical Garden of Eden; a theory that is given further support throughout ancient and medieval times. In the mythical tale of the unicorn, pomegranate seeds "bleeding" from its horn symbolized Christ. The pomegranate tree, to which it was bound, represented eternal life.


From the Encyclopedia


The Pomegranate is a handsome deciduous and somewhat thorny large shrub or small tree (Punica granatum) belonging to the family Punicaceae, native to semitropical Asia and naturalized in the Mediterranean region in very early times.


It has long been cultivated as an ornamental and for its edible fruit. The fruit, about the size of an apple, bears many seeds, each within a fleshy crimson seed coating, enclosed in a tough yellowish to deep red rind. Pomegranates are either eaten fresh or used for grenadine syrup, in which the juice of the acid fruit pulp is the chief ingredient. Grenadine syrup, sometimes made from red currants, is a flavoring for wines, cocktails, carbonated beverages, preserves, and confectionery. The astringent properties of the rind and bark have been valued medicinally for several thousand years, especially as a vermifuge.


The pomegranate is now cultivated in most warm climates, to a greater extent in the Old World than in America; in North America it is grown commercially chiefly from California and Arizona south into the tropics.


The fruit has long been a religious and artistic symbol. It is described in the most ancient of Asian literature. In the Old Testament, Solomon sang of an "orchard of pomegranates."


Because of its role in the Greek legend of Persephone, the pomegranate came to symbolize fertility, death, and eternity and was an emblem of the Eleusinian Mysteries. In Christian art, it is a symbol of hope. Pomegranates are classified in the divisionMagnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Myrtales, family Punicaceae.

POMEGRANATE

B/W sketch
Punica granatum L.
Punicaceae
Common Names: Pomegranate, Granada (Spanish), Grenade (French).

Related Species: Punica proto-punica.

Origin: The pomegranate is native from Iran to the Himalayas in northern India and was cultivated and naturalized over the whole Mediterranean region since ancient times. It is widely cultivated throughout India and the drier parts of southeast Asia, Malaya, the East Indies and tropical Africa. The tree was introduced into California by Spanish settlers in 1769. In this country it is grown for its fruits mainly in the drier parts of California and Arizona.

Adaptation: Pomegranates prefer a semi-arid mild-temperate to subtropical climate and are naturally adapted to regions with cool winters and hot summers. A humid climate adversely affects the formation of fruit. The tree can be severely injured by temperatures below 12° F. In the U. S. pomegranates can be grown outside as far north as southern Utah and Washington, D.C. but seldom set fruit in these areas. The tree adapts well to container culture and will sometimes fruit in a greenhouse.
DESCRIPTION
Growth Habits: The pomegranate is a neat, rounded shrub or small tree that can grow to 20 or 30 ft., but more typically to 12 to 16 ft. in height. Dwarf varieties are also known. It is usually deciduous, but in certain areas the leaves will persist on the tree. The trunk is covered by a red-brown bark which later becomes gray. The branches are stiff, angular and often spiny. There is a strong tendency to sucker from the base. Pomegranates are also long-lived. There are specimens in Europe that are known to be over 200 years of age. The vigor of a pomegranate declines after about 15 years, however.

Foliage: The pomegranate has glossy, leathery leaves that are narrow and lance-shaped.

Flowers: The attractive scarlet, white or variegated flowers are over an inch across and have 5 to 8 crumpled petals and a red, fleshy, tubular calyx which persists on the fruit. The flowers may be solitary or grouped in twos and threes at the ends of the branches. The pomegranate is self-pollinated as well as cross-pollinated by insects. Cross-pollination increases the fruit set. Wind pollination is insignificant.

Fruit: The nearly round, 2-1/2 to 5 in. wide fruit is crowned at the base by the prominent calyx. The tough, leathery skin or rind is typically yellow overlaid with light or deep pink or rich red. The interior is separated by membranous walls and white, spongy, bitter tissue into compartments packed with sacs filled with sweetly acid, juicy, red, pink or whitish pulp or aril. In each sac there is one angular, soft or hard seed. High temperatures are essential during the fruiting period to get the best flavor. The pomegranate may begin to bear in 1 year after planting out, but 2-1/2 to 3 years is more common. Under suitable conditions the fruit should mature some 5 to 7 months after bloom.
CULTURE
Location: Pomegranates should be placed in the sunniest, warmest part of the yard or orchard for the best fruit, although they will grow and flower in part shade. The attractive foliage, flowers and fruits of the pomegranate, as well as its smallish size make it a excellent landscaping plant.

Soil: The pomegranate does best in well-drained ordinary soil, but also thrives on calcareous or acidic loam as well as rock strewn gravel.

