Passion fruit, also known as passion fruit, is a tropical fruit with a sour taste that many people love. So what does passion fruit do?
Overview of passion fruit
The article on the website of Vinmec General Hospital said that passion fruit is the fruit of Passiflora, a flower of the genus Peanut. It has a hard outer shell, which envelops an inner layer of seeds. There are many varieties of passion fruit that differ in size and color, of which purple and yellow varieties are the most popular.
Namely, Passiflora edulis. Small passion fruit round or oval shape, purple outer peel. Passiflora flavicarpa round or oval shape, yellow shell, and size is usually slightly larger than the purple type.
Although passion fruit is a fruit of tropical origin, some varieties can survive in subtropical climates. For this reason, passion fruit is grown all over the world, both in Asia, Europe, Australia as well as South and North America.
What does passion fruit do?
According to experts, more than 550 different passion fruit species are harvested around the world, but the most common is the purple or light yellow color. Here is the nutritional value of passion fruit and its effects on health.
Nutritional composition of passion fruit
Passion fruit is a good source of nutrients and minerals, especially fiber, vitamin C and vitamin A. It is estimated that in one purple passion fruit contains:
- Calories: 17 calories
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Vitamin C: 9% of the daily value (DV)
- Vitamin A: 8% DV
- Iron: 2% DV
- Potassium: 2% DV
Although it may not seem like much, this is the amount of nutrients contained in a small fruit with only 17 calories. It also provides fiber, vitamin C and vitamin A, rich in beneficial plant compounds, including carotenoids and polyphenols.
In fact, one study found that passion fruit is richer in polyphenols than many other tropical fruits like lychee, mango, banana, papaya and pineapple. In addition, passion fruit also provides a small amount of iron.
Your body usually doesn't absorb iron from plants easily. However, the iron in passion fruit comes with a lot of vitamin C, which is known to enhance iron absorption.
The effect of passion fruit on health
Here are the effects of passion fruit on health you should not ignore:
Passion fruit contains a lot of vitamin C
According to Femmeactuelle.fr, Netdoctor.uk, Vitamin C is an essential vitamin that your body cannot produce and store on its own — so you need to get plenty through your diet. Vitamin C is necessary for various body functions, including the growth and recovery of tissues and bones. Vitamin C also enhances iron absorption. This is important, as your body usually doesn't absorb iron from plants well.
Passion fruit is rich in vitamin A
Passion fruit contains an impressive amount of vitamin A. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps maintain a healthy immune system. Vitamin A is necessary for vision, skin, bones and cell regeneration. Vitamin A is stored in your body, mainly in your liver. Passion fruit also contains beta-carotene, which is metabolized into vitamin A in our body when needed.
Passion fruit contains a lot of fiber
Fiber is important for a healthy gut. One passion fruit provides 2g of fiber, most of which is soluble fiber, which will turn into a gel-like substance during digestion. This slows down digestion, preventing blood sugar spikes.
Soluble fiber also reduces the amount of fat your body absorbs. A diet rich in fiber aids digestion and reduces the risk of metabolic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and obesity.
Passion fruit rich in antioxidants
Antioxidants have the ability to protect the body from free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can damage cells when present in large amounts. Passion fruit contains a lot of antioxidants and is rich in vitamin C, beta carotene (provitamin A) and polyphenols.
Polyphenols are plant compounds that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which reduce the risk of inflammation and chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease.
Vitamin C is an important antioxidant that you need to get from your daily diet. It supports the immune system and lets the aging process take place in a balanced and healthy manner.
Beta carotene (provitamin A) is also an important antioxidant. Your body converts it into vitamin A, which is essential for maintaining good vision. Diets rich in plant-based beta carotene may reduce the risk of certain cancers, including prostate, colon, stomach, and breast cancers.
Passion fruit seeds are also high in piceatannol, a polyphenol that improves insulin sensitivity in overweight men, while reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes when taken as a supplement.
Passion fruit peel works to reduce inflammation
The high antioxidant content in passion fruit peel can provide powerful anti-inflammatory effects if taken as a food supplement. One small study investigated the effects of purple passion fruit peel on symptoms of asthma for 4 weeks. As a result, the group taking the supplement had reduced wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath.
In another study in patients with knee osteoarthritis, those who took purple passion fruit peel extract reported less pain and stiffness than those who did not take the supplement.
Overall, the use of antioxidants on inflammation and pain in people with osteoarthritis remains unclear and additional studies are needed to prove more.
Side effects of passion fruit need to be cautious
According to Femmeactuelle.fr, Netdoctor.uk said that although passion fruit is generally safe to eat, it can cause allergic reactions in some people. People with latex allergies are at the highest risk of a reaction to passion fruit, because some plant proteins are structurally similar to those of latex proteins.
In addition, passion fruit contains small amounts of toxins called cyanogenic glycosides. It is most concentrated in some types of passion fruit peels, as well as the pulp of unripe passion fruits.
Cyanogenic glycosides can cause cyanide poisoning in large amounts, so avoid eating a lot of unripe fruit and don't eat the peel unless it's been extracted and processed as a supplement.
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