Pomelo: useful properties and harm

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Pomelo is a fruit, the beneficial properties and harm of which are not yet well known in temperate climates, although it is always available in the assortment of fruit counters in any large supermarket.

The Europeans learned about this citrus late, and many buyers still do not really know anything about it, because they confuse different names written on the price tags, and the color of the pulp, which differs in individual varieties. There is a version that the pomelo is from China, although sometimes it is said that it is from Malaysia. The Chinese considered it an expensive gift, but when in the supermarket shoppers are surprised at the significant weight of the fruit, they still do not know that on large trees it can grow up to 6 or even 10 kg, depending on the variety.

Despite its extremely specific taste, it is used for medicinal and prophylactic purposes, as a natural product that is useful in many conditions of the body.

What is and how does an exotic fruit grow

Cītrus māxima - an independent variety of the genus citrus, not crossed with anything, independent and original. In supermarkets on the counters, other names can be inscribed in the price tag, both varieties of transcription - pamela (pomela) and pomelo, and dissimilar ones like sheddock and pompelmus. The presumptive etymology of the latter name is associated with a combination of Dutch apple and melon stems.

Although other linguists are confident in the origin of the term from Portuguese words, literally translated, meaning a swollen lemon. Sheddock is the name of the captain who was the first to deliver the fruit to Europe.

When buyers begin to wonder what a pomelo is, where and how a giant fruit grows, sellers sometimes find it difficult to answer and come up with different versions. One of them is based on the external similarity of citruses, and when it is sounded, the pomelo is passed off as a hybrid of grapefruit. In fact, pomelo is a separate collective term for this variety of citrus fruits, which includes huge, and not very trees (with an indispensable crown in the form of a ball).

They have white flowers of various sizes (large ones reach 7 cm in diameter), and fruits growing separately or in a giant cluster of up to 10 pieces.

It was seen in the wild in Fiji and Tonga, but it also grew in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Now trees are purposefully cultivated (some species are up to 15 m in height). Such a tree can be found not only in China and Taiwan, but even in California, albeit in non-industrial quantities.

It is difficult to confuse sheddock with other citruses, although it may look different:

• spherical or pear-shaped, and even in the form of a flattened ball;
• with greenish-white, yellowish-white, white and pink-raspberry flesh;
• with a yellowish green or dark green skin;
• sweet, sour and sour-sweet taste.

All fruits have in common - fibrous pulp, very thick peel, slices and bridges between them, bones inside the pulp. However, they can be easily distinguished from other citrus fruits by their characteristic bitterness, enormous size (which costs a fruit weighing 10 kg) and drier fibrous pulp. In temperate latitudes, all pomelo fruits are called the same. Among the peoples of Southeast Asia, it is used in cooking, moreover, in different processing methods and in its raw form too.

Therefore, there they distinguish the fruit, which is familiar to Thai and Chinese cuisine, by varieties, and attach great importance to the choice of the right type for different dishes.

The secret to the popularity of the giant citrus

One example is enough to understand how highly valued fruit is in the culture and cuisine of the peoples of China and Thailand. The Chinese give it to each other for the New Year, and Thai residents of this nationality use it in religious ceremonies, often as an indispensable cult attribute. Its calorie content in 100 g of pulp can reach a maximum of 39 kcal. At the same time, the sheddock contains not only micro- and macroelements necessary for the vital activity of the body, but also 5 important vitamins, and ethacrynic acid is a strong diuretic, which simultaneously has a hypotensive effect.

It works quickly, but is prolonged, and, unlike chemical diuretics, does not disturb the electrolyte balance.

Pomelo is:

• effective natural antioxidant:
• has a direct effect on cholesterol metabolism;
• at the same time, it is a product that has a preventive effect against the risk of oncological processes;
• eating an exotic fruit can relieve swelling, have an antiseptic and antimicrobial effect;
• it optimizes the work of the cardiovascular system and the condition of the walls of blood vessels;
• the skin of a giant citrus, dried and ground into powder, is used by thrifty Asians as a tonic, invigorating and good mood remedy, if added to tea.