Irrigation: Once established, pomegranates can take considerable drought, but for good fruit production they must be irrigated. To establish new plants they should be watered every 2 to 4 weeks during the dry season. The plants are tolerant of moderately saline water and soil conditions.

Fertilizing: In the West, the trees are given 2 to 4-ounce applications of ammonium sulfate or other nitrogen fertilizer the first two springs. After that very little fertilizer is needed, although the plants respond to an annual mulch of rotted manure or other compost.

Pruning: Plants should be cut back when they are about 2 ft. high. From this point allow 4 or 5 shoots to develop, which should be evenly distributed around the stem to keep the plant well balanced. These should start about 1 ft. from the ground, giving a short but well-defined trunk. Any shoots which appear above or below should be removed as should any suckers. Since the fruits are borne only at the tips of new growth, it is recommended that for the first 3 years the branches be judiciously shortened annually to encourage the maximum number of new shoots on all sides, prevent straggly development and achieve a strong well framed plant. After the 3rd year, only suckers and dead branches are removed.

Propagation: The pomegranate can be raised from seed but may not come true. Cuttings root easily and plants from them bear fruit after about 3 years. Twelve to 20 inches long cuttings should be taken in winter from mature, one-year old wood. The leaves should be removed and the cuttings treated with rooting hormone and inserted about two-thirds their length into the soil or into some other warm rooting medium. Plants can also be air-layered but grafting is seldom successful.

Pests and Diseases: Pomegranates are relatively free of most pests and diseases. Minor problems are leaf and fruit spot and foliar damage by white flies, thrips, mealybugs and scale insects. The roots are seldom bothered by gophers but deer will browse on the foliage.

Harvest: The fruits are ripe when they have developed a distinctive color and make a metallic sound when tapped. The fruits must be picked before over maturity when they tend to crack open, particularly when rained on. The pomegranate is equal to the apple in having a long storage life. It is best maintained at a temperature of 32° to 41° F. and can be kept for a period of 7 months within this temperature range and at 80 to 85% relative humidity without shrinking or spoiling. The fruits improve in storage, becoming juicier and more flavorful.

The fruit can be eaten out of hand by deeply scoring several times vertically and then breaking it apart. The clusters of juice sacs are then lifted out and eaten. The sacs also make an attractive garnish when sprinkled on various dishes. Pomegranate fruits are most often consumed as juice and can be juiced is several ways. The sacs can be removed and put through a basket press or the juice can be extracted by reaming the halved fruits on an ordinary orange juice squeezer. Another approach starts with warming the fruit slightly and rolling it between the hands to soften the interior. A hole is then cut in the stem end which is placed on a glass to let the juice run out, squeezing the fruit from time to time to get all the juice. The juice can be used in a variety of of ways: as a fresh juice, to make jellies, sorbets or cold or hot sauces as well as to flavor cakes, baked apples, etc. Pomegranate syrup is sold commercially as grenadine. The juice can also be made into a wine.

Commercial Potential: The primary commercial growing regions of the world are the Near East, India and surrounding countries and southern Europe. In California commercial cultivation is centered in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Consumer demand in this country is not great. More pomegranate fruits probably wind up as decorations in fruit bowls than are consumed.
CULTIVARS

Balegal
Originated in San Diego, Calif. Selected by Paul H. Thomson. Large, roundish fruit, 3 inches in diameter. Somewhat larger than Fleshman. Skin pale pink, lighter then Fleshman. Flesh slightly darker than Fleshman, very sweet.
Cloud
From the Univ. of Calif., Davis pomegranate collection. Medium-sized fruit with a green-red color. Juice sweet and white.
Crab
From the Univ. of Calif., Davis pomegranate collection. Large fruit have red juice that is tart but with a rich flavor. A heavy bearing tree.
Early Wonderful
Large, deep-red, thin-skinned, delicious fruit. Ripens about 2 weeks ahead of Wonderful. Medium-sized bush with large, orange-red fertile flowers. Blooms late, very productive.
Fleshman
Originated in Fallbrook, Calif. Selected by Paul H. Thomson. Large, roundish fruit, about 3 inches in diameter, pink outside and in. Very sweet flavor, seeds relatively soft, quality very good.
Francis
Originated in Jamaica via Florida. Large, sweet, split-resistant fruit. Prolific producer.
Granada
Originated in Lindsay, Calif. Introduced in 1966. Bud mutation of Wonderful. Fruit resembles Wonderful, but displays a red crown while in the green state, darker red in color and less tart. Ripens one month earlier than Wonderful. Flowers also deeper red. Tree identical to Wonderful.
Green Globe
Originated in Camarillo, Calif. Selected by John Chater. Large, sweet, aromatic, green-skinned fruit. Excellent quality.
Home
From the Univ. of Calif., Davis pomegranate collection. The fruit is variable yellow-red in color, with light pink juice that is sweet and of rich flavor. Some bitterness.
King
From the Univ. of Calif., Davis pomegranate collection. Medium to large fruit, somewhat smaller than Balegal and Fleshman. Skin darker pink to red. Flavor very sweet. Has a tendency to split. Bush somewhat of a shy bearer.
Phoenicia (Fenecia)
Originated in Camarillo, Calif. Selected by John Chater. Large fruit, 4-5 inches in diameter, mottled red-green skin. Flavor sweet, seeds relatively hard.
Sweet
Fruit is lighter in color than Wonderful, remains slightly greenish with a red blush when ripe. Pink juice, flavor much sweeter than other cultivars. Excellent in fruit punch. Trees highly ornamental, bears at an early age, productive.
Utah Sweet
Very sweet, good quality fruit. Pink skin and pulp. Seeds notably softer than those of Wonderful and other standard cultivars. Attractive pinkish-orange flowers.
Wonderful
Originated in Florida. First propagated in California in 1896. Large, deep purple-red fruit. Rind medium thick, tough. Flesh deep crimson in color, juicy and of a delicious vinous flavor. Seeds not very hard. Better for juicing than for eating out of hand. Plant is vigorous and productive. Leading commercial variety in California.

