Last Updated on April 26, 2021 by Dr Sharon Baisil MD
Do you frequently think about what are foods that can benefit or hamper your blood sugar levels? Do you struggle with hyperglycemia as a diabetic patient and need better ways to control your blood sugar levels?
Diabetes can often be a challenging ailment to beat. It is more difficult to control your diabetic conditions because diabetes affects more than just your metabolism. Among the many ways to control is to begin with including dietary changes.
Fruits are said to be great for health. But is it true for diabetics too? Are there limitations to some fruits as well? Today, let us look at one such fruit and its effects on a diabetic individual’s health.
We are talking about passion fruit. Let us find out …
- Can passion fruit juice control hyperglycemia in diabetes?
- Is passion fruit high in sugar?
- Health benefits of passion fruit
- Nutrition information of passion fruit
- Side effects of passion fruit
And so on
Well, so let us get started with answering these questions one by one. We are here to help you control and beat your diabetic conditions.
Can passion fruit juice control hyperglycemia in diabetes?
Passion fruit is a tropical fruit that is known for its health benefits. It is great for the body, and passion fruit juice can help control rising blood sugar in the body.
Hence, passion fruit juice can help to control hyperglycemia in diabetes. It is, therefore, a wonderful addition to one’s diabetes-specific meal plans. Passion fruit can be among the list of safe fruits that you choose to include in your diabetic diet schedules.
__________________________________
⭐ Check out this Flipbook with 30-Day Diabetic Meal Plan based on Foods from Each Indian State ⭐
(click on the ▶ arrow below to scroll the pages and 🔍 button to enlarge)
_____________________________
Passion fruit juice can have several advantages on the heath. Most importantly, it does not have any hyperglycemic risings in the blood sugar levels of diabetic patients.
There are many vitamins such as vitamin C and A that help keep the blood sugar levels steady. Not only its juice but the fruit itself can be great for diabetic consumption. It can be had as a juice, in fruit salads, as jams, etc.
Many experiments carried out by health professionals have shown that drinking passion fruit juice does not cause any significant rises in blood sugar levels. Hence, there would not be any risks for diabetic patients.
You need to keep in mind that fruit juices are often higher in carbs and calories than the whole fruit itself because of the added sugar in the juices. Moreover, the value of carbs and calories may go higher if we are talking about store-bought packed juices.
They add more sugar, artificial flavors, preservatives, etc., which make it harmful for health. Thus, it is better to make your passion fruit juices for the best health effects and no risks.
So, how to make a healthy passion fruit drink?
How to make Passion fruit juice?
First of all, passion fruit is a very strong flavored tropical fruit. Its juice is often used to flavor other juices. Hence, to make healthy passion fruit juice, you have to keep it diluted.
Follow these steps:
- Take a passion fruit and scoop out its seeds and flesh.
- Add it to a blender with a cup of water and blend on low power. Make sure you do not pop open the seeds.
- Strain the juice and separate the seeds.
- Add half a cup of water and squeeze in a bit of lemon if you want to.
- Mix it all well and refrigerate.
- Serve cold and enjoy
As a diabetic patient, it is best to avoid adding sugar to the drink. Have no more than a glass of this juice in a day.
Is Passion Fruit High in Sugar?
Well, as we already discussed, passion fruit is lower in carbohydrates as well as calories. This means that passion fruit is not so high in sugar.
In a 100 g serving of passion fruit, you can find around 11 g of sugar. This is a low amount and does not affect diabetic health too much. Hence, it is clear that eating passion fruit is healthy as well as safe for diabetic patients.
Another way to identify if passion fruit is low in sugar or not is to find out its glycemic index. The glycemic index of a food is its symbolic value of sugar that can have a certain effect on one’s blood sugar levels.
Measuring the safety of a food based on its glycemic index is a very effective way to classify it as safe or unsafe for diabetic consumption. The glycemic index is verified on a scale of 0 to 100. Foods are appointed one rank based on their carbohydrate content and are categorized as safe or unsafe.
Here are the glycemic index categories:
| Sl. No. | Glycemic Index categories | Glycemic Index ranges |
| 1. | Low Glycemic Index (safe for diabetics) | 0 to 55 |
| 2. | Medium Glycemic Index (safe if taken in controlled quantities) | 55 to 69 |
| 3. | High Glycemic Index (unsafe for diabetics) | From 70 and above |
By the above table, you will be able to judge the safety of passion fruit on your health. The Glycemic Index of passion fruit is only 30. This means that the passion fruit is low in sugar and will not hamper your diabetic health.
