Passionately Good
Passionately Good
It might not be a common inclusion in your diet, though grown in India, but the passion fruit should be a part of your lifestyle, with its varied health benefits
Text & Photographs: Farzana Contractor
Considering passion fruit is grown in India, it isn’t or hasn't yet become a very popular ingredient in our culinary lifestyle. Considering its manifold health benefits, we highly recommend you take a serious look at it and see if you want to include it in your regular diet.
Passion fruit is a flowering tropical vine, known as passiflora, that grows in warm climates such as in Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Australia, South Africa, and India. In our country we refer to it as Krishna Phal. And the beautiful flowers on this vine as Krishna Kamal. It is an incredibly beautiful flower, purple (mainly, though you also have orange and maroon), intricate and delicate like lace. A handiwork of God and nature that makes you want to sing praises of both. The flower is the reproductive organ of the plant whereas the fruit is the structure containing the seeds.
Passion fruit contains a soft pulp and lots of seeds inside a hard rind. People can eat the seeds and pulp or juice them, or add them to other juices.
If you have never handled one, we have to let you know it's not easy to separate the seed from the pulp and therefore, it’s a lot easier to just munch on the whole thing. Yes, you can chew the seeds, they are edible, though a tad tart.
So it means you can eat the passion fruit raw, juice, pulp, seeds and all. Except of course the rind. The white film separating the rind from the flesh is edible as well, but most people don't eat it, as it's very bitter. All you have to do then is cut open the fruit and merely scoop out the contents and spoon it in your mouth! It smells pretty good and can easily be swallowed!
There are other ways of utilising the goodness of passion fruit. You can remove the seeds by pressing the pulp through a strainer or cheesecloth and use the juice in a variety of ways, such as mixing with water and sugar to make a drink, adding the juice to other fruit juices such as orange or pineapple, adding the juice to yogurt with other fruit, boiling it into a syrup from which you could make many other things, such as sauces or desserts, a jelly or jam, making it into a soft drink or wine.
Passion fruit does not respond well to heat preservation and canning, though you could combine it with other fruits that respond better to this method. The pulp can also be frozen for later use.
So, is passion fruit really good for you?
Apparently. And the world is taking note of this fact. It is low in calories and high in nutrients, fibre and antioxidants – all of which make this fruit an excellent addition to a healthy, balanced diet. The seeds are high in magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C and they add a nice little crunch to whatever you put them on.
The high levels of vitamin A it contains is important for skin, vision, and the immune system, and vitamin C, an important antioxidant, helps to neutralise free radicals in the body. As we are aware, antioxidants play a vital role in keeping the body’s systems healthy. Scientists affirm that antioxidants improve blood flow, specifically to the brain and nervous system. Vitamin C also boosts the immune system by helping the body absorb more iron from plant-based foods, and helps improve the body’s ability to fight off infections in the body.
Passion fruit also reduces cellular stress and inflammation in the body, both of which have links to diseases, such as heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
Passion fruit pulp contains a lot of dietary fibre. Fibre is a crucial component of every diet. It helps regulate the digestive system and keeps the gut healthy, preventing constipation and bowel disorders. Fibre is what also helps reduce cholesterol and boosts heart health.
Passion fruit has a low glycemic index (GI) value. This means that it does not cause a steep increase in blood sugar after eating it, making it a good option for people with diabetes. Most fruits have a low GI, though the American Diabetes Association warns that dates, melon, and pineapple have a higher GI.
Some research suggests that a compound found in passion fruit seeds could improve a person’s insulin sensitivity. Improving insulin sensitivity does help reduce the risk of many diseases, including diabetes.
Passion fruit is loaded with heart-healthy potassium and is also low in sodium. Passion fruit, when eaten with the seeds, contains a lot of fibre, which can help to remove excess cholesterol from the inside of blood vessels. A high fibre diet can reduce a person’s risk of heart disease.
In addition, eating passion fruit may help improve a person’s blood pressure. Diets low in sodium and rich in potassium help to decrease blood pressure. Magnesium, which is an important mineral that scientists have linked with decreased stress and anxiety, is found in the fruit, too. A systematic review, TrustedSource, from 2017, suggests that magnesium can help people manage their anxiety levels. However, the authors say that the quality of evidence is poor, so researchers need to do further studies. That apart, the nutritional benefits of passion fruit cannot be denied.
In conclusion, to the questions ‘are there any disadvantages to passion-fruit’, ‘any side effects’ ? Here is the answer.
For most people, passion fruit is perfectly safe to eat. However, some people with a latex allergy may react to it. This is called cross-reactivity. This is because there are some proteins in latex that are similar to those in passion fruit. People with a latex allergy should be careful when eating it until they know whether they too react to the fruit. Also, apart from causing allergic reactions in sensitive individuals, an excess consumption of passion fruit can result in short-term gastrointestinal distress due to the high content of dietary fibres.
The best for the last; research shows passion fruit can make you sleepy, and have a sedative effect. Now you have to decide whether it’s a good effect or bad. We think this could be a good natural option to help a person having a hard time falling asleep.