FURTHER READING

* Butterfield, Harry M. A History of Subtropical Fruits and Nuts in California. University of California, Agricultural Experiment Station. 1963.
* Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990. pp. 166-167.
* Johns, Leslie and Violet Stevenson, Fruit for the Home and Garden. Angus and Robertson, 1985. pp. 215-218.
* Morton, Julia F. Fruits of Warm Climates. Creative Resources Systems, Inc. 1987. pp. 352-355.
* Popenoe, Wilson. Manual of Tropical and Subtropical Fruits. Hafner Press. 1974. Facsimile of the 1920 edition. pp. 375-383.

See Index of CRFG Publications, 1969 - 1989 and annual indexes of Fruit Gardener for additional articles on the pomegranate. Here is the list of additional CRFG Fruit Facts.© Copyright 1997, California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc.

Does it work? Pomegranates

Chloe Rhodes finds out the truth about the latest 'superfood'

Is there anything that pomegranates don't do? As well as being achingly fashionable - pomegranate martinis were served at the Oscars and Jo Malone's new fragrance is called Pomegranate Noir - the fruit has achieved "superfood" status.

A drawing of a pomegranate
Pomegranates are notoriously tricky to eat

Pomegranates have beneficial effects on heart disease, haemorrhoids, fertility and blood pressure - among other things - and this week, scientists have discovered their usefulness in treating prostate cancer and osteoarthritis.

What makes pomegranates so great?

A single pomegranate provides 40 per cent of an adult's recommended daily allowance of vitamin C, and is a rich source of folic acid and vitamins A and E. One pomegranate also contains three times the antioxidant properties of red wine or green tea.

What do they do?

Cancer:pomegranates contain high levels of flavenoids - a type of antioxidant - which are exceptionally effective at neutralising cancer-causing free radicals. Research published this year suggests that the fruit may be effective at fighting both breast and skin cancer, and this week American scientists found that pomegranate juice slowed the growth of prostate cancer cells in mice injected with the human form of the disease.

Heart disease: new research has found that one glass of pomegranate juice a day could improve blood flow to the heart by more than a third. The fruit's antioxidant properties prevent bad cholesterol from forming, which keeps the arteries clear and reduces the likelihood of heart attacks and strokes. A separate study found that drinking pomegranate juice regularly can also dramatically reduce the size of atherosclerotic lesions, which narrow the arteries and cause heart failure.

Osteoarthritis: the most recent revelation about the pomegranate's health benefits suggests that extracts of the fruit could prevent the onset of osteoarthritis. Scientists in America treated samples of human cartilage damaged by osteoarthritis with the extract and found that it inhibited the production of the enzyme responsible for causing the damage. Further research is needed to establish whether consuming the extract could protect cartilage as effectively.

How should you eat them?

Pomegranates are notoriously tricky to eat as the flesh is attached firmly to the bitter pith; for this reason, perhaps, they are not common in supermarkets. The easiest way to get a good portion is by drinking the juice, which is available widely and is proving popular.

A final word

Claire Williamson of the British Nutrition Foundation sounds a note of caution: "Animal or in vitro studies that have shown the potential health benefits of consuming pomegranates are promising, though further research is needed in humans to confirm them."

