By Funke Oshifuye
I MUST confess with passion fruit, it is easy to become passionate for this highly aromatic fruit, these are the words of Mr. Johnson, who has been taking Passion Fruit juice in the past two years now. Passion fruit also known as “purple granadilla” is a tropical fruit with an orange pulpy inside and edible seeds. It is a highly aromatic fruit to tantalise the senses and promote an overall calming effect.
Passion Fruit can be eaten raw directly out of the rind, or squeezed into a fresh cup of juice. It is a wise snacking option, one cup of raw passion fruit is low in fat (1.6g), a healthy combination of protein (5.2g) and carbohydrates (55g)and is a high source of Vitamin C, A, Potassium, Iron and dietary fiber.
In addition to being an excellent source of your daily dietary needs Passion Fruit has been known to help relieve anxiety, muscle tension, headaches, and insomnia. Vitamin C is an antioxidant which helps protect your body from heart disease and cancer. Vitamin A is important in helping fight infection, improve vision, protection for your body
Potassium is an electrolyte that helps maintain your body fluid levels. Getting your daily requirement of potassium can help lower your blood pressure, help to maintain muscle energy, aid with arthritic symptoms, control seizures, relieve headaches and promote faster healing. Iron helps to boost your energy level, aids in restful sleep, improves immunity, and most importantly helps transport oxygen through your blood.
Fibre is essential to help prevent constipation, lower cholesterol and excess blood fats.
However, there have been countless testimonials to the mood enhancing properties of the Passion Fruit vine. The easiest way to get the effect is through taking some extract. Studies have also found that a Passion Fruit a day, keeps the insomnia away.
Passion Fruit is also a cancer killer. The juice but mainly the leaves of passion fruit contain the alkaloids, including Harman, which has blood pressure lowering, sedative and antispasmodic action. The passion fruit leaves are used in many countries as medicines.
The flower of passion fruit has a mild sedative and can help to induce sleep. Passion flower has been used in the treatment of nervous and easily excited children, bronchial asthma, insomnia, nervous gastrointestinal disorders and menopausal problems. Passion flower is sometimes used as a mild hallucinogen.
Researchers have found that yellow passion fruit extracts can kill cancer cells in vitro. The phytochemicals which are responsible for this anti-cancer effect are carotenoids and polyphenols. A study has also shown that the consumption of purple passion fruit peel extract can reduce asthma symptoms.