Consuming passion fruit brings extensive health benefits. For example, passion fruits can lower blood sugar, protect against cardiovascular diseases and also support the treatment of diabetes.
There are an estimated 400 different species of the passionflower family. Of these, around 40 to 50 species bear edible fruits, some of which have enormous health benefits. But what specific effects can be expected?
What does passion fruit look like?
The passion fruit is about the size of a normal chicken egg with a dark red to purple color of the shell. The peel is also slightly wrinkled (the riper it is, the more wrinkled it is) while the peel of passionflower plants such as passion fruit tends to be smooth. Passion fruits are also about twice as big as the typical passion fruit.
Both the normal passion fruit and the passion fruit have many seeds. However, the seeds of the passion fruit are a little harder and the taste of the passion fruit is a bit sour compared to other passionflower plants.
Ingredients of passion fruit
Passion fruits generally have a variety of healthy ingredients. It contains many vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin B3, vitamin E, beta-carotene, iron and potassium. Passion fruit also contains magnesium and phosphorus.
According to a study, passion fruits are particularly rich in ascorbic acid and antioxidants, with ascorbic acid known to lower blood sugar levels, improve insulin activity while promoting the autonomic function of the heart. Antioxidants, on the other hand, offer protection against damage caused by so-called free radicals.
According to the researchers, intake of ascorbic acid is associated with improving autonomic cardiac function in people with heart failure, and supplementation with passion fruit juice could potentially prevent cardiovascular disease.
Passion fruit reduces complications of diabetes
Another study examined how flour made from passion fruit peel affected blood sugar. The team found that intervention with the flour was actually associated with significant blood sugar benefits.
This is an extremely important finding because many of the health complications associated with diabetes are due to problems with blood sugar. Strategies to deal with this problem are therefore of great clinical importance, the researchers explain.
In another study on passion fruit and diabetes, participants with diabetes took capsules containing a flour made from the albedo (the inner white layer) of passion fruit three times a day. The participants also fasted.
The effects were compared with those of treatment with turmeric capsules in combination with fasting as well as taking piperine, standard treatment with fasting and taking a placebo, the team explains.
It was found that participants who consumed passion fruit albedo capsules experienced a significantly greater reduction in blood sugar levels after fasting than participants in the other groups.
Consume passion fruit more often
Taken together, the study results make it clear that passion fruit can support the treatment of diabetes and in particular the reduction of blood sugar, while at the same time protecting against cardiovascular diseases. (as)
