Why is the pomegranate red? The answer shocks everyone

Pomegranate is the name of an arboreal plant of the Punicaceae family but in common parlance this fruit is called pomegranate, meaning the fruit from which it is produced. The pomegranate belongs to the fundamental food group VI and VII, that is, foods rich in vitamins A and C; it is also rich in water, fiber, fructose, mineral salts and non-vitamin antioxidants and has also been credited with truly miraculous antioxidant properties, so much so that it has been labeled as an “anti-cancer fruit”.

It is certainly no coincidence that in the original weights the fruits of the pomegranate acquired a magical significance since they appear in the texts of many ancient cultures, with references both sacred and of purely medical interest. . One of the legends about it says that the pomegranate was a wonder of Mother Nature, from where, therefore, everything was born and with whom everything will end. Many ancient cultures considered it almost an earthly testimony of higher entities, beliefs reinforced by the fact that the plant survives all hostilities very well.

The pomegranate lends itself to the daily diet of all healthy subjects and the possible contraindications to its use are only to be noted for metabolic pathologies with a very strong genetic basis, linked to obesity or in any case pre-existing.
But let’s go to the center of the article: why does the pomegranate take on this dark red color?

This fruit indeed has a remarkable coloring power, which is why, since the dawn of time, it has also been commonly used as a natural dye, especially for fabrics. This property is given by the presence of tannins and flavonoids: pigmented substances that are extracted not only from the fruit but also from the wood of the pomegranate tree. These pigments are perfectly resistant to light and to all washes of animal and vegetable fiber fabrics.

However, it is believed that the only color that can be obtained from the pomegranate is red, but what is not known is that from this fruit and from the tree itself, different pigments can be obtained ranging from more or less light yellow to different shades of gray and moreover, according to an old Babylonian process, wool colored blue then boiled in a decoction of pomegranate peel, takes on a marvelous emerald green color. Curiosity: the common name “apple-wheat” has its roots in ancient Latin and derives from “malum” and “granatum”, terms which in Italian mean “apple” and “with seeds”.