Passion Fruit

While the origin of the passion fruit plant is unknown, it is generally believed to be native to Brazil where 16th Century Spanish Catholics named it "Flor de las cinco llagas" or "flower of the five wounds" after its distinctive purple flower.

There are two types of passion fruit, the purple and yellow passion fruit, which differ in appearance but taste the same. One is about the size of a large egg, oval shaped with a purple-brown skin. The other is quite a bit larger, round and about the size of an orange. This type is bright yellow on the outside. Both contain a jelly like pulp inside with hundreds of small black seeds.

Passion fruit by itself tends to taste tart. It is usually used with other types of fruit in recipes to lighten its tangy taste. Passion fruit, as well as its flower, are known for their aromatic scent. Because of its sweet smelling fragrance, passion fruit is sometimes added to food simply to enhance its aroma.

Passion fruit is popular in gourmet cooking. It is used in many desserts, such as passion fruit-mango mousse and passion fruit brulee. Some jams are made of passion fruit. Passion fruit is also used in main dishes, such as lobster with passion fruit butter sauce. Juice, punch, liqueurs and cocktails have a tropical flair when made with passion fruit.

The health benefits of Passion Fruit:
1.Passion fruit juice is an excellent digestive stimulant and helps in the treatment of other gastric ailments.

2.Passion fruit seeds contain high amount of fiber that the body needs to cleanse the colon, improve digestion, and help prevent heart attacks and strokes.

3.Passion fruit is high in vitamin A & C which helps the body to remove free radicals that cause skin and tissue damage, and it also helps to improve our vision.

4.It is also rich in Vitamin C which helps to repair tissue, helps prevent heart disease and cancer and helps our bones.

5.There is also a compound in passion fruit that is believed to block histamine, reduce allergy and inflammation; passion fruit therefore has the health benefit of reducing the symptoms of asthma.

6.The antioxidants found in passion fruit have been found to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

Grapefruit

Grapefruit is a sub-tropical fruit originated from the western countries. United States furnishes about 90 percent of the world's supply of grapefruit.

Grapefruit is comparatively a latest addition to the citrus family, which has originated from the natural combination of orange and pomelo. The grapefruit is huge in size than the orange but must be smaller than the pomelo. It looks like an orange from the outer side. The name of this fruit comes from grapes, because like grapes, even this grows in clumps and can be found in majorly three colors, namely red, white and pink. As it comes under the category of citrus fruits, the grapefruit contains a large amount of vitamin C. Apart from this, the grapefruit houses other essential nutrients and minerals which help in preventing as well as curing a host of diseases, and hence is necessary for leading an healthy life.

Nutritional Value of Grapefruit
The main source of nutrition in grapefruits come from vitamin C, which helps in strengthening the immune system. It also contains potassium and Vitamin A, K, D and B complex. Other than this, one can also find folic acid, calcium, phytonutrients and phosphorus in grapefruit. Moreover, these nutrients are not only present in the fruit, but also in its outer covering.

Health Benefits of Grapefruit:

Then eating or juicing grapefruit, peel off the skin but leave as much rind intact as possible. Include the rind as it contains the highest amount of valuable bioflavonoids and other anti-cancer agents.

1.Acidity: Although grapefruit has a sub-acid taste, its juice actually has an alkaline reaction after digestion. This has a profound effect in the treatment of acidity in the digestive system that causes a host of other health problems.

2.Atherosclerosis: Pectin in this fruit has been found to be effective in reducing the accumulation of arterial deposits, and the vitamin C helps to strengthen and maintain the elasticity of arteries.

3.Breast cancer: In another study, the bioflavonoids found in grapefruit was discovered to even halt cancer cells from spreading in breast cancer patients, by ridding the body of excess estrogen.

4.Common cold: A common cold is usually your body telling you that you are overworked. A regular drink of grapefruit during a stressful period gives your immune system the boost needed to prevent it coming on.

5.Cholesterol: A certain compound found in grapefruit helps reduce the excessive production of cholesterol from the liver.

6.Diabetes: A diabetic can safely eat a grapefruit. In fact, more consumption of this fruit will help reduce the starches and sweets in the system. If you have a tendency towards diabetes, consume more grapefruit juice to prevent it.

