Passion fruit is a nutritious tropical fruit. It’s gaining popularity, especially among those who are health conscious. Despite its small size, it’s a rich source of antioxidants and contains a range of vitamins and plant compounds that could benefit your child’s health. This tropical fruit is actually considered a type of berry, according to botanists. It is the fruit of the Passiflora vine, a type of passion flower. It has a tough outer rind and juicy, seed-filled center. There are several types, which can vary in size and color. The most commonly available are the purple and yellow varieties.

These are Passiflora edulis, which are small round or oval-shaped fruits with purple skin and Passiflora flavicarpa, which are usually slightly larger than the purple variety; these are round or oval-shaped with yellow skin. Although they are a tropical fruit, some varieties can survive in a sub-tropical climate. Because of this, they are grown all over the world and crops can be found in South and North America, Asia, Europe and Australia.

Because of its numerous health benefits and its distinctly unusual taste, you can actually consider including this fruit in your child’s diet. In this article, we will discuss the 11 health benefits of passion fruit in your child’s diet-

Passion Fruit in Your Child’s Diet : 11 Health Benefits

Immunity booster

This immune strengthening property in passion fruit is due to the presence of vitamin c, carotene, and cryptoxanthin. All of these vitamins act  as antioxidants, which scavenge free radicals from the body and neutralize them before they can harm the organ systems and result in conditions like cancer, heart disease, or premature aging. This fruit could work wonders for your child’s immunity.

Anti-cancer

Passion fruit is also a powerful source to enhance anti-carcinogenic activity in the body. Antioxidants in passion fruit primarily eliminate free radicals, which are known for mutating the dna of healthy cells into cancerous ones. Passion fruit also contains vitamin a, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds, all of which have been linked to anti-cancer properties.

Rich in antioxidants

A high antioxidant content of passion fruit is helpful in reducing wrinkles, and promotes the proper functioning of membranes throughout the body, including the skin, to keep it hydrated and glowing. It is perfect for your beautiful child.

Helps in digestion

Passion fruits are a very strong source of fiber. Fiber is an essential component of a healthy diet since it is the substance that facilitates healthy digestion of food and the regulation of bowel movements. It can reduce signs of constipation by regulating bowel movements and scrubbing the blood vessels clean of excess cholesterol.

Helps in circulation

Iron and copper are both essential components of red blood cell production. Once the rbc count increases and the vessels are dilated, then healthy, oxygenated blood can flow freely to necessary areas of the body, stimulating the metabolic activity in all the organ systems and boosting productivity and efficiency. Healthy blood flow is essential for proper functioning.

Improves bone health

Since passion fruit is such a rich source of minerals like iron, copper, magnesium, and phosphorus, it is a very important fruit for increasing bone mineral density and bone strength. Some of these minerals play an integral role in creating additional bone matter, strengthening existing bone matter, and speeding up repair.

Eye-health

Nowadays children are wearing thick spectacles that are partly due to excessive exposure to screens in the form of television and computers, and rest can be blamed on the unhealthy food habits. The good news is that loss of eye vision and general improvement in eyesight can be attained by including healthy food in the diet. Passion fruit is among those healthy foods that prove beneficial for eyes.  It contains a high amount of antioxidants like vitamin a, vitamin c and flavonoids. These nutrients protect eyes from free radical damage and take care of the mucous membranes that shield cornea of the eye.

Helps asthmatic patients:

Passion fruit can bring relief to asthma patients. It was deduced that it could be because of the anti-allergic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of the fruit. The flavonoids of purple passion fruit have been found to be particularly useful in bringing the asthma symptoms in control.

Anti-anemia

Low level of blood is usually referred to a deficiency of hemoglobin called anemia. Anemia is not a serious condition, but if it remains unchecked and undiagnosed for long, it can lead to very serious consequences. Passion fruit contains a high amount of iron which is 20% of daily required value along with vitamin c. Vitamin c is vital for absorption of iron in the body. It prevents loss of iron and increases hemoglobin in the blood.

Healthy blood pressure

High potassium content with almost no sodium makes passion fruit highly effective in protecting from high blood pressure. Potassium regulates electrolyte balance and controls the muscle function of our entire body including heart muscles. It also prevents the release of calcium into the blood stream that can cause blockages in the arteries if released in excess. These three functionalities of potassium make it an indirect factor that regulates optimum blood pressure in the body.

Healtheir alternative to unhealthy desserts

Replace high sugar desserts with healthy passion fruit laden desserts. You child won’t regret this.

All the problems mentioned here might seem as unlikely problems that a child can face, but even then, a proper diet can go a long way in shielding your kid from these future problems. So go ahead, and include this gem of a fruit in your child’s diet.