Passion fruit: useful properties and contraindications

Passiflora passionfruit is a tropical fruit that grows on sturdy vines about 10 meters long. The passionfruit comes in several varieties, depending on the size and color of the fruit. Fragrant and tasty fruit is liked by many people, in addition, they are very useful for the human body, so you should include them in your diet as often as possible.

What passion fruit looks like and where it grows

The passionfruit is a sturdy woody vines up to 10 meters long, on which once a year flowers appear and after 80 days ripe fruit grows from them. The fruits look like large, dark purple or yellow plums. The ripe fruit has a slightly wrinkled, dense rind. If the skin is smooth and not firm enough, it indicates the fruit is not ripe.

There are several varieties, but the most common are yellow and purple fruits. If we talk about purple passion fruit, it is mainly distributed in South America, Africa, Thailand, Australia, but its homeland is Brazil and Argentina. There is no exact data about the origin of yellow passion fruit. The purple one is preferred as a food, while the yellow fruits are mainly used for industrial purposes.

It should be noted that the largest harvests of passion fruit are grown in Hawaii, where they produce juice from this fruit on an industrial scale. It is also widespread in Kenya, South Africa, India, Sri Lanka and some other countries.

It is possible to grow passion fruit in any country as long as all necessary conditions are artificially created for it. It can withstand slight frosts, but significant sub-zero temperatures can kill the plant, which still prefers the warm tropics. This fruit is grown in Russia as well, and often at home. In specialized stores one can buy passion fruit seeds, which are more commonly known as "passiflora".

Composition and calories

Passiflora is a bright and tasty fruit, which is also very useful for humans. The rich composition of the fruit includes many vitamins (C, A, B vitamins, biotin and folic acid), minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, sodium, iodine, zinc, etc.), as well as antioxidants, flavonoids, beta-carotene and, of course, fiber.

Passion fruit is quite caloric - about 68 kcal per 100 grams (many fruits contain no more than 50 kcal per 100 grams). But despite this, it can and should be included in the diet of thinners, as it is able to make up for the lack of vitamins and nutrients, as well as to saturate the body with energy and overcome many ailments.

Useful properties of passion fruit

General benefits

Passion fruit has a rich vitamin and mineral composition, due to which it is very useful for health. The ripe fruit allows you to maintain youth and beauty and generally have a positive effect on the body.

Due to the abundance of vitamin C, passion fruit is indicated for consumption during the season of colds and viral diseases. This fruit is able to boost the immune system and give strength to the body to fight various diseases.

Passion fruit also has a positive effect on cardiovascular diseases, strengthening the walls of blood vessels and regulating cardiac activity. The tropical fruit's antioxidants reduce harmful cholesterol in the blood, preventing diseases such as strokes, heart attacks, diabetes, and obesity.

The ripe fruit of passion fruit has a mild laxative effect, which helps to overcome constipation. In general, the fruit has a beneficial effect on the entire digestive process, so it should be included in your menu for people suffering from diseases of the stomach and intestines.

Doctors also recommend consuming fresh passion fruit to those who suffer from kidney disease, gout, asthma, neuropsychiatric disorders and depression. Passion fruit also has a calming effect, helping to overcome insomnia.

For women

All women want to stay healthy and beautiful for as long as possible. To prolong their youth and improve the condition of their skin, hair, and body in general, passion fruit can help. Regular consumption of this tropical fruit will have only positive effects on the female body. Vitamin A improves eyesight, C helps to overcome colds, antioxidants, which are also found in great quantities in passion fruit, eliminate wrinkles and revitalize the skin, making it smooth and radiant. In addition to direct consumption, passion fruit can be used in scrubs, masks and other self-made cosmetics.

For men

Passion fruit is useful for the male body, first of all, because it has a beneficial effect on the reproductive system. It is believed that the regular inclusion in the diet of this tropical fruit increases the chances of conception by several times. The positive effect of passion fruit on the sexual life of men is also known.

It is especially useful for men aged 35-45 who are at risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. The substances in this fruit prevent diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. It has also been proven to reduce stress, activate the brain, and eliminate insomnia.

Pregnancy

Pregnant women should consume exotic fruits very carefully and in small quantities. The same restrictions apply to passion fruit. Before you include this fruit in your menu, the future mother should make sure that she is not allergic to it. To do this, you need to try a slice of passion fruit and monitor the body's reaction after 2-4 hours. If no manifestations were found, then there is no allergic reaction, so you can safely include passion fruit in your diet.

Passion fruit is able to eliminate edema, which is typical for pregnant women, as well as prevent blood pressure spikes, improve digestion and nervous system functioning. For the unborn child, passion fruit is also very useful - it has a beneficial effect on the development of the neural tube of the fetus, as well as on the formation of the bone system, muscles and brain.

