Pomelo

Pomelo is a plant from the citrus family, the fruits of which have been used as food for many centuries.

Its homeland is China, for the purpose of sale it is grown in a number of countries such as Japan, India and Thailand. Pomelo is often compared to grapefruit.

But in fact, these two citrus fruits are of different origin and are distinguished by their properties. Pomelo does not have an unpleasant and bitter taste, does not stain the hands, has less skin and is easier to peel.

The trees on which this exotic fruit grows reach a height of 10 meters, their crown is round and well-shaped.

The leaves of this plant are oblong and up to 20 cm long, their upper surface is silky, and their lower part is silky.

Pomelo flowers are large and white in color. The fruit has a characteristic appearance that cannot be mistaken for other fruits.

Pomelo is bigger than grapefruit, the weight of one can reach 1 kg. The shape of the fruit is round or pear-shaped, with a length of about 18 cm.

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Pomelo is mainly consumed raw, that is, without heat treatment. The pulp /the inner soft part/ can be added to seafood salads and to exotic sauces.

Pomelo can be used to make jam, marmalade, compote, candies and syrup to sweeten confectionery.

The pulp of the exotic fruit can also be used as a garnish for fish and meat dishes. The low caloric content of pomelo allows it to be classified as a dietary food.

Fresh fruit can be stored at room temperature and stays fresh longer than grapefruit. Quite often pomelo is also used for decorative purposes at the festive table.

Pomelo – useful properties

The fruits of this exotic tree contain many vitamins and trace elements. The vitamin composition of pomelo is represented by vitamins A, C, from group B.

All of them are essential for the regulation of various biochemical reactions in the body, as they are part of most enzymes in the tissues.

Vitamins A and C are strong antioxidants, protecting cells from the damaging effects of oxygen free radicals.

Vitamin C also helps strengthen the walls of blood vessels and increases the body’s immune defenses.

Vitamins from group B are involved in the formation of blood cells, contribute to regeneration – the restoration of damaged tissues.

Of the minerals in pomelo, iron, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and sodium are the most abundant. These are the most important trace elements that regulate intracellular balance and the functions of internal organs.

To a certain extent, the health benefits of pomelo also contribute to the special organic substances that were identified in the process of researching the composition of this fruit – limonoids.

In research, it has been found that limonoids have the ability to prevent the proliferation of cancer cells and thus exhibit their prophylactic and curative properties in relation to malignant diseases.

Pomelo’s anti-cancer properties have only been observed under the condition that it is consumed regularly, but in terms of effectiveness, they can be compared to medicinal preparations administered during chemotherapy.

The calorie content of the exotic fruit without the skin is about 35 kilocalories per 100 grams. The small amount of calories allows pomelo to be recommended to overweight people.