Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

What are the Benefits of Passion Fruit and How to Eat it?

Advertisement
Advertisement

Passion fruit or Granadilla is a sweet and tart flavored fruit that has numerous health benefits for the human body. The plant originated in Paraguay and spread to the subtropical regions of South America. This highly nutritious fruit belongs to the family of Passifloraceae, in the genus Passiflora. Its scientific name is Passiflora edulis. The plant is a climber in nature and it comfortably grapples nearby structures with its tendrils. Passion fruit is highly nutritious and has varied health benefits when consumed.

Advertisement
Advertisement
What are the Health Benefits of Passion Fruit?
Advertisement

What are the Health Benefits of Passion Fruit?

Passion fruit has a multiple health benefits. The essential benefits of passion fruit are as follows –

  • Passion fruit is a great source of energy. 100 gm of passion fruit provides almost 97 calories of energy. Passion fruit does not deposit any cholesterol in the body.
  • Passion Fruit is also a good and a highly effective antioxidant providing fruit. It prevents formations of free radicals and helps the vital organs, including liver, heart, and the eyes remain healthy and functional.
  • Digestive Health Benefits of Passion Fruit. Passion fruit contains good quantities of dietary fiber. Presence of dietary fiber helps in digestion and removal of toxic materials from the digestive system. Dietary fiber also helps in elimination of bad cholesterol from the circulatory system.
  • Passion Fruit is Beneficial in Building Immunity. Passion fruit is also a good source of vitamin C. This helps in increasing immunity, providing protection against virus and germs, maintaining smooth and bright skin, maintain healthy organs and many other benefits.
  • Eye Health Benefits of Passion Fruit. Presence of vitamin A in passion fruit helps in maintaining good eyesight. Vitamin A along with beta-carotene and beta- cryptoxanthine protects the eyes from multiple diseases including glaucoma and cataract. Vitamin A is also important for protecting the body from lung cancer and oral cancer.
  • Passion fruit is Beneficial in Preventing Blood Disorders and Cardiovascular Diseases. It is a good source of potassium. On regular consumption of passion fruit, about 25% the body’s daily potassium need is fulfilled. Potassium helps in controlling blood pressure and helps in prevention of many cardiovascular issues. Potassium also helps in maintaining the fluid balance of the cells.
  • Passion fruit is beneficial for several neurological health issues. It helps to control restlessness, insomnia, and anxiety.
  • Respiratory Health Benefits of Passion Fruit. Recent studies have shown that the peel of the purple passion fruit contains bioflavonoids. Thus, this portion of the fruit is used for preparing medications for asthma attacks, whooping coughs, and wheezing.

How to Eat Passion Fruit?

Passion fruit can be consumed in different ways. The most common serving methods of the fruit are as follow:

  • Cut the fruit into two halves, scoop out the pulp with the help of a spoon and eat the scooped out pulp.
  • Many individuals prefer to use the pulp of the fruit in salads. Its sweet and tart flavor adds a different taste to the salads.
  • The fruit pulp is abundantly used in preparing sauces, jellies and syrups.
  • It is also used in ice-creams, desserts, pizzas, etc.
  • It is also used to prepare fruit drinks.

Characteristics of Passion Fruits and Its Plants

A passion fruit plant is grown as a creeper vine. More than 500 varieties of passion fruits have been discovered, and their appearances differ in terms of color, shape, taste and nutritional values.

The most common varieties of passion fruits are yellow or dark purple in color. The fruit contains light orange colored juicy and pulpy sacs. Inside each sac, a black or brown colored seed is found. The yellow colored passion fruit is larger in size than the purple colored fruit. However, purple colored fruit has more flavors, and contains higher proportion of the pulps.

Passion fruit grows in warm climate. It is found in subtropical regions like South Pacific, Middle East, Mediterranean, and Central America abundantly.

Nutritional Values of Passion Fruit

Passion fruit is one of the most nutritious fruits available today. It is a rich source of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. The nutritional values of passion fruit per 100 gm are as follows:

  • Carbohydrates: 23.38 gm
  • Protein: 2.10 gm
  • Fat: 0.70 gm
  • Fiber: 10.40 gm
  • Vitamins: 100 gm of passion fruit contains various types of vitamins, including niacin, folates, riboflavin, pyridoxine, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K. Among these vitamins, niacin content is about 15 mg, pyridoxine content is 0.100 mg, and vitamin C content is 30 mg.
  • Minerals: Passion fruit also contains different types of minerals. 100 gm of passion fruit contains 12 mg of calcium, 29 mg of magnesium and 68 mg of phosphorus. Besides these, passion fruit also contains zinc, selenium, and iron.
  • Other ingredients include potassium; sodium; and Phyto-nutrients like lycopene and beta-carotene. In 100 gm of passion fruit, about 348 mg of potassium is present.

Conclusion

Passion fruit is a highly nutritious fruit. It is a good and natural source of vital ingredients. Unlike other fruits, passion fruit is rich is multiple nutrients and has varied health benefits. Being an active antioxidant, passion fruit helps in staying healthy and also keeps the brain sharp. Regular consumption of passion fruit helps in remaining energized and prolific.

Advertisement
Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:July 7, 2017

Recent Posts

Related Posts

Advertisement