US: Pomegranates, the exotic antioxidant

The ancient Persian fruit of fertility is enjoying a very 21st century makeover. Pomegranates are the new ''super fruit,'' celebrated for their high antioxidant and vitamin C content and morphed into a seemingly endless array of consumer products. You can get your pomegranate in juice, muffin, tea, ice cream or Frappuccino form. The hype is overwhelming, but arguably justified. One softball-sized pomegranate contains 280 calories, zero grams of fat, 17.5 grams of fiber, 14 percent of the daily requirement of vitamin C and three types of antioxidants credited with preventing cancer and heart disease. We took a bite out of a few items on the super fruit menu.

POM Tea is the latest product from Los Angeles-based POM Wonderful, the grandfather of the modern pomegranate craze (they introduced the first 100 percent pomegranate juice in 2002). The tea comes in four exotic varieties. My favorite is Pomegranate Blackberry Black Tea (it tastes vaguely like berry Kool-Aid). Each tea is packaged in a reusable glass bottle, has 70 to 80 calories per serving (with two servings a bottle, calories add up quickly) and a concentrated blend of polyphenol antioxidants extracted from pomegranates. The glass bottles are interesting, but costly. Each 13.5-ounce bottle sells for $2.99 at Publix, Whole Foods and Wild Oats.

Dieters with a sweet tooth will love Vitalicious Heart Healthy Dark Chocolate Pomegranate VitaTops, $17 for a dozen at www.vitalicious.com. The low-fat muffin tops are waistline-friendly with 100 calories, 1.5 grams of fat and 6 grams of fiber. They're also easy on the taste buds with a relatively rich chocolate flavor (heavy on the cocoa, low on the cream), a slight fruity/berry taste (presumably from the pomegranate) and a handful of dark chocolate chips. Said to contain the antioxidant power of two pomegranates, the VitaTops also contain CoroWise, a plant sterol designed to lower cholesterol. No one will mistake VitaTops for full-fat muffin tops, but they make a good sweet treat in a pinch.

Sheer Bliss Ice Cream, $5.99 at Epicure Market, 1656 Alton Rd., Miami Beach, 305-672-1861, is perhaps the most indulgent way to get your pomegranate fix. With natural pomegranate juice, this premium ice cream is available in seven flavors, including pomegranate, pomegranate with dark chocolate chips, vanilla with pomegranate swirl and freedom, a vanilla, pomegranate and blueberry combination. At roughly 19 grams of fat and 300 calories per serving, the tangy ice creams made by a Hallandale Beach company are not the most heart-healthy indulgence, but they do offer antioxidant benefits. Substitute for your regular ice cream, eat in moderation and enjoy.

Source: miamiherald.com