Passionate about Passion Fruit? Know the Health Insights of it

What is passion fruit?

Passion fruit, a tropical fruit which is grown all over the world is gaining immense popularity amongst many people. Passion fruit is basically the fruit of Passiflora vine, a type of passion flower. This fruit has a hard and tough outer rind and its center is filled with juicy seeds. It is small sized but highly nutritious fruit that can benefit your health in many terms.

Benefits of eating passion fruit

Passion fruit is an amazing source of healthy nutrients which is fiber, vitamins like vitamin C and vitamin A and minerals like Iron and potassium. It is found that passion fruit is said to be richer in beneficial compounds like carotenoids and polyphenols as compared to other fruits like banana, lychee, mango, papaya or pineapple. Now we will be talking about the major benefits that passion fruit has in detail.

It is rich in antioxidants- Antioxidants basically protect your body from free radicals or foreign molecules which are unstable in nature thus can damage the cells in our body when present in large numbers. These antioxidants have anti- inflammatory, anti- viral and anti-bacterial properties which can thereby build immunity and reduce the risk of developing any chronic ailments such as heart disease. Vitamin C present in passion fruits also helps in promoting iron absorption.

It is a good source of dietary fiber- Fiber keeps your gut healthy and prevents constipation. Dietary fiber also slows the digestion process and thereby keeps you fuller for longer period of time. It can also prevent increase of blood sugar levels.

Passion Fruit peel is also very healthy- The peel of passion fruit have anti-inflammatory effects. Few studies have said that it can reduce the effects of wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath. In another study, people consuming passion fruit have said to have less pain and stiffness in the joints as compared to the ones who don’t.

How to include passion fruit in diet

• To consume this tropical fruit, you need to rip open the rind of passion fruit in order to expose the colorful, juicy flesh and the seeds. The seeds of this fruit are edible, thus you can easily consume them along with the flesh and juice.
• The white film or a covering which separates the rind from the flesh is bitter but is edible.
• Passion fruit is very versatile fruit and many people prefer to consume it direct out from the rind but can also be consumed in many interesting ways such as-
• It can be sieved and squeezed through a sieve to make a juice which can then further be added to cocktails, mock tails or general flavored water.
• It can be used as a topping for fruit creams or mousses.
• Passion fruit can add a crunchy and sweet flavor to your salads.
• It could be mixed with plain curd or yogurt to make a delicious and healthy snack.

Varieties of passion fruit

The passion fruits are of several types that vary in size and color. Purple and yellow varieties are the most commonly available ones, wherein the purple skinned ones are small round or oval shaped and the ones which are yellow in color are slightly larger oval in shape than that of purple ones

Over to you:

Passion fruit is low in calories and high in nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants — all of which make passion fruit an excellent addition to a healthy, balanced diet.