buah delima -potential health benefits

The most abundant polyphenols in pomegranate juice are the hydrolyzable tannins called ellagitannins formed when ellagic acid binds with a carbohydrate. Pomegranate ellagitannins, also called punicalagins, are tannins with free-radical scavenging properties in laboratory experiments^[36] and with potential human effects.^[37]

Punicalagins are absorbed into the human body and may have dietary value as antioxidants, but conclusive proof of efficacy in humans has not yet been shown.^[38][39] During intestinal metabolism by bacteria, ellagitannins and punicalagins are converted to urolithins which have unknown biological activity in vivo.^[40][41] The different punicalagins present in P. granatum are granatin A and B, punicacortein A, B, C and D, 5-O-galloylpunicacortein D, punicafolin, punigluconin, punicalagin, 1-alpha-O-galloylpunicalagin, punicalin and 2-O-galloyl-punicalin.^{[citation needed]} Other phenolics include catechins, gallocatechins, and anthocyanins, such as prodelphinidins, delphinidin, cyanidin, and pelargonidin.^[42] The ORAC (antioxidant capacity) of pomegranate juice was measured at 2,860 units per 100 grams.^[43]

Many food and dietary supplement makers use pomegranate phenolic extracts as ingredients in their products instead of the juice. One of these extracts is ellagic acid, which may become bioavailable only after parent molecule punicalagins are metabolized. However, ingested ellagic acid from pomegranate juice does not accumulate in the blood in significant quantities and is rapidly excreted.^[44] Accordingly, ellagic acid from pomegranate juice does not appear to be biologically important in vivo.


In preliminary laboratory research and clinical trials, juice of the pomegranate may be effective in reducing heart disease risk factors, including LDL oxidation, macrophage oxidative status, and foam cell formation.^[45][46][47] In mice, "oxidation of LDL by peritoneal macrophages was reduced by up to 90% after pomegranate juice consumption...".^[48]

In a limited study of hypertensive patients, consumption of pomegranate juice for two weeks was shown to reduce systolic blood pressure by inhibiting serum angiotensin-converting enzyme.^[49] Juice consumption may also inhibit viral infections^[50] while pomegranate extracts have antibacterial effects against dental plaque.^[51]
Despite limited research data, manufacturers and marketers of pomegranate juice have liberally used evolving research results for product promotion, especially for putative antioxidant health benefits. In February 2010, the FDA issued a Warning Letter to one such manufacturer, POM Wonderful, for using published literature to make illegal claims of unproven antioxidant and anti-disease benefits.^[52][53][54]



Metabolites of pomegranate juice ellagitannins localize specifically in the prostate gland, colon, and intestinal tissues of mice,^[55] leading to clinical studies of pomegranate juice or fruit extracts for efficacy against several diseases.

In 2011, 32 clinical trials were registered with the National Institutes of Health to examine effects of pomegranate extracts or juice consumption on a list of diseases:^[56]

• prostate cancer
• prostatic hyperplasia
• diabetes
• lymphoma
• rhinovirus infection (completed, July 2008)
• common cold (completed, June, 2007)
• oxidative stress in diabetic hemodialysis
• atherosclerosis
• coronary artery disease
• infant brain injury
• hemodialysis for kidney disease

sumber dari: en.wikipedia.org

buah delima -in ayurvedic medicine

In the Indian subcontinent's ancient Ayurveda system of medicine, the pomegranate (Hindi: अनार) has extensively been used as a source of traditional remedies for thousands of years.^[28]

The rind of the fruit and the bark of the pomegranate tree is used as a traditional remedy against diarrhea, dysentery and intestinal parasites.^[28] The seeds and juice are considered a tonic for the heart and throat, and classified as a bitter-astringent (pitta or fire) component under the Ayurvedic system, and considered a healthful counterbalance to a diet high in sweet-fatty (kapha or earth) components.^[29] The astringent qualities of the flower juice, rind and tree bark are considered valuable for a variety of purposes, such as stopping nose bleeds and gum bleeds, toning skin, (after blending with mustard oil) firming-up sagging breasts and treating hemorrhoids.^[30] Pomegranate juice (of specific fruit strains) is also used as eyedrops as it is believed to slow the development of cataracts.^[31]

