I spit, you spit, we all spit for pomegranate

Many of you may have heard my questioning of the sudden abundance of pomegranates in our society. What the heck is up with all the Pomegranates!?!?! Where did they come from!?! Why does everything suddenly come in "pomegranate"?!?! My inquiry began a couple of summers ago when my favorite lotion from B&BW came out in a "Pomegranate Martini". I realized then that I had no clue what a pomegranate was. I have therefore decided to embark on a quest to uncover the truth about pomegranates and to dedicate a blog post to my investigation on the famous fruit and its rise to stardom.

In searching the internet for information on the pomegranate, I found that I am not alone in my observation of the newness of its popularity. One online source cites that 190 new pomegranate flavors have been introduced in the US since 2005 - to include the Pomegranate Frappuccino from Starbucks. The US company of POM Wonderful fully launched it's campaign in 2003 and has continued to be the top distributer of pomegranates in the US.

I love useless facts so here are a few of the more interesting facts on pomegranates that you may not have known:

• Pomegranates were displayed in Solomon's temple (1 Kings 7:17-20).
• Some even suggest that is was a pomegranate, not an apple, that was consumed in the Garden of Eden.
• Historical evidence also suggests that pomegranates were one of the first five domesticated crops, along with olives, grapes, figs, and dates. The first evidence of them was around 3000 B.C. in Jericho.
• Romeo and Juliet:
  "Nightly she sings on yon pomegranate tree.
  Believe me, love, it was the nightingale" Act 3 Scene 5
• A pomegranate is found in the coat of arms of Catharine of Aragon, first wife to Henry VIII.
• Pomegranates are known for many symbols: health, fertility, eternal life, and rebirth; with references in mythology, various legends, literature, and works of art.
• (this one is my favorite)
  The pomegranate gave its name to the hand grenade from its shape and size (and the resemblance of a pomegranate's seeds to a grenade's fragments). In many languages (including Belarusian, Spanish, French, Polish, Russian and Hebrew) the words are exactly the same.
• In China, the pomegranate symbolizes abundance, prosperity, and numerous offspring, making it a popular wedding gift. They also opted for covering the floor around the wedding bed with pomegranates instead of the typical rose petals.

And some of its medicinal benefits:

• The antioxidants found in pomegranate juice reduce low-density lipoprotein oxidation and lower blood pressure in hypertensive humans.
• Pomegranate juice has more polyphenol antioxidants than red wine, green tea, blueberry juice, cranberry juice, and orange juice.
• Pomegranate juice may be effective against prostate cancer and osteoarthritis.
• Ancient uses include: treatment of inflammation and aid in digestion, bronchitis, and dysentery.

Though I doubt that my luscious lotion has any medicinal value or makes me immortal or more fertile, I am still appreciative of the influx of pomegrantes in our society. It's a very yummy smelling lotion. So it seems that we Americans were late to jump on the band wagon in figuring out just how cool the pomegranate really is. If all the US ends up making out of the pomegranate craze is a new flavor at Starbucks and yummy lotion for Kelley, then I say the jump on the band wagon was worth the wait... for thousands of years... Now that I know how great the pomegranate really is, maybe my next goal will be to try the pomegranate option wherever possible.