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Pomegranate Antioxidant Power: Tips & Recipes - Disease Prevention and Wellness Information to Improve Your Health on MedicineNet.com

Pomegranate Antioxidant Power: Tips & Recipes - Disease Prevention and Wellness Information to Improve Your Health on MedicineNet.com

Study: Pomegranate May Be Helpful in Fighting Breast Cancer

Israeli researchers report that the pomegranate, a fruit mainly grown in hot dry regions, could possibly be helpful in combatting breast cancer.

Technion-Israel Institute of Technology researchers said their studies show that pomegranate juice can be toxic to most estrogen-dependent breast cancer cells, while leaving normal breast cells largely unaffected.

"Pomegranates seem to replace the estrogen often prescribed to protect postmenopausal women against heart disease and osteoporosis, while selectively destroying estrogen-dependent cancer cells," said Dr. Ephraim Lansky, who headed the studies.

In one study, Lansky said laboratory-grown breast cancer cells were treated for three days with pomegranate seed oil. The researchers observed apoptosis in 37 to 56 percent of the cancer cells, depending on the dose of oil applied.

In a second study, both normal and cancerous breast cells were exposed to pomegranate wine and pomegranate peel extracts, which contain polyphenols (powerful antioxidants). The vast majority of the normal cells remained unaffected by the two pomegranate derivatives. But more than 75 percent of the estrogen-dependent cancer cells, and approximately half of the non-estrogen dependent cancer cells were destroyed by exposure to these same pomegranate products.

Dr. Lajos Pusztai, an assistant professor who studies breast cancer at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, said Lansky's study "provides a potential new avenue to develop anti-cancer drugs from a natural compound."

Pomegranate juice shown to halt Alzheimer's disease progression

Pomegranate juice shown to halt Alzheimer's disease progression

Pomegranate Juice Fights Heart Disease, Study Says

Stefan Lovgren
for National Geographic News
March 22, 2005
In the mythology of ancient Babylonia, pomegranate was considered an agent of resurrection. Now there is scientific evidence for the fruit's restorative powers.
According to a new study, antioxidants contained in pomegranate juice may help reduce the formation of fatty deposits on artery walls. Antioxidants are compounds that limit cell damage.
Scientists have tested the juice in mice and found that it combats hardening of the arteries (atherogenesis) and related diseases, such as heart attacks and strokes.
"In this experimental study, we have established that polyphenols [antioxidant chemicals] and other natural compounds contained in the pomegranate juice may retard atherogenesis," said Claudio Napoli, a professor of medicine and clinical pathology at the University of Naples, Italy.
The research is published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Legendary Powers
Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is native to a region ranging from Iran to the Himalaya. It later spread to the Mediterranean area and now grows in most of the United States.
The apple-size fruit, which grows on rounded plants 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6 meters) tall, contains a sack of seeds and a juicy pulp.
In ancient Greece pomegranate was known as the fruit of the dead. In Hebrew tradition pomegranates adorned the vestments of the high priest. Ancient Persians believed that pomegranate seeds made their warriors invincible. In China the fruit symbolized longevity.
Scientists have long known about health benefits of pomegranates. The latest study, in particular, shows that the juice limits the genetic tendency toward hardening of the arteries.
"The protective effects of pomegranate juice were higher than previously assumed," Napoli said.
The study was done at the University of Naples, Italy, and the University of California, Los Angeles.


Pomegranate Juice Fights Heart Disease, Study Says
The researchers used mice to test the health effects of pomegranate juice. The fruit juice is rich in natural polyphenols, including tannins and anthocyanins, which have protective effects on the arterial wall.
"Although it is difficult to extrapolate human indications from experimental data, it is conceivable that 500 milliliters [1 pint] of pomegranate juice may exert some beneficial effects in patients with early stages of atherosclerotic diseases," Napoli said.
Other Juices
The antioxidant level in pomegranate juice was found to be higher than that in other natural juices, such as blueberry, cranberry, and orange juices, as well as red wine.
Scientists have found that polyphenols from red wine can reduce LDL ("bad" cholesterol). Black tea consumption also reverses endothelial dysfunction (damage to the linings of the arteries) in patients with chronic heart disease.
Similarly, the polyphenols contained in purple grape juice have also been found to have beneficial effects on patients with coronary heart disease.
Napoli points out that not every antioxidant study has confirmed that the chemicals can help prevent heart attacks. "Certain large clinical trials employing different antioxidants have failed to show any beneficial effects in the prevention of major cardiovascular events," He said.
He said the models employed in experimental studies may not precisely reflect the disease in humans.
"We need to study the effects of these substances in patients with early stages of atherosclerotic diseases," Napoli said. "Aged patients with advanced stages of atherosclerosis are not the best candidates to this therapeutic approach."