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Common Names
Pomegranate, seeded apple.
Latin Name
Punica granatum
Habitat
Native to the region from Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan and has been cultivated and naturalized over the whole Mediterranean region and the Caucasus since ancient times. It is widely cultivated throughout Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, India, Turkey, the drier parts of southeast Asia, Peninsular Malaysia, the East Indies, and tropical Africa.
Traditional Uses
Natural dyeing of non-synthetic fabrics and as an astringent in folk medicine.
Medicinal Uses
Pomegranate juice provides about 16% of an adult's daily Vitamin C requirement per 100 ml serving, and is a good source of vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), potassium and antioxidant polyphenols.
The most abundant polyphenols in pomegranate juice are the hydrolyzable tannins called punicalagins which have free-radical scavenging properties. Punicalagins are absorbed into the human body and may have dietary value as antioxidants.
A number of studies have shown that the antioxidants in pomegranate can have benefits for the cardiovascular system by inhibiting LDL oxidation, macrophage oxidative status, and foam cell formation and may also reduce systolic blood pressure.
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