Passion fruit has a pulpy interior with a lot of seeds. When mature, their exteriors can come in yellow or purple color depending upon the variety. Golden or yellow passion fruit has more airy and acidic flavor whereas the purple one is highly aromatic and has a strong flavor.
Pleasantly sweet and tart, passion fruit, also known as granadilla, is brimming with numerous plant derived health benefiting nourishment essentials for the optimum growth. Passions are native to subtropical wild regions of South America, probably originated in Paraguay. The plant is an avid climber (vine) which grows on anything that it can grapple around through its tendrils.
This fruit is widely consumed in the form of juice, in salads, fruit pulp, mixed in cocktails, in desserts and a flavoring agent.
Here are some of the health benefits;
- It can cure a burning sensation in the stomach. It helps to relax your nerves and mind.
- It aids bowel action. It is beneficial in digestive problems & is a remedy for the treatment of hyperacidity, gastric and duodenal ulcers.
- Passion fruit juice contains alkaloids which have blood pressure lowering, sedative, and antispasmodic action.
- It is rich in beta-carotene which is responsible for the yellow and purple color of passion fruits. It is also called pro-vitamin A as it is converted to vitamin A in the liver. Being an antioxidant, it helps prevent cancer, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
- Beta carotene contained in it promotes bone and tooth development, repairs body tissues and benefits the eyes besides reducing the risk of arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, infertility, and depression.
- Passion fruit is rich in vitamin B2, vitamin B6, folate and choline which support the mucous membranes in the digestive tract as well as mental health and brain function.
- Passion fruit juice has a calming effect on the nervous and hence is beneficial for insomnia patients.
- It can soothe asthma attacks. It contains vitamin C which helps in blocking histamine that causes asthma symptoms.
- Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps the body prevent and fight against diseases and infections. It also speeds up wound healing by facilitating the repair of tissues.
- It contains the mineral potassium in abundance, vital for the proper functioning of the kidneys and muscle contractions and particularly beneficial for smokers, vegetarians and athletes.
- The fruit is a very good source of dietary fiber. 100 g fruit pulp contains 10.4 g or 27% of fiber. A good fiber in the diet helps remove cholesterol from the body. Being a good bulk laxative, it also helps protect the colon mucous membrane by decreasing exposure time to toxic substances in the colon and wiping off cancer-causing toxic substances from the colon.
- Vitamin A is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin-A and flavonoids may help to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
In the stores, buy fruits that are well ripe, plump and heavy for their size. Fruits with wrinkle surface are actually more flavorful and rich in sugar.
Avoid overtly mature fruits. Minor cuts and spots are common on the skin. Such small abrasions on the fruit surface usually do not influence the quality of the fruit.
Once at home, keep them in fruit basket and place in a cool dark place where they stay well for 1-2 days. Ripe fruits may be kept in the refrigerator for up to one week. Additionally, passion fruit freezes well. Simply scoop the pulp into a bowl, add a little sugar, and freeze in the chiller tray.