7.Digestive disorder: This juice helps to promote digestion by increasing the flow of gastric juices. Eat the fruit together with its rind for its extra fiber that aids bowel movements.

8.Fatigue: At the end of a long and tiring day, drink a glass of grapefruit juice with lemon juice in equal parts with a little honey, to dispel all fatigue and tiredness.

9.Fever: Besides drinking plenty of fluids, also drink grapefruit juice to reduce fever.

10.Insomnia: A drink of grapefruit juice before bedtime, helps to promote sleep and alleviates insomnia.

11.Pregnant woman: The bioflavonoids and vitamin C help to reduce water retention and swelling of the legs during pregnancy.

12.Sore throat: Drinking a freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice helps relieve sore throats and soothes coughs.

13.Stomach and pancreatic cancer: The anti-cancer agents in grapefruit (especially in the rinds) are particularly protective against these cancers in the digestive system.

14.Weight-loss: This fruit has a fat-burning enzyme and can help to absorb and reduce the starch and sugar in the body. It is widely consumed by people who are trying to lose weight. If you don't fall under the category of people mentioned below (look at "Caution" column), then take a glass of grapefruit juice twice a day and eat normally.

Consumption Tips:
Choose grapefruits like how you would oranges¾firm and springy to the touch. If you can, choose the pink and red variety which are slightly sweeter.
Keep grapefruits at room temperature before juicing to get the most out of it. To prepare, quarter the fruit and peel off the skin. Leave in as much rind as possible as it contains the most anti-cancer agents.
If you find the grapefruit juice too bitter or sour, mix with a little honey or with juices of other sweeter fruits.

Caution:
Grapefruit contains high levels of flavonoid naringin that will reject synthetic man-made drugs. This is beneficial for our human cells because it helps to recognize alien compounds which should not be in our body, therefore, are treated as toxins.
The presence of grapefruits may halt the metabolism of these drugs, leaving the drugs in your body thus creating the risk of toxic poisoning. Doctors may tell you that grapefruit is the cause of the toxicity, but in fact, it is really the drugs that is causing the toxicity.
If you are not under medication, grapefruit juice can do a world of good. However, despite all its goodness, always remember to take only in moderation. Excessive consumption of any citrus juices can leach calcium from the body system, causing decay of the bones and teeth.

Pomelo

Pomelo (Citrus maxima or Citrus grandis) is a citrus fruit native from Southeast Asia and is grown in many countries in the east including India, China, Japan, India, Fiji, and also grows in the Caribbean and USA.

Pale green color, and when ripe yellow color, with sweet white (or, more rarely, pink or red) and the meat of pomelo is very thick spongy rind. Pomelo fruit size is very large, with a diameter of a basketball, and usually weighing between 1 and 2 kg.

The pomelo is the most exotic citrus fruit which is the ancestor of the common grapefruit, and is also called pummelo, jabong, Bali lemon, lime large, and shaddock. Pomelo is capable of adapting well in the dry and relatively resistant to diseases that attack plants.
Usually pomelo fruit is eaten raw or used for cooking include adding slices of fruit to desserts and salads and squeezing juice from citrus to create Beverages.
Pomelo have a lot of good nutrition for the body such as vitamin c, potassium, dietary fiber, Protein, and Carbohydrate.

Health Benefits of Pomelo:
1.The rind of pomelo contains a high amount of bioflavonoid. The bioflavonoid in pomelo was discovered to even stop cancer cells from spreading in breast cancer patients by ridding the body of excess estrogen.

2.Even if the juice of pomelo has an acid taste, its juice actually has an alkaline reaction after digestion. It is therefore beneficial in the digestive system.

3.Pomelo has pectin which is effective in reducing the accumulation of arterial deposits.

4.The high content of vitamin C helps to strengthen and maintain the elasticity of arteries.

5.Pomelo can aid in the weight loss process, because the fat burning enzyme in pomelo can help to absorb and reduce the starch and sugar in the body.

6.Pomelo can even help in cases of fatigue, diabetes, fever, insomnia, sore throat, stomach and pancreatic cancer

Do note that the season for pomelo is only from August to next Feburary.
Buying a 1-2 kg sour pomelo back home can be frustrating because of its weight. If possible have a sample tasting before you buy. That is the experience I encountered.