звыняйте что на английском

я вот не знала про др.греч.миф
и ещё много другое

HistoryPomegranates are so cool that not only do they have a presence in history, but also in mythology.  In Greek mythology, Demeter was the goddess of the harvest, and she and Zeus had a daughter named Persephone. Persephone was so beautiful that everyone loved her, and Hades, god of the underworld, wanted her for himself. He caused the earth to open up and abducted her, to the great grief of her mother.

Demeter caused the earth to cease to be fertile, which alarmed Zeus who, in turn, sent Hermes to the underworld to rescue his daughter. Hades agreed to release Persephone, but gave her a pomegranate upon her exit. When she ate the seeds of the fruit, it bound her to the underworld for one-third of every year.

When her beloved daughter was in the underworld, Demeter refused to allow anything to grow, bringing with it winter. Pomegranates are harvested between September and December, the end of autumn and the beginning of winter, a symbol of life just before death.

It is estimated that pomegranates were one of the first fruits to be cultivated, dating back to the Bronze Age. The ancient Egyptians used all parts of the fruit for food and dying leather, and the fruits were found in many of the Pharoahs’ tombs.

Pomegranates were also written of in the Bible and used in both Buddhism and Zoroastrianism. Islam has a legend that one aril (seed) of each pomegranate has descended directly from paradise. The name of the island of Granada is even said to have come from the Spanish word from pomegranate!

Super Food, Super You

Pomegranates have three times more antioxidants than green tea, and a single fruit had 40% of the RDA for vitamin C. In this cold and flu season, pomegranate may help you avoid illness.

They’re high in vitamin A, in the form of beta carotene. That means that, like carrots, pomegranates are good for ocular health.

B vitamins niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin assist in metabolism and cell growth. These same vitamins help both the immune and nervous systems work at peak performance. When taken from foods (as opposed to supplements), B vitamins also help reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Like other potassium-rich foods, pomegranates help control blood pressure, and can help lower systolic pressure. They also contain healthy amounts of calcium and zinc for strong bones.

Studies on pomegranates have shown that they are effective cancer fighters. Studies in Israel point to the ability of the juice from the fruit to kill breast cancer cells. Others show that it may inhibit the growth of both lung and prostate cancers.

Several studies show that pomegranates are able to prevent cartilage deterioration in those with osteoarthritis, help the arteries resist plaque build up (and reverse it in some cases), and even prevent dental decay by helping the teeth resist plaque build up.

Other amazing benefits include slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in lab mice, lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, and raising HDL (good) cholesterol. Frankly, with all of those benefits, I’d eat them even if they tasted like dirt. The fact that they’re also delicious makes it, well, a little easier to swallow.