Dragon fruit is often considered a tropical "superfood" because of its wealth of benefits, and its somewhat "under the radar" quality that makes it less well known than many mainstream fruits and health foods.
It is also known as "pitaya" if it comes from the very closely related Stenocereus genus, but the actual Dragon Fruit is the fruit of the cactus genus Hylocereus. It has its origins in Mexico, South America, and Central America, but New World settlers probably brought it to Southeast Asian nations like Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines, where it remains an important part of the dietary fruit intake.
Dragon fruit is an exotic and delicious fruit that grows on various cactus species, and is widely promoted throughout the world as having a number of health benefits, including its ability to lower cholesterol, boost the immune system, prevent cancer and heart disease, aid weight loss, improve digestion, boost energy, defend against bacteria and fungi, and help in the overall functioning of the body's systems, according to naturalfoods.com.
Calories
If you are looking for fruits that are filling and delicious, but will help keep your weight in check, dragonfruits are a perfect choice. A 100g serving of dragonfruit has only 60 calories: 18 calories from fat (all unsaturated), 8 calories from protein and 34 calories from carbohydrates. Dragonfruits do not have complex carbohydrates, so they can be easily broken down by the body, according to natrualfoods.com.
Fats and Cholesterol
Dragonfruits do not contain cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fat, so regular consumption will help manage your blood pressure and control your cholesterol levels. The seeds of dragonfruits are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids) that reduce triglycerides and lower the risk of cardiovascular disorder.
Dragon Fruit Vitamin C
The amount of vitamin C in dragon fruit is high, and because the dragon fruit is a natural fruit providing you with a rich balance of nutrients coming along with the vitamin C, you absorb the Vitamin C in dragon fruit efficiently when you eat dragon fruit as part of your fruit healthy diet.
Fiber
Dragonfruits are high in fiber, so regular consumption can help avoid constipation, improve your digestive health and help you reduce weight.
Micronutrients
One small dragon fruit will provide you with 15 percent of the daily value for vitamin C, 10 percent of the DV for potassium, 8 percent of the DV for iron and 1 percent of the DV for calcium. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps limit the damage caused to your cells by free radicals. It is also necessary for healing wounds and producing collagen, which is used to make cartilage, skin, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels. Potassium is essential for digestion and muscle and heart function.
Macronutrients
A small 7-ounce dragon fruit contains 59 calories, 2 grams of protein, 0.4 gram of fat and 14 grams of carbohydrate, including 1 gram of fiber. The carbohydrate in dragon fruit consists mainly of the sugars fructose and glucose. The fiber is made up of mainly oligosaccharides, which aren't digested in the stomach or small intestine. These oligosaccharides act as prebiotics, helping to stimulate the growth of the healthy bacteria lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, which are probiotics, notes an article published in June 2010 in "Food Chemistry." Probiotics help limit the growth of unhealthy bacteria and help with digestion. They may also help treat diarrhea and other intestinal infections, according to MayoClinic.com.
Phytoalbumins
Dragonfruits contain phytoalbumins, which have antioxidant properties that help prevent the formation of cancer cells. In addition, dragonfruits are also known to increase the excretion of heavy metal toxins from the body.
Lycopene
Lycopene is also present in dragonfruits, and this is the pigment responsible for their red color. Lycopene is said to prevent prostate cancer.
Caution
There are no health risks associated with dragon fruits, and studies have even shown that pregnant women and breast-feeding women are safe to eat dragon fruits without any worry of risks. So, go out to your nearest exotic market and grab some delicious and wildly nutritious dragon fruit