Ayurveda differentiates between pomegranate varieties and employs them for different remedies.^[32]
Pomegranate has been used as a contraceptive and abortifacient by means of consuming the seeds, or rind, as well as by using the rind as a vaginal suppository. This practice is recorded in ancient Indian literature, in Medieval sources, and in modern folk medicine.^[33]


Pomegranate aril 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 natural phenols, such as ellagitannins and flavonoids. Pomegranates are listed as high-fiber in some charts of nutritional value. That fiber, however, is entirely contained in the edible seeds which also supply unsaturated oils. People who choose to discard the seeds forfeit nutritional benefits conveyed by the seed fiber, oils and micronutrients.^[34][35]


sumber dari: en.wikipedia.org

buah delima -culinary use

After opening the pomegranate by scoring it with a knife and breaking it open, the arils (seed casings) are separated from the peel and internal white pulp membranes. Separating the red arils is easier in a bowl of water, because the arils sink and the inedible pulp floats. Freezing the entire fruit also makes it easier to separate. Another very effective way of quickly harvesting the arils is to cut the pomegranate in half, score each half of the exterior rind four to six times, hold the pomegranate half over a bowl and smack the rind with a large spoon. The arils should eject from the pomegranate directly into the bowl, leaving only a dozen or more deeply embedded arils to remove.

The entire seed is consumed raw, though the watery, tasty aril is the desired part. The taste differs depending on the subspecies of pomegranate and its ripeness. The pomegranate juice can be very sweet or sour, but most fruits are moderate in taste, with sour notes from the acidic tannins contained in the aril juice. Pomegranate juice has long been a popular drink in Persian and Indian cuisine, and began to be widely distributed in the United States and Canada in 2002.^[21]

Grenadine syrup is thickened and sweetened pomegranate juice used in cocktail mixing. Before tomatoes (a New World fruit) arrived in the Middle East, grenadine was widely used in many Iranian foods, and is still found in traditional recipes such as fesenjān, a thick sauce made from pomegranate juice and ground walnuts, usually spooned over duck or other poultry and rice, and in ash-e anar (pomegranate soup).^[22][23]
Wild pomegranate seeds are used as a spice known as anardana (from Persian: anar+dana, pomegranate+seed), most notably in Indian and Pakistani cuisine, but also as a substitute for pomegranate syrup in Persian cuisine. Dried whole arils can often be obtained in ethnic Indian subcontinent markets. These seeds are separated from the flesh, dried for 10–15 days and used as an acidic agent for chutney and curry preparation. Ground anardana is also used, which results in a deeper flavoring in dishes and prevents the seeds from getting stuck in teeth. Seeds of the wild pomegranate variety known as daru from the Himalayas are regarded as quality sources for this spice.

Dried pomegranate arils, found in some natural specialty food markets, still contain the seed and residual aril water, maintaining a natural sweet and tart flavor. Dried arils can be used in several culinary applications, such as trail mix, granola bars, or as a topping for salad, yogurt, or ice cream. Chocolate covered arils, also available in gourmet food stores like Trader Joes, may be added to desserts and baked items.

In the Caucasus, pomegranate is used mainly as juice.^[24] In Azerbaijan a sauce from pomegranate juice (narsharab) is usually served with fish^[25] or tika kabab. In Turkey, pomegranate sauce, (Turkish: nar ekşisi) is used as a salad dressing, to marinate meat, or simply to drink straight. Pomegranate seeds are also used in salads and sometimes as garnish for desserts such as güllaç.^[26] Pomegranate syrup or molasses is used in muhammara, a roasted red pepper, walnut, and garlic spread popular in Syria and Turkey.^[27]

In Greece, pomegranate (Greek: ρόδι, rodi) is used in many recipes, including kollivozoumi, a creamy broth made from boiled wheat, pomegranates and raisins, legume salad with wheat and pomegranate, traditional Middle Eastern lamb kebabs with pomegranate glaze, pomegranate eggplant relish, and avocado-pomegranate dip. Pomegranate is also made into a liqueur and popular fruit confectionery used as ice cream topping or mixed with yogurt or spread as jam on toast. In Cyprus as well as in Greece and among the Greek Orthodox Diaspora, ρόδι is used to make koliva, a mixture of wheat, pomegranate seeds, sugar, almonds and other seeds served at memorial services.



sumber dari: en.wikipedia.org

buah delima -cultural history

The pomegranate is native to the region of Persia (modern day Iran) and the western Himalayan range,^[13] and has been cultivated in Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Russia, and the Mediterranean region for several millennia.^[14][15]

Carbonized exocarp of the fruit has been identified in Early Bronze Age levels of Jericho in Israel, as well as Late Bronze Age levels of Hala Sultan Tekke on Cyprus and Tiryns.^{[citation needed]} A large, dry pomegranate was found in the tomb of Djehuty, the butler of Queen Hatshepsut in Egypt; Mesopotamian cuneiform records mention pomegranates from the mid-Third millennium BC onwards.^[16]
It is also extensively grown in South China and in Southeast Asia, whether originally spread along the route of the Silk Road or brought by sea traders. Kandahar is famous in Afghanistan for its high quality pomegranates.

Although not native to Korea or Japan, the pomegranate is widely grown there and many cultivars have been developed. It is widely used for bonsai because of its flowers and for the unusual twisted bark that older specimens can attain.^[17] The term "balaustine" (Latin: balaustinus) is also used for a pomegranate-red color.^[18]

Pomegranate cultivation in Italy is diffused throughout the southern region, especially in Olevano sul Tusciano and the rest of Campania's area. The ancient city of Granada in Spain was renamed after the fruit during the Moorish period. Spanish colonists later introduced the fruit to the Caribbean and Latin America, but in the English colonies it was less at home: "Don't use the pomegranate inhospitably, a stranger that has come so far to pay his respects to thee," the English Quaker Peter Collinson wrote to the botanizing John Bartram in Philadelphia, 1762. "Plant it against the side of thy house, nail it close to the wall. In this manner it thrives wonderfully with us, and flowers beautifully, and bears fruit this hot year. I have twenty-four on one tree... Doctor Fothergill says, of all trees this is most salutiferous to mankind."^[19] The pomegranate had been introduced as an exotic to England the previous century, by John Tradescant the elder, but the disappointment that it did not set fruit there led to its repeated introduction to the American colonies, even New England. It succeeded in the South: Bartram received a barrel of pomegranates and oranges from a correspondent in Charleston, South Carolina, 1764. John Bartram partook of "delitious" pomegranates with Noble Jones at Wormsloe Plantation, near Savannah, Georgia, in September 1765. Thomas Jefferson planted pomegranates at Monticello in 1771: he had them from George Wythe of Williamsburg.^[20]



sumber dari: en.wikipedia.org

delima -id.wikipedia

Delima (punica granatum) adalah tanaman buah-buahan yang dapat tumbuh hingga 5-8 m. Tanaman ini diperkirakan berasal dari Iran, namun telah lama dikembangbiakkan di daerah Mediterania. Bangsa Moor memberi nama salah satu kota kuno di Spanyol, Granada berdasarkan nama buah ini. Tanaman ini juga banyak ditanam di daerah Cina Selatan dan Asia Tenggara.

Delima berasal dari Timur Tengah, tersebar di daerah subtropik sampai tropik, dari dataran rendah sampai di bawah 1.000 m dpl. Tumbuhan ini menyukai tanah gembur yang tidak terendam air, dengan air tanah yang tidak dalam. Delima sering ditanam di kebun-kebun sebagai tanaman hias, tanaman obat, atau karena buahnya yang dapat dimakan.

Bentuk pohon perdu atau pohon kecil dengan tinggi 2–5 m. Batang berkayu, ranting bersegi, percabangan banyak, lemah, berduri pada ketiak daunnya, cokelat ketika masih muda, dan hijau kotor setelah tua. Daun tunggal, bertangkai pendek, letaknya berkelompok. Helaian daun bentuknya lonjong sampai lanset, pangkal lancip, ujung tumpul, tepi rata, pertulangan menyirip, permukaan mengkilap, panjang 1–9 cm, lebar 0,5–2,5 cm, warnanya hijau.

Bunga tunggal bertangkai pendek, keluar di ujung ranting atau di ketiak daun yang paling atas. Biasanya, terdapat satu sampai lima bunga, warnanya merah, putih, atau ungu. Berbunga sepanjang tahun. Buahnya buah buni, bentuknya bulat dengan diameter 5–12 cm, warna kulitnya beragam, seperti hijau keunguan, putih, cokelat kemerahan, atau ungu kehitaman. Kadang, terdapat bercak-bercak yang agak menonjol berwarna tebih tua. Bijinya banyak, kecil-kecil, bentuknya bulat panjang yang bersegi-segi agak pipih, keras, tersusun tidak beraturan, warnanya merah, merah jambu, atau putih.


Dikenal tiga macam delima, yaitu delima putih, delima merah, dan delima ungu. Perbanyakan dengan setek, tunas akar atau cangkok. Pome atau delima sering ditanam sebagai tanaman hias, tanaman obat, atau karena buahnya yang dapat dimakan. Buah delima dapat dimakan dalam keadaan segar, sebagai campuran rujak buah, salad buah, jus atau sari buah. Untuk membuat jus delima sebaiknya diminum dengan bijinya karena di dalam biji banyak terkandung senyawa polifenol.


Manfaat delima tersebut bisa diperoleh dengan berbagai cara, seperti dalam bentuk sari buah atau bisa juga memakan bijinya, sirup, pasta atau konsentrat delima. Secara tradisional, buah delima biasa digunakan untuk membersihkan kulit dan mengurangi peradangan pada kulit. Jus buah delima juga bisa mengurangi derita radang tenggorokan. Menurut penelitian yang dilakukan oleh American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, buah delima yang kaya antioksidan ini bisa mencegah oksidasi LDL atau kolesterol jahat dalam tubuh.
Selain yang sudah disebutkan tadi, khasiat buah delima bagi kesehatan antara lain dapat untuk penyakit-penyakit seperti: gangguan perut, gangguan jantung, kanker, perawatan gigi, rematik, kurang darah dan diabetes.

Di Asia, sari buahnya juga dikentalkan menjadi suatu sirup yang digunakan sebagai saus. Di Mesir buah ini dijadikan semacam minuman anggur, sirup, dan sari buah. Dalam satu gelas sari delima lebih banyak kandungan antioksidannya dibandingkan dengan satu gelas red wine, green tea atau orange juice. Di Amerika, produk sari buah delima yang dikenal sebagai pom wonderful menjadi tren minuman kesehatan terkini.

Minuman sari buah delima dikenal sebagai sari buah sehat, tinggi khasiatnya. Sari buah delima tinggi kandungan ion kalium (potasium), vitamin A, C dan E serta asam folic. Dari bagian biji yang dapat dimakan, kandungan kalium per 100 gram (259 mg/gr), energi 63 kal, 30 mg vitamin C. Komponen ini dianggap sangat penting bagi kesehatan jantung (Time, Desember 2003).

Sari buah delima juga tinggi kandungan flavonoidnya, suatu jenis antioksidan kuat yang penting perannya untuk mencegah berkembangnya radikal bebas di dalam tubuh sekaligus memperbaiki sel-sel tubuh yang rusak, serta mampu dalam memberikan perlindungan terhadap penyakit jantung, kanker kulit, dan kangker prostat. Antioksidan yang terkandung didalamnya membantu mencegah penyumbatan pada pembuluh darah arteri oleh kolesterol.

Bahkan kandungan antioksidan dalam buah delima jumlahnya tiga kali lebih banyak daripada wine atau teh hijau. Peneliti dari Vanderbilt University Medical Center menemukan bahwa orang yang meminum jus 3 kali atau lebih dalam seminggu, dapat menurunkan risiko terkena alzheimer hingga 76% dibandingkan orang yang tidak minum jus sama sekali.



sumber dari: id.wikipedia.org