Passion fruit may ward off asthma attacks

A study by the University of Arizona and a medical school in Iran has found that asthma sufferers can lessen the effects of their ailment by eating passionfruit.

Asthma currently affects 400 million people worldwide, and asthma attacks can leave people short of breath; sometimes they can even be fatal. The problem is on the increase due to global warming and more traffic on the roads.

The humble passion fruit, which hails from South America and was once seen as an exotic fruit, is now available worldwide.

The scientists took extracts from the peel of purple passion fruits and then freeze-dried them to form a powder. One group of asthmatic volunteers were given the powder, whilst another took a placebo, with volunteers placed in America and Iran.

According to the Daily Record, researchers said the passion fruit powder “significantly improved the symptoms of asthma after only four weeks.

“Patients experienced less wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath.”

The brains behind the study plan to extend it with more participants in order to discover the long-term effects of passion fruit as a preventative supplement.

Source: The Daily Record