Health Benefits of Passion Fruit
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Passion fruit is a plant that is commercially cultivated for its fruits. The fruit is oval and yellow or dark purple at maturity with a soft juicy interior.
Passiflora is from the Latin passus (suffering) and flos (flower), literally the Flower of Passion so called by the early Catholic Spanish priests in South America who regarded the plants features as symbols of the Crucifixion.
1. Passionfruit is believed to contain somniferous properties, which are calming and sleep-inducing. Many indigenous tribes of South America traditionally used passionfruit in calming tonics and as a sedative.
2. Passionfruit contains high levels of fibre, which is essential for your toddler's digestive system, metabolism and eliminating toxins from his body.
3. Full of Vitamin A and flavonoid antioxidants, this fruit is great for your little one’s developing vision, mucous membranes and skin.
4. Vitamin C helps build up resistance against flu-like viruses and passionfruit is packed with it. So if your toddler gets the sniffles, the Vitamin C will lessen his symptoms and can help him make a faster recovery.
5. Did you know one passionfruit contains the same amount of potassium as a banana? Potassium aids the function of the body’s cells, tissues and organs, which is vital for growing bodies.
6. Just because a passionfruit has wrinkly skin does not mean it’s ripe. Passionfruit is best judged by weight, rather than skin. If it feels heavy and ‘full’ it’s probably ripe but if it’s wrinkled it may have started to dry up.
7. Passionfruit crops are mainly pollinated by honeybees. If you’re ever near a passionfruit farm you will notice hives strategically placed throughout the crop to encourage pollination.
8. The passionfruit is technically a berry. This is because, by botanical definition, it is a fleshy fruit grown from a single ovary.
9. The passionfruit takes its name from the fruit’s exotic-looking flower and is said to symbolise the Passion of Christ. The three stigmas are said to reflect the three nails in Jesus’ hands and feet, the 10 petals represent the Apostles (not including Peter or Judas), and the vines represent the whips used on Jesus.
10. Another type of supplement extracted from passion fruit peel was found to improve physical function and decrease the pain and the stiffness among patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. The reported beneficial effects were thought to be due to the antioxidant properties and antiinflammatory chemicals of the passion fruit peel.
