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Passion Fruit
Ah, how sweet it is. Passion fruit is good as a simple fruit on its own or as a juice. It is often used to scent other juices to enhance the experience of drinking them. Did you it comes in two colors? The purple fruit is sweeter and the yellow fruit is more acidic. You’re apt to eat the purple fruit raw, seeds and all and savor the yellow variety for juices and a variety of other recipes. Don’t let me stop you at juice. How about jelly or be the first to bring a passion fruit pie to the next family gathering. Wow them with a special new cake frosting. It is easily boiled down to create a syrup to use as a base for sauces, gelatin desserts and other confections. Introduce it at your next smoothie party or add to a yogurt for a healthy snack. Vitamins, Minerals and Phytochemical Components A fruit rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber; it includes: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulfur and vitamins A, B, and C. It excels at improving your intake of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and carotenoids (vitamin A). There are indications that the purple fruit has traces of cyanogenic glycosides. However they are precariously located in the skin, and are somewhat poisonous. Fortunately the skin is inedible in its thick hard state; and when boiled (to make jam perhaps), it results in the high temperatures destroying the cyanide molecules. Medicinal Uses Based on Scientific Studies The fruit has a history of uses from Biblical to modern day times. It is known to calm anxiety, promote sleep and have an affect on hyperactive children. It has been used for generations among rainforest inhabitants for respiratory and heart health (2); to treat asthma or urinary tract infections; and as a diuretic. The juice is given to treat gastric cancer as a digestive stimulant of sorts in Madeira isle. In Europe and other parts of the world, there is growing interest in the pharmaceutical industry (1) in regards to the uses of the fruit. In particular, an extract from the naturally dried leaves called passiflorine, a glycoside, for use as a sedative. References 1. Pelegrini, P. B., Noronha, E. F., Muniz, M. A. R., Vasconcelos, I. M., Chiarello, M. D., Oliveira, J. T. A., et al. (2006). An antifungal peptide from passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) seeds with similarities to 2S albumin proteins. BBA - Proteins and Proteomics, 1764(6), 1141-1146. 2. Zibadi, S., Farid, R., Moriguchi, S., Lu, Y., Foo, L. Y., Tehrani, P., et al. (2007). Oral administration of purple passion fruit peel extract attenuates blood pressure in female spontaneously hypertensive rats and humans. Nutrition Research, 27(7), 408-416.
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