Giant citrus - pomelo: where it grows and how it is, so that the body has benefits, not harm

Pomelo is a fruit native to China, the largest representative of the citrus family. It has a very thick pulp, which makes up 20-30% of the volume of the fetus, and fragrant sweet-acid slices. Sometimes a slight bitterness is present in the taste of citrus. Many people mistake the exotic fruit for a giant grapefruit, although these are completely different fruits in terms of chemical composition. We offer you to get to know the pomelo more closely, learn about its beneficial properties, potential harm and contraindications.

Calorie content and composition

100 grams of pulp contains 38–40 kcal and 7.5–8 grams of sugar. Pomelo refers to diet foods with a low glycemic index and calorie content. Recommended for people suffering from diabetes, obesity and other metabolic diseases.

There are almost no proteins and fats in the composition of the fruit, so it can not be called satisfying. Pomelo is suitable for a light snack. 100 grams of pulp contain 1 gram of fiber, including soluble (pectin). The latter has the following useful properties:

• removes toxins, lipoproteins (precursors of body fat);
• prevents chronic constipation;
• nourishes the beneficial intestinal microflora and helps fight dysbiosis.

There are a lot of vitamin C (68%), B1 (2.3%) and B6 (1.8%) in the pomelo. Also in large quantities are potassium (8.5%), phosphorus (2%) and copper (4.8% of the daily norm).

Table 1. Vitamins and minerals in the composition of the pomelo

As for such important substances as vitamin A, PP (folic acid), calcium and iron, the broomstick is often overestimated. These elements, although present in the fetus, are in very small quantities.

7 useful properties of pomelo

Like other citruses, it is good to eat pomelo in the cold season, when people suffer from SARS and the flu. Vitamin C has a positive effect on the immune system, which makes the fruit an excellent prophylactic. If a person is already sick, pomelo juice will lower the temperature, increase the outflow of mucus from the throat, nose, elimination of viruses along with body fluids.

However, the benefits of pomelo are not limited to antiviral properties. What else is fruit worth to the body?

• Helps Fight Overweight

Pomelo is no less valuable for losing weight than oranges and grapefruits. It helps break down body fat and removes excess fluid from the body, so the arrow moves to the left side.

Do not get carried away with a mono-diet based on pomelo, since there are almost no fats and proteins needed by the body, and ascorbic acid in large quantities irritates the gastrointestinal mucosa.

Citrus normalizes blood sugar. A person immediately receives two positive effects: diabetes prevention and a decrease in appetite.

• Prevents gastrointestinal diseases

The main enemy of the intestines is food that is high in simple carbohydrates and low in fiber. Pomelo, on the contrary, supplies the body with pectin and does not overload sugar. Eliminates constipation, flatulence. The fruit contains lipase, an enzyme necessary for the proper absorption of protein.

• Supports Heart Health

The composition of giant citrus has several elements that positively affect the cardiovascular system: vitamins B2 and B6, potassium, magnesium. The fruit regulates the water-salt balance in the body and thereby normalizes blood pressure. Prevents heart attack, coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, atherosclerosis.

• Protects against anemia

The main cause of anemia is a lack of iron. Although Fe is found in small amounts in pomelo pulp, Vitamin C helps to absorb this element from other foods. Therefore, it is advisable to include the fruit in the diet along with beans, shellfish, beef liver, nuts and other foods rich in iron.

• Prevents diseases of the nervous system

The bright aroma of pulp pomelo raises the mood no worse than tangerines for the New Year. Citrus contains lemons - substances that improve the functioning of the brain (thinking, attention, memory). Phosphorus has the same properties. Vitamin B1 protects the nervous system from depression, apathy, chronic fatigue, and insomnia.

• Normalizes hormones

Pomelo contains bioflavonoids - substances that normalize the amount of estrogen and promote the production of collagen by the skin. Therefore, the fruit is useful for the body of a woman.

• Enhances male power

The fruit enhances sperm production, preventing male infertility. Deservedly considered a natural aphrodisiac. The composition of the skin and pulp contains essential oil, the aroma of which improves mood, helps to relax and relax. Vitamin C and antioxidants strengthen the walls of blood vessels, increase blood flow in the pelvic organs, thereby eliminating problems with an erection in men.

Citrus juice, including pomelo, helps to cope with nausea in the early stages of pregnancy. He helps out during a hangover.

Harmful properties and contraindications

A peel that is generously treated with chemicals can harm human health. The toxic antibiotics SOPP, thiabendazole and imazalil are especially dangerous. Citruses are sprayed with these substances in order to protect against premature spoilage, parasites and mold.

First, wash the fruit in hot water (so that antibiotics do not pass onto your hands during cleaning), and then completely remove the peel.

Do not abuse the pomelo. 100-150 grams per day will be enough. And then, provided that you did not eat other citrus fruits. In case of an overdose, bloating, intestinal cramps, nausea and vomiting, heartburn, diarrhea, skin rashes can occur.

With regular abuse, pomelo increases the risk of kidney stones and gall bladder, menstrual irregularities, as well as exacerbation of chronic inflammatory processes.

Some people are forbidden to eat fruit. List of contraindications:

• increased acidity of gastric juice, gastritis, ulcer;
• allergy to citrus fruits;
• chronic diseases of the liver, kidneys and gall bladder (hepatitis, cirrhosis, pyelonephritis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis).

It is not recommended to eat a pomelo during breastfeeding, as citrus can cause skin rashes and colic in a baby. Hypotensives should limit the use of fruit, as it reduces blood pressure.

How to choose a pomelo

Today, giant citrus is sold in markets and grocery stores. There are varieties of light yellow, greenish color, as well as fruits with pink spots.

How to choose a delicious, healthy and fresh fruit?

1. Pay attention to the color. The lighter the pomelo, the sweeter its flesh. Greenish varieties are sour, and fruits with pink spots may be bitter. It is desirable that the color be uniform. Large spots on the peel indicate that many pesticides were used when growing the pomelo.
2. Breathe in the scent. A strong exotic smell with sweet notes is proof of the freshness of the fruit. Spoiled fruits give away acid and yeast. If the pomelo does not smell at all, it means that it was ripened immature, and in the pulp there are very few vitamins and minerals.
3. Press on top in the center. If a dent is left in place of a finger, then the fetus has already begun to rot.
4. Press the peel on the side. The zest of fresh fruit is moderately elastic. A hard and dry peel is evidence that citrus has been on the shelves for a long time and there are few useful substances left in it.
5. Estimate the weight of the fetus. The severity of the broomstick indicates freshness and ripeness. If the fruit is light, then it has already deteriorated.

Buy a pomelo in season: January, February or early March. So you have a higher chance of finding ripe and fresh fruits on the shelves.

How to clean a pomelo

Unlike tangerines, oranges and grapefruits, it is almost impossible to peel the broom with your hands. The fruit has a thick peel, and juicy slices are enclosed in dense shells with partitions. You will need a small sharp knife.

1. Cut the top by 1.5–2 centimeters.
2. Divide the zest of citrus with the vertical movements of the knife into equal sectors.
3. Using your hands, separate the “petals” of the peel from the pulp.
4. Divide the pomelo into two parts, and then into slices.
5. Using a knife, free the pulp from the pitted shells.

If the fruit is not too large, you can peel its peel in a circle, like potatoes.

Slices are eaten whole or divided into parts. In the latter case, there are no problems, since the pulp of the pomelo is apparently dry and does not let juice out.

How to eat pomelo

The peel of the fruit is not eaten, as it is too thick and contains chemicals. In the slices, only pulp is used, freed from white partitions and shells. The latter consists of coarse cellulose, which is not digested in the intestines.

It is advisable to eat the broomstick fresh, separately from other products. At any time, except early morning (on an empty stomach). It is also not recommended to eat fruit later than 3 hours before bedtime.

Fresh and fresh smoothies are prepared from the pomelo, necessarily diluting with water by 30-50%. To improve the taste of drinks, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of honey, ground ginger, cinnamon, and in the summer in hot weather - ice cubes. Pomelo juice is useful for people with obesity, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome.

Use fruit in cooking. It is added to vegetable and fruit salads, desserts, pastries, meat and fish dishes, sauces.

Where and how does a pomelo grow?

Some mistakenly believe that pomelo is a hybrid of other citrus fruits. There are people who are afraid of the gigantic size of the fetus, and they attribute it to the category of GMO products. In fact, a pomelo is an independent type of fruit of the citrus family.

Fruits grow in clusters of 2-3 pieces in a spherical crown of an evergreen tree 10-15 meters high. Fruit ripening lasts 5 months. Delicate white flowers also grow on the tree.

BC, the broomstick was found only in the territory of Southeast Asia, Malaysia and two islands of the Pacific Ocean - Fiji and Tonga. In the XIV century, the plant was brought to Europe, where they began to cultivate.

Today, the tree grows in many regions with a humid and warm climate. It brings the largest crops in the following countries:

• China
• India
• Thailand
• Indonesia
• Vietnam
• Tahiti and Taiwan;
• Israel
• state of California (USA).

Pomelo can be grown even at home from seed if there is a free room. The plant loves diffused light, soft settled water and daily spraying from a spray bottle.

So far, pomelo is a strange fruit for citizens of Russia and other CIS countries. Most people still prefer oranges, tangerines and grapefruits to him. But in vain.Pomelo is very useful for the nervous and hormonal systems, helps to cope with fatigue, apathy caused by the gray and cold weather of our latitudes. In China and other Asian countries, fruit has long been used to and even made it a festive attribute. Perhaps in the near future the pomelo will more often appear on your table - because it is, after all, very tasty.