Dragon fruit, also called pitaya, is the fruit of a cactus that grows in tropical and subtropical areas, including Asia and Latin America. These fruits have a red or yellow peel with green scales, which may be spiny, and tiny black seeds inside a white, magenta or pink flesh. Dragon fruit provides a number of essential nutrients and has some potential health benefits as well.
In addition to its nutritional value and health promoting effects, the dragon fruit is praised for its appetizing crunchy texture and refreshing, sweet flavor which is like a cross between kiwi and pear. To preserve most of its flavor and nutrients, the dragon fruit is usually eaten raw as a healthy snack or it is pureed into smoothies. The rest of this article provides details of the nutritional value, calorie count and the health benefits of the dragon fruit, according to organicfacts.net.
Health Benefits of Dragon Fruit
Cancer Prevention
Along with the antioxidant protections of vitamin-C to boost the immune system, dragon fruits contain other sources of natural antioxidants. Carotene is another component of dragon fruits, and carotene has been linked to a number of anti-carcinogenic qualities, as well as reducing the size of tumors.
Heart Healthy
Americans have increasing problems maintaining cardiovascular health. Fortunately, this fruit has an amazing superpower that helps decrease bad cholesterol levels and replenish good levels. Dragon fruit is an excellent source of monounsaturated fats, helping the heart stay in great condition.
Immune System Health
One of the most beneficial aspects of dragon fruit is its ability to give you a serious boost to your body's defense system. The high levels of vitamin-C that can be found in dragon fruit are one of the strongest assets to your body's immune system, and they stimulate the activity of other antioxidants in the body as well. They actively seek out and eliminate free radicals, the dangerous byproducts of cell metabolism, which have been directly linked to potentially fatal conditions like cancer and heart disease.
Fights Diabetes
The high amount of fiber in dragon fruit can ultimately help regulate diabetes, as it can stabilize blood sugar levels by suppressing sugar spikes. However, with any dietary changes or modifications, always consult your doctor to make sure this is a good food for you.
Suppresses Arthritis
Arthritis directly affects the joints and causes severe irritation and immobility. Adding dragon fruit to your diet can help you fight these ailments. Dragon fruit's benefits for people suffering from arthritis are so great that it's commonly referred to as the "anti-inflammatory fruit."
Digestion
Aside from the immune system bonus, dragon fruits can also help to keep you regular! Dragon fruits have a significant fiber content, which means that they can help your body bulk up its bowel movements, facilitating smooth passage through the digestive tract, stimulating peristaltic motion, and inducing a release of digestive juices. By regulating bowel function with dietary fiber, you reduce your chances of conditions like constipation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and even more serious diseases like colorectal cancer.
Helps In Weight Management
Dragon fruit is low in calories. It is also a rich source of fiber. Therefore, it helps us to feel full after a meal without adding extra pounds. It cleans and improves our metabolic system thereby helping us to maintain a healthy weight.
Treat Acne:
As dragon fruit is rich in vitamin C, it is really useful for treating acne. Take a quarter of dragon fruit. Make a smooth paste out of it. Apply it on affected area. Rinse off with lukewarm water once it gets dry. Apply this regularly, if possible twice a day for best result.
Soothe Sunburned Skin
By combining dragon fruit with cucumber juice and honey, you can create a compound much like aloe that can soothe burned skin. Abundant in vitamin B3, dragon fruit can moisturize sunburned skin and release heat from the affected area.
Antibacterial and Anti-fungal
A final boost to the immune system from dragon fruit is its antifungal and antibacterial quality. This can help increase the white blood cell count in the body which defends against toxins, and it also inhibits the entrance or growth of fungal or bacterial infections in the organ systems. You will also find that it stimulates cell regeneration and speeds up healing, so wounds and bruises will heal at an increased rate.