The Chinese knew about its beneficial properties even before the advent of AD. e., and pomelo is still considered a healing and healing natural component. The fact that Europeans and inhabitants of a temperate climate are not fully aware of the benefits that an exotic fruit can bring does not detract from its importance in Eastern civilizations.

He only regrets that such healing properties are not widely used. After all, even cosmetologists in the oriental methods of skin refining, consider it indispensable for rejuvenating and nourishing masks in beauty salons.

Lose weight or lose weight

Using a pomelo for weight loss is so effective that a citrus pulp mono-diet is not recommended for more than 3 days. The dietary menu is compiled with the addition of other vegetables and fruits, and a small amount of meat in order to obtain animal protein. But eating an exotic fruit for fasting days is safe for health.

Therefore, the days when sheddock is used as a monoproduct can be successfully used as part of any gentle diet. Low calorie content, successfully combined with a significant amount of vitamins and minerals, allows you to lose weight without harming your health.

Experienced nutritionists consider the presence of pomelo necessary in the diet to eliminate the effects of overeating, or gaining excess weight without chronic diseases:

• eating fruit in the morning instead of breakfast, after a few months gives a noticeable visual effect in the area of fat accumulation;
• specific fibers of the fruit pulp, which are drier and denser than other citrus fruits, simultaneously give a feeling of fullness and cleanse the stomach of toxins and toxins;
• antioxidants normalize metabolism at the cellular level and rejuvenate the skin;
• lipolytic enzyme breaks down excess fats and removes them from the body, preventing them from settling on the walls of blood vessels;
• the vitamins obtained by the body (among them beta-carotene, vitamin E, vitamins B5, B2 and B1 are indispensable participants in metabolic processes in the body, which are often not produced in it on their own), and replenishment of their resources, significantly activates metabolism.

Pomelo is a natural fat burner, which, according to doctors, also has positive side effects: it helps to increase immunity and resistance to viruses and infections. The passage of citrus fibers digested by the stomach, moreover, cleanses the intestines of toxic layers.

Pregnancy and the use of exotic fruits

The beneficial properties of pomelo during pregnancy are as undeniable as in the presence of excess weight. The main obstacle that may arise before its use is the presence of allergies or individual intolerance to a specific citrus.

If they are not there, then the fruit can be safely eaten, but without fanaticism - several slices daily.

Its valuable qualities and components can be used to get the results a woman needs in this period:

have a beneficial effect on the development of the child's skeletal system, thanks to the necessary micro and macro elements;

• avoid puffiness and excess weight in the body of the expectant mother;
• act as a natural antidepressant to avoid emotional overload, especially dangerous for a pregnant woman;
• stimulate the body's immunity and prevent possible risks of infection with viral or colds.

When breastfeeding, sheddock will be useful for a child, but it should be introduced into the diet of a nursing woman with extreme caution, starting with a third or half of a slice of unusual exoticism. If the baby has the slightest signs of irritation or indigestion, you should immediately show him to the doctor and stop using citrus.

Benefits and harms in systemic endocrine pathologies

With diabetes mellitus and the absence of allergies, pamelo is considered an ideal product for obtaining vitamins and nutrients. It has one of the lowest glycemic indexes of any fruit, does not raise blood sugar, and also contains fewer calories. In type 2 diabetes mellitus, an exotic fruit is able to lower blood sugar levels, thanks to the pectins and coarse vegetable fiber it contains, which can accelerate the absorption of glucose.

Normalization of fluid levels, elimination of toxins and equalization of blood pressure are additional bonuses that a patient with a diagnosis of diabetic has a constant need for.

The fruit has practically no contraindications, and the harm that it can bring is real only with excessive abuse in anticipation of an instant effect. Only the constant, but devoid of fanaticism, eating a useful pompelmus helps. If you first make sure that there is no reaction of individual intolerance or allergies to it, in a few weeks you can achieve normal bowel function and eliminate excess weight. The main condition is to prevent overdose, as, indeed, when taking any medication.