On Saturday, I told you about the ability of passion flower to treat anxiety and insomnia. But the flower of this plant isn't the only healthful part. After the flower fades, it gives way to the passion fruit, which has a tart, citrus flavor to it. While most people toss out the semi-hard shell of the fruit, a recent study has found that it can work wonders on asthma.
We've known for some time that an extract of the passion fruit peel can help with knee pain. In fact, a study back in 2010 showed just how powerful this extract is. In this study, researchers looked at 33 patients with osteoarthritis in their knees. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial had a parallel-group design, making it a highly reliable study.
The researchers gave the patients either a placebo or 150 mg of passion fruit peel extract daily. For two months, the patients took the pills and the researchers evaluated their results using standardized osteoarthritis tests. The researchers found that those taking the passion fruit peel extract experienced a significant improvement in their physical function scores after 30 days and pain scores after 60 days. At 60 days, the patients had reductions of 18.6%, 18%, 19.6%, and 19.2% in pain, stiffness, physical function, and their overall pain score, respectively. However, the scores for those in the placebo group increased in every category.
With those incredible results in mind, the researchers in the new study wanted to find out if passion fruit could help those with asthma as well. While these two conditions seem unrelated, the connection makes sense, as inflammation is present in both knee pain and asthma.
This study was very similar to the first. It was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. And the researchers gave the participants either the passion fruit peel extract (150 mg daily) or a placebo. After four weeks, they found that the extract significantly improved most clinical symptoms of asthma compared to the placebo. Of special note, it significantly reduced their wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. Those taking the placebo didn't see any improvement. What's more, those taking the extract didn't see any adverse effects.
So if you're looking to safely treat asthma and/or knee pain, taking passion fruit peel extract is a great place to start. You can find passion fruit peel extract in Advanced Joint Support. A daily dose of this powerful formula contains 200 mg of the extract, more than the researchers used in both of these studies. This amount is quite safe, and can provide even more anti-inflammatory assistance for both of these conditions.
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Your insider for better health,
Steve Kroening
Steve Kroening is the editor of Nutrient Insider, a twice-a-week email newsletter that brings you the latest healing breakthroughs from the world of nutrition and dietary supplements. For over 20 years, Steve has worked hand-in-hand with some of the nation's top doctors, including Drs. Robert Rowen, Frank Shallenberger, Nan Fuchs, William Campbell Douglass, and best-selling author James Balch. Steve is the author of the book Practical Guide to Home Remedies. As a health journalist, Steve's articles have appeared in countless magazines, blogs, and websites.
Sources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20934601
Watson RR, Zibadi S, Rafatpanah H, Jabbari F, Ghasemi R, Ghafari J, et al. Oral administration of the purple passion fruit peel extract reduces wheeze and cough and improves shortness of breath in adults with asthma. Nutr Res. 2008 Mar;28(3):166-71.