Pomegranate the Sex Fruit

We've always enjoyed pomegranates for their sweet, tart flavor, but now there's a new reason to embrace this robust-looking red fruit. They're being touted as a nutritional powerhouse, and they're popping up in everything from cocktails to body lotion.

Aphrodisiac History

A prominent player in aphrodisiac lore, pomegranate was regaled as a culinary symbol of Aphrodite by the ancient Greeks. Some say the forbidden fruit of the Bible was not apple at all, but a pomegranate fruit. In other Western lore, the mythological unicorn was tied to a pomegranate tree. Since the early days of the written word, the promise of the pomegranate has made a lasting impression as a sensual symbol, appearing in poetic works of great authors from Homer to Shakespeare.

In the Orient, pomegranate has been used for generations to treat depression, settle sore stomachs and neutralize internal parasites. According to Chinese lore, this particular fruit, based upon its abundance of seeds, promotes and serves, as a symbol, of prosperity, in the form of an abundant household. Such abundance is measured in the size of the family, based, of course, on procreation. Hence, procreation is brought about through sexual interaction.

The fruit is also used frequently as a symbol in Christianity. The whole fruit is symbol of hope and eternal life. The seeds serve as a symbol of the Church and its many believers. Pomegranate brings a swatch of crimson color to many depictions of the Madonna and Christ, (including the famed portrait by Botticelli.)

Medicinal Use and Health Benefits

With its edible seeds inside juicy sacs, the pomegranate is high in vitamin C and potassium, low in calories (80 per serving, which is just under one-third of a medium fruit), and a good source of fiber. Pomegranates are especially high in polyphenols, a form of antioxidant purported to help reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. In fact, pomegranate juice, which contains health-boosting tannins, anthocyanins, and ellagic acid, has higher antioxidant activity than green tea and red wine. It’s because of antioxidants that the pomegranate became known for its passion power. It protects the lining of blood vessels, allowing more blood to course through them. The upshot? Increased genital sensitivity.

Although it is the stunning red seeds of the pomegranate tree that are held in regard as aphrodisiac, the plant’s roots also have medicinal use in treating fever as well as in wound care. (Please note that pomegranate bark used medicinally should only be administered by a professional. In too large a dose, the tree’s bark and roots can be toxic).

According to the American Dietetic Association, studies involving mice and humans show that eating pomegranates may help prevent clogged arteries. In addition, a recent study from Jonsson Cancer Center at UCLA found that levels of PSA (prostate specific antigen), a protein marker for prostate cancer, increased 35% more slowly in men with recurrent prostate cancer who drank 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily after surgery or radiation. The study also found that it took 54 months to double PSA levels, compared to 15 months in men who did not drink the juice. Increasing the time it takes for a man's PSA levels to double may postpone cancer recurrences and reduce his need to have other cancer treatment procedures, such as surgery or radiation, in the future.