Health benefits of dragon fruits are innumerable. Dragon fruit is an effective anti-ageing agent, useful in the management of Anti-ageing, Anti-cancer, Hyperlipidaemia, Chronic cough, Male infertility and Diabetes.
Dragoon fruits were traditionally used as cures in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda. Its juice is a powerful skin tonic, rejuvenating to all skin types, including sensitive and oily while revitalising dull and tired-looking skin.
Dragon Fruits
Dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) is the fruit of several cactus species, and one of the most popular cacti in the world. Dragon fruit definitely looks like something from another planet, with its vibrant pink skin with green scales, and white or red flesh with black seeds.
Dragon fruits are native to Mexico and Central America and have been cultivated in Southeast Asia since the early 20th century. They’re now grown throughout South East Asia, as well as in Australia and the United States.
Dragon fruits are a very healthy food, packed with antioxidants, vitamins C, B1, B2 and B3, calcium, and phosphorus. They also contain many other beneficial compounds that can help you improve your health.
Dragon fruit comes in three different colors, namely red, yellow and white. The white variety has the mildest flavour while the red-skinned dragon fruit is the sweetest. Dragon fruit is commonly eaten raw but can be added to salads, smoothies or made into juice as well.
Dragon Fruits: Nutrition Facts
One serving (100 grams) of dragon fruit contains about 60 calories and 13 grams of carbohydrates. This makes dragon fruit a good choice for people on low-carbohydrate diets. Dragon fruits are also a good source of fiber, which can help you feel full longer between meals.
Dragon fruit is a good source of antioxidants.
A 1-cup serving of white-fleshed dragon fruit contains