Great Reasons to Add Dragon Fruit to Your Diet

As the name suggests, dragon fruit looks similar to a dragon. It grows on a climbing cactus known as Hylocereus that lives in tropical regions. The outer skin of dragon fruit is red, pink or yellow in colour. The leaves are dragon shaped and the fruit has fiery thorns around it. Hylocereus natively grows in southern Mexico and southern Central America, and was introduced to Southeast Asia by the French in the early 19th century. 

Inside the dragon fruit is a white semi-hard fruit that can be eaten with a spoon and contains walnut-like seeds. Juicy and slightly sweet, the seeds have a nutty flavour. There are many benefits of dragon fruit which we will discuss in detail in this blog. Let’s start by looking at its nutritional value. 

Nutritional Value: 170 grams Dragon Fruit Cubes contains:

Calories: 102 

Carbohydrates: 22 grams 

Protein: 2 grams 

Fat: 0 grams 

Fibre: 5 grams 

Carbohydrates: 13 grams 

Vitamin A: 8 Vitamin 0 International Units (IU) 9 Vitamin C: 4 mg 

Calcium: 31 mg 

Iron: 0.1 mg 

Magnesium: 68 mg 

Dragon Fruit Health Benefits:

Micronutrients Let’s look at 10 important health benefits of dragon fruit.

Reduces the risk of diabetes:

Dragon fruit is known to control diabetes. This is because the fibre present in the fruit prevents sugar from rising. Some researchers believe this benefit is due to its ability to replace damaged pancreatic cells. The pancreas produces insulin, which breaks down sugar. Hence dragon fruit is considered effective in controlling sugar levels. 

Reduces the risk of cancer:

Dragon fruit is rich in antioxidants, flavonoids, phenolic acids and betacyanins that prevent damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are substances that cause cancer and premature ageing. One of the main antioxidants is vitamin C, which protects against chronic diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. This is one of the main health benefits of dragon fruit. 

Improves Immunity:

As mentioned above, dragon fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that prevents disease and boosts the immune system. Some studies suggest consuming 200 grams of dragon fruit per day for disease prevention. 

Improves digestion:

Dragon fruit contains prebiotics like oligosaccharides that help the growth of good bacteria in the gut. These prebiotics are present in the lower gastrointestinal tract and promote the growth of good gut bacteria, thereby aiding in food digestion. Gut bacteria help digest and break down food more easily. It also provides vitamins that protect the body from various diseases. 

Improves heart health:

Our body contains haemoglobin (Hb) which is iron rich cells. These HB cells help carry oxygen from the heart to other parts of the body. Dragon fruit is rich in iron, which helps in hemoglobin production. Dragon fruit, whose pulp is red, contains betalain, a unique nitrogenous pigment. Betaine is uniquely known to reduce bad cholesterol in the body.

Additionally, the fruit contains heart-healthy black seeds and is rich in omega-3 and omega-9, which reduce the chances of heart disease. 

Fights ageing skin:

As mentioned above, dragon fruit contains antioxidants that help fight ageing caused by pollution, stress, poor diet, etc. Vitamin C in dragon fruit gives firmness to your skin. 

Good for Hair:

Studies have shown that consuming dragon fruit daily with milk reduces hair damage caused by pollution and artificial dyes. It gives softness and shine to your hair, adding beauty to it. 

Healthy Bones:

Dragon fruit contains magnesium, which strengthens bones and helps prevent age-related injuries and pain. Therefore, people who are at high risk of bone diseases are advised to consume dragon fruit regularly. 

Good for your eyes:

This fruit contains beta-carotene, which breaks down into vitamin A. The lens of the human eye contains large amounts of lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin, which help maintain eye health and prevent eye diseases. Research shows that you should consume 3 mg to 6 mg of beta-carotene per day to avoid eye diseases.

Good for pregnancy:

Dragon fruit helps in pregnancy in the following ways: 

Rich sources of fats:

Good fats keep energy levels high in the body and help in foetal brain development. Protects against infection – Dragon fruit protects against infection and helps in cell regeneration. 

Relieves Constipation:

The fibre in dragon fruit prevents constipation and other stomach ailments in pregnant women. 

Increases Haemoglobin Levels:

The iron content of dragon fruit helps improve the oxygen carrying capacity of blood cells, thereby increasing haemoglobin levels, which is essential for pregnant women.

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