So we have proven that passion fruit is safe and beneficial for the body. But what are the different benefits of passion fruit? Let us get to know them.
What are the health benefits of passion fruit?
Be it the fruit or its juice that you are having; there are several advantages it can extend to your health. Following is a list of health benefits that one can gain by adding passion fruit to their diets:
- Passion fruit is a great addition to one’s diabetic diet, as it is low in sugar and helps to reduce insulin resistance in the body. Thus, it is not only harmful but also helps to encourage diabetic control and management.
- Passion fruit is also known for its blood pressure-lowering qualities. It is high in potassium that helps to protect the body against developing cardiovascular risks and heart diseases. It is also beneficial for diabetics as they are more vulnerable to severe blood pressure ailments.
- Passion fruit also energizes the functioning of the white blood cells and helps in boosting the immunity of the body. The presence of vitamin C assists in protecting the body from several diseases and helps in the reformation of cells.
- The presence of A and B vitamins in the passion fruit also helps keep the cholesterol levels low. This, in turn, further reduces the risks of heart diseases.
- Moreover, it is known to be a cure for anxiety as well as hypertension. These qualities also provide excess heart safety.
- The passion fruit is also rich in iron. Iron in the body is an important mineral that assists in improving blood circulation. Healthy blood and its functioning are very crucial for diabetes management and overall health.
- As this fruit is lower in sugars and calories and more nutritionally dense, it can help in promoting weight loss. Passion fruit also has fiber, which helps in fat management in the body.
- Minerals like potassium, copper, phosphorus, and iron also improve bone health. With age, one can start facing bone weakness and related disorders. The consumption of passion fruit provides a continuous natural mineral supply to facilitate healthy bone management.
- Passion fruit has a lot of water. It is a coolant as well as a hydrating agent for the body. Therefore, it is useful in keeping away stomach issues.
- The availability of vitamins A and C in the body also helps in the overall reduction of oxidative stress in the body. This, in turn, manages the stress levels, induces healthy sleep, and aids proper cognitive functioning in the body.
- The presence of A, B, and C vitamins in passion fruit can be great for your skin as well as health. It is known to promote health and shine in hair as well as skin.
Nutrition information of passion fruit
We had a look at the various benefits that this fruit can have on the body. Now, let us find out about the underlying nutrients that aid these health benefits.
| Sl. No. | Nutrients available in 100 g of passion fruit | Amount available |
| 1. | Calories | 97 |
| 2. | Fats | 0.7 g |
| 3. | Proteins | 2.2 g |
| 4. | Carbohydrates – Dietary fiber – Sugar | 23 g – 10 g – 11 g |
| 5. | Water | 72.93 g |
| 6. | Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| 7. | Potassium | 348 mg |
| 8. | Magnesium | 29 mg |
| 9. | Iron | 1.6 mg |
| 10. | Copper | 0.086 mg |
| 11. | Calcium | 12 mg |
| 12. | Phosphorus | 68 mg |
| 13. | Sodium | 28 mg |
| 14. | Selenium | 0.6 mg |
| 15. | Choline | 7.6 mg |
| 16. | Zinc | 0.1 mg |
| 17. | Vitamin C | 30 mg |
| 18. | Vitamin A | 1272 IU |
| 19. | Folate | 14 µg |
| 20. | Vitamin B2 | 0.13 mg |
| 21. | Vitamin B3 | 1.5 mg |
| 22. | Vitamin B6 | 0.1 mg |
| 23. | Vitamin K | 0.7 µg |
| 24. | Vitamin E | 0.02 mg |
Side effects of Passion fruit
Well, here are some things that you need to consider –
- As the fruit is highly concentrated, it can lead to toxicity in the stomach, nausea, and pancreatic issues.
- Excess consumption of this fruit may lead to neurological issues such as – sleep disturbance, confusion, dizziness, drowsiness, etc.
- If not taken in limited amounts, it can lead to faster and imbalanced heart rates.
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6779082/
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1475-2891-11-89
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40200-017-0300-z
- https://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0101-20612010000300034&script=sci_arttext&tlng=pt
- https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/npj/2012/00000002/00000002/art00006
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1875536415300662
- https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf073247p
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4205930/
- https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/cdr/2020/00000016/00000005/art00005
- https://www.cabdirect.org/globalhealth/abstract/20163142384
