Passion fruit has been providing nutritional value to people since olden times, but it recently gained popularity among health-conscious individuals. Its name may sound exotic, but the fruit itself grows in a climbing passion flower called Passiflora vine in tropical countries like Hawaii, Australia, and New Zealand. On the outside, it is round with yellow or purple colored skin. Some might think that it is a plum or lemon until they sliced and see it in half.
Despite its small size, it is packed with passion fruit’s health benefits like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
1. Nutrition Packed Fruit
Passion fruit juice has lots of nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and a single fruit can give you 17 calories and 2 grams of fiber. What made passion fruit benefits famous are its plant compounds that include polyphenols and carotenoids. A study conducted with passion fruit proved it to be healthier than other tropical fruits like banana, mango, papaya, lychee, and pineapple because of its polyphenol compounds. Aside from that, the fruit has a minimal amount of iron.
2. Rich Source of Antioxidant
Passion fruit is now getting the attention of many health-conscious and scientific communities because of its antioxidants content like vitamin C, polyphenols, and carotene. Polyphenol is a type of plant compound proven to have a beneficial effect on inflammation to lessen the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart diseases, and cancer. Other passion fruit benefits are having the right amount of vitamin C for an optimum immune system function. Beta carotene can be converted into vitamin A which is known as an essential nutrient for healthy vision.
Passion fruit nutrition is linked to a lower risk of developing certain cancers like in the breast, colon, prostate, and stomach. The seed is also a rich source of piceatannol that can alleviate insulin sensitivity in overweight men.
3. Rich in Dietary Fiber
One serving of fruit can offer 2 grams of fiber, vital in ensuring a healthy gut and preventing constipation. Although fiber is widely available in various fruits and vegetables, it is often ignored in the diet. Health benefits of passion fruit are related to its soluble fiber, which is known to slow down digestion, thus control blood sugar spikes. A diet filled with fiber tends to lower the risk of developing illnesses that include obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases.
4. Passion Fruit Peel for Inflammation
The peel of the skin from the fruit is proven to have a high level of antioxidant more than its flesh and has a powerful defense against inflammation. There are passion fruit peel supplements that you can take. According to a small study done to a group of individuals with asthma who took the supplement showed a significant reduction in coughing and difficulty in breathing.
Another study in purple passion fruit juice from the peel was administered to people with osteoarthritis resulted in lesser pain and stiffness right after taking the supplement. However, further clinical studies are needed to support the claims.
5. Passion Fruit Side Effects
There is no doubt about passion fruit benefits. However, a small number of people suffer from allergies after eating fruit. It can happen to those with an allergic reaction to latex. The reason behind it is that the fruit may have plant protein substances similar to latex proteins.
6. Easily Included in the Diet
Because of passion fruit nutrition, many Research and Development in the food industry are now taking several studies on the fruit’s usefulness in food production. It is an excellent addition to drinks because of its great taste, or it can be used to give flavor to cakes and pastries.