When breastfeeding

During breastfeeding, you should be careful about the introduction of new products into your diet, especially those that are allergenic. It is desirable for nursing women not to use passion fruit and other exotic fruits. But if you really want to try this delicacy, you can treat yourself to one piece. In the absence of allergies in the baby, the use of passion fruit is allowed only in small quantities, and not every day. Despite the fact that the fruit contains many vitamins and other useful substances, it is advisable to wait until the end of breastfeeding, and then introduce it into your diet.

For kids

Passion fruit is good for children, as it has the ability to increase immunity, saturate with vitamins and other beneficial substances. However, pediatricians do not recommend giving passion fruit to children under the age of three, because a young child's body is not yet able to digest fruit with such a complex composition. Introduce the fruit to the child's diet gradually, starting with a single slice and bringing the portion of 100-150 grams per day.

Weight loss

In the process of losing weight, it is desirable to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Firstly, plant foods contain a sufficient number of useful components, which may be lacking in the body that is deficient in nutrients. Secondly, passion fruit, which contains a lot of fiber, is able to stimulate the digestive process, acting as a mild laxative, as well as to maintain the necessary energy level in the body for a long time.

In order to maximize weight loss results, you need to consume passion fruit regularly. It is desirable to eat this fruit in the morning, but not on an empty stomach or snack on it between the main meals. There are several options for unloading days and diets on passion fruit, but they are quite tough, and therefore suitable only for a perfectly healthy body and require prior consultation with a doctor.

Diet on passion fruit
In the dietary diet should be present not only fruits, but also proteins and products containing healthy fats. A sample menu for a passion fruit diet looks like this:

1. Breakfast: 100-150 g of passion fruit, 100 g of natural yogurt, boiled egg.
2. Snacks (second breakfast and afternoon snack): 100 g of passion fruit and 30 g of nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts).
3. Lunch: vegetable soup, 100 g of protein product (chicken, fish, beef).
4. Dinner: cottage cheese with the addition of live yogurt.

Such a diet may not be observed for more than one week and should be repeated not earlier than one month. During the rest of the time, you need to eat healthy, mostly plant foods, observing the caloric intake, balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as engaging in physical activity as much as possible.

Passion fruit cleanse day
On a discharge day it is allowed to eat only this fruit, eating up to 1 kg of passion fruit a day. At the same time during the day you are allowed to drink only pure non-carbonated water and a glass of kefir for dinner. It is allowed to repeat this day not more than once a week. The weight loss effect will be noticeable the very next morning, which is explained not only by the lack of calories, but also by the ability of this tropical fruit to remove excess fluid from the body and stimulate digestion processes. It is important not to consume the fruit in too large quantities, as this can lead to digestive disorders in the form of diarrhea, as well as nausea and headaches.

Passion fruit oil: properties and uses

Passion fruit oil is a valuable product in cosmetology. It helps in the fight against early aging, moisturizes, nourishes the skin and has anti-inflammatory effects. It also helps in the fight against cellulite and can be used for sports massage (to overcome the symptoms of sprains). Passion fruit oil contains a lot of bioflavonoids, carotenoids, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins A, C, K, E as well as calcium, potassium and phosphorus.

Cosmetic passionflower oil can be used in the daily care of the face and body skin, as well as hair and nails. However, it is necessary to choose a really good quality oil to get all the useful properties out of it.

Apply the oil to the skin with light strokes of your fingertips. Remove excess oil with a napkin, but do not wash it all off. For hair you can make masks on the basis of passion fruit with the addition of other vegetable oils - coconut oil, linseed oil, burdock oil. Warm the mixture in a water bath, apply it to the hair from root to tip, hold for half an hour (you can do more) and rinse. To strengthen the nails, you can use passionflower oil, applying a small amount of it to clean, unpainted nails before going to bed.

Traditional Medicine Applications

Passion fruit is not only a tasty fruit, but also useful. Due to its rich composition, it is used in many recipes of folk medicine. And the medicinal properties possess not only the pulp of the fruit itself, but also its peel, as well as the leaves and bark of the stems.

The pulp of the fruit is recommended to eat fresh in case of gout and rheumatism, as it can quickly relieve the pain syndrome. It is also recommended to eat passion fruit for people suffering from constipation and fluid retention, because this fruit has a mild laxative property and quickly removes excess water.

Passion fruit leaves are used to prepare a remedy for insomnia and nervous disorders. Also an extract from the leaves is indicated for bruises, period pains and other painful symptoms. The listed properties of passion fruit leaves are due to their high content of the substance passiflorin, a known pain reliever and sedative.

From the rind you can get the necessary amount of vitamin C, which is especially needed by the body during the spread of colds and viral diseases. And the antioxidants contained in passion fruit prevent the early aging of the body and even the development of cancer.

Passion fruit in cosmetology

Passion fruit has been used since ancient times in beauty and youth recipes. Thanks to its rich composition, this fruit is able to have beneficial effects on the entire body. The extract of the fruit is used in traditional cosmetology and in folk beauty recipes. Women from generation to generation have passed down the secrets of youth and beauty, in which the passion fruit is present. Let's consider the most interesting of them.

For face

1. Lifting mask. For its preparation, take 2 tbsp. passion fruit pulp, 2 tbsp. banana puree, 1 tbsp. starch, 1 tbsp. almond oil. Mix all the ingredients, apply to the skin, hold for 20-30 minutes, then rinse with warm water. Such a mask with regular use (7 to 10 days, every other day) will make the contour of the face clearer, reduce wrinkles and generally refresh the skin.
2. A "refreshing" mask will transform your face after just a few sessions. It is easy to prepare: take 3 tbsp. passion fruit pulp, 1 tbsp. avocado, 1 tsp. oatmeal and honey, combine all ingredients (you can use a blender), put on your face and leave on for 30 minutes, then wash off. The components included in the mask can eliminate flabbiness and puffiness, strengthen thin capillaries, make the skin firmer and fresher.
3. Nourishing mask to prolong youthfulness of the skin: mix 1 tsp. passion fruit and cacao powder with one egg yolk and two pinches of dried plantain leaves. The resulting composition to apply to the skin massaging movements, leave for half an hour and wash off. The nourishing mask will not only help your skin to return the blooming look, but also reduce the appearance of inflammation, pimples and black dots.
4. The facial cleansing mask is prepared as follows: Mix 2 tbsp of passion fruit puree with 1 tsp. sage and 1 tsp. henna. The resulting composition is applied to the face, after 8-10 minutes rinse. It is important not to keep this mask for too long to avoid irritation, as it includes not the mildest substances - sage and henna. Repeat such a mask can be once a week. Already after the first procedure will be noticeable significant improvements.

For hair

The passionflower oil has the best effect on the hair. It should be applied to the ends of the hair in small quantities or to make masks on its basis. One version of the mask: mix in equal proportions (depending on the thickness and length of the hair take the appropriate amount of ingredients) passion fruit oil, coconut oil and burdock oil, heat the composition in a water bath until it is warm, but not hot, hold for an hour, then wash it off. The mask will make the curls more lively and shiny, as well as strengthen them and protect them from damage.

Nourishing mask based on passion fruit is prepared as follows: Mix 2 tbsp. fruit pulp with 1 tbsp. natural yogurt, one egg yolk and apply to the entire length of the hair. If necessary, the volume of ingredients can be increased. Hold such a mask should be for 30 minutes, then rinse. This composition perfectly nourishes hair, making it healthier, softer and shinier.

Hair mask "moisturizing": Mix 2 tablespoons of passion fruit pulp with 1 tablespoon of burdock oil and one egg yolk. Apply the mixture to the hair, hold for half an hour and rinse thoroughly. After the first use, the effect will be noticeable - the hair will look healthier, moisturized and shiny.

Health Hazards and Contraindications

Passion fruit refers to allergenic products, as well as most exotic fruits. It should be consumed in small quantities to avoid allergies and negative reactions of the body. Overeating this fruit threatens digestive disorders, abdominal discomfort, and an increase in body weight, since passion fruit contains a lot of sugars.

Passion fruit is contraindicated in the following cases:

• individual intolerance;
• Digestive diseases in the acute stage;
• Gastritis and stomach ulcers (after consulting your doctor).

It is also important to know that before consuming passion fruit it is necessary to make sure of its quality. The fruit should not be wrinkled or have any defects, scratches, etc. The skin may contain harmful substances, because for a longer storage the fruit is treated with a special wax composition. Therefore, before eating passion fruit it is necessary to wash it thoroughly with soap and water.

How to choose and store passion fruit

When choosing a really useful and tasty passion fruit, it is necessary to use some tips:

1. The skin of a quality fruit is firm, slightly rough and of uniform color. Any spots and cracks will indicate damage, in which case eating such fruit is undesirable.
2. The weight of a single fruit should be heavy (about 100 g). Poor-quality fruit may appear too light, which means that its flesh has dried out over time.
3. If you shake the fruit, it will make a characteristic "gurgling" sound, indicating that the flesh of the passion fruit will be juicy and tasty.
4. Purple passion fruit is sweeter than yellow passion fruit. There are also several varieties that are very sour and are used in cooking instead of lemon. The sweet fruit has a rough, wrinkled rind, while the sour fruit has a smooth and smooth rind.

If you can't pick a ripe fruit, you can remedy the situation by putting the unripe fruit in a vase at room temperature. In a few days the fruit will ripen and become fragrant and delicious. Ripe passion fruit is stored in the refrigerator at 1 degree or less and for no longer than 7 days.

If you can't eat the entire stock of the tropical fruit, there is no need to wait for it to go bad. You can preserve passion fruit by freezing its pulp mixed with a little sugar. In this form, it is stored in the freezer for about a year.

How to eat passion fruit correctly

Delicious and ripe fruit can be eaten simply, it is not necessary to prepare those or other dishes. To do this, you must first carefully wash the fruit, cut it in half and eat it with a spoon. You can eat the pulp, juice and seeds of passion fruit, but the peel and the white part should be thrown away.

How much you can eat per day

Passion fruit can be eaten every day, but only in a limited quantity of 300 grams. If you exceed this amount, you risk allergies and side effects such as nausea, indigestion, and headaches. It is also desirable to eat this fruit after the main meal, as a dessert or for a snack.

Can I Eat the Seeds

Passion fruit seeds can and should be eaten together with the pulp, as they have a number of beneficial properties for the body: they stimulate digestion, saturate with vitamins and minerals, help to overcome a number of diseases. The pips should be eaten by chewing them thoroughly. Their taste and consistency may resemble that of grapes, however, they are similar in their composition.

How to peel

To peel passion fruit is quite simple, but before you peel it you need to wash it with hot water to remove the wax layer, which covers the fruit for storing for a longer time. Already clean and dried fruit can be cut in half with a knife and eaten. It is important to use only a sharp knife, as the soft passion fruit pulp can be crushed.

What to make with passion fruit: Recipes

Passion fruit can be eaten both fresh and cooked into a variety of dishes. In Thailand, many people consume this fruit by sprinkling it with salt and ground black pepper, in the Philippines - spicy red. These methods of consumption are suitable for real gourmets, but there are also more classic recipes for passion fruit dishes.

Jam

If the traditional jam from strawberries, cherries, apples and other berries and fruits is already quite bored and bored, you can try to cook it from such an exotic as passion fruit. To make it, you need to take 2 kg of pulp of this fruit and 1 kg of sugar. Mix the pulp with sugar and put it on a low heat, let it boil, keep it on low heat for 15 minutes, then remove it and after it has cooled completely, put it on the stove again. The second time boil the jam for another 15 minutes, removing the foam that forms, then cool, place in containers and store in the refrigerator. If you plan to store jam for a long time, the container must first be sterilized and dried.

Juice .

To make fresh passion fruit juice you will need 5 ripe fruit, some sugar, cold water and ice for serving. Remove the pulp from the fruit with a teaspoon, cutting it in half. Put the pulp in a blender, add water at a ratio of 1:3, and whip for a couple of seconds. Prolonged beating can cause the seeds to grind and turn them into sand. Then strain the juice through a sieve, add sugar, pour into glasses and put a few pieces of ice. You can add a different amount of water and sugar, depending on individual preference.

Sauce

An unusual and exotic passionfruit sauce can be made to accompany fish or meat. This sauce is also excellent with rice and can be used as an additive to almost any dish.

Recipe: Mash the pulp of 2 passionfruit, dilute with a little water, strain through a sieve to remove the seeds. Pass the onion with a little butter, add 5-6 sprigs of finely chopped parsley or thyme. Mix it all with passion fruit pulp, season with salt and pepper, simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes and serve hot with the main course.

Smoothie

Passion fruit makes a delicious and nutritious smoothie. You can prepare it according to the following recipe: flesh of two fruits, 100 ml of orange juice, 10 ml of lime juice and ginger juice, 40 ml of sugar syrup and a sprig of mint, mix it in a blender, pour it into glasses, decorate with passion fruit slices and serve. You can add ice cubes to the smoothie, on a hot summer day this drink will come in handy.

Interesting facts about passion fruit

1. The name of the fruit comes from the Native American "passion fruit," meaning "to eat in a bowl." This means that the fruit can be eaten out of a bowl by taking out its pulp.
2. The passionfruit is often referred to as the "fruit of passion" because back in the 16th century the fruit became a symbol of Jesus Christ's crucifixion.
3. In some countries passionfruit is eaten exclusively salted and peppered, as well as prepared from it sauces and additives to meat and fish dishes.
4. Passion fruit contains antioxidants, which have the ability to destroy the causative agents of serious diseases, including cancer.
5. Although passion fruit is a rather demanding tropical plant to climatic conditions, it can be grown at home. To do this, you need to place the seedlings in a bright room with a temperature of 12 to 25 degrees Celsius. The plant will not only be an ornamental decoration of the house, but it can also bear fruit with proper care.
6. The sweetest fruits have a rough, wrinkled surface, but the smooth, even skin indicates that the fruit is not yet ripe or belongs to the sour variety.

Photo of passion fruit