THE POMEGRANATE Marisa Paolucci He gave his name to the city of Granada and has always considered the fruit of fertility. The pomegranate tree is an ancient tradition of the legendary, synonymous for thousands of years of fertility for all cultures that have been seduced by its fruits, seeds rich in attractive red color, expression of the exuberance of life. No coincidence that the painters of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries often put a pomegranate in the hand of the Child Jesus, alluding to the new life brought by Christ. Coptic art meets the mast of the pomegranate as a symbol of resurrection. Its roots lie in ancient Greece from where this plant was sacred to Juno (wife of Zeus) and Venus (goddess of love). Roman brides used in your hair weave branches of pomegranate. In the Asian tradition is the fruit open and plenty of good omen. The significant number of its grain has inspired many legends: the pomegranate in Vietnam opens in two hundred children come and leave, the Head-throw the ground 'cause they say that will have as many children as the grains are released from the fruit split. In Dalmatia but tradition has it that the husband transfer from the garden of his father to a pomegranate tree. Of Indian origin is the belief that the juice of this fruit fight infertility. In flowery language could not express that love burning. The pomegranate is native of Persia and Afghanistan, grows wild from southern Punjab to the Caucasus and has spread to the Far East but also in Mediterranean countries. Rich in vitamins is the source of salvation for thousands of years for the peoples of the arid regions of Asia, considered the king of fruits for its particular stalk-shaped crown. "Punica granatum" is the scientific name, its stem can be up to 5 meters high, is very branching, with a twisted red-gray bark and thorny branches. The leaves are deciduous, oblong, mostly 'opposite, stiff and shiny. The scarlet flowers, blossom ends of the branches, from May to July. The fruit is a leathery berry large, round yellow-orange, internally divided into 7-15 cavities in which the seeds are placed, wrapped in a pulp sour or sweet, juicy and transparent. The fruit ripening occurs in the autumn. The pomegranate is often cultivated for ornamental purposes in gardens and terraces in warmer regions, its fruits and its flowers are used to decorate the tables and dishes. Yet the pomegranate have every reason to warrant further consideration: its fruits are rich in vitamin A and B. In ancient times it was highly regarded for its therapeutic properties. Already 4000 years ago the Egyptians knew vermifuge properties of the root of the pomegranate. In Europe, the early nineteenth century, the bark of this root was widely used in the fight against the tapeworm, because the modern analysis confirmed the presence of alkaloids anthelmintics, which are highly effective against tapeworms. Recently it has been considered the pomegranate juice for its cardiovascular benefits. The fruit contains an abundance of tannins that have astringent properties. In addition to deworming the pomegranate is a refreshing tonic and diuretic. The bark of the fruit, rich in tannin is still used in North Africa and the Far East to tan leather. With dry skin you get a good color, a characteristic yellow-green was found even in some Egyptian tombs. In the presence of iron it gives a black dye ink make it suitable for even the flowers can be used to prepare a red ink. The fruit as well as being an unusual dessert, is the protagonist of tasty jelly, refreshing drinks, water ices, jams. Pomegranate juice is used in cooking but also in the preparation of sweet meat. Decoction tapeworm Boil 750 ml of water with 70 grams of the bark of roots until the water is reduced by one third. After a day of dieting, the decoction should be administered on an empty stomach three times with an interval of three hours. Two hours after the last dose is followed by a purgative. Good sunday and good week Thanks for the comments and the favourites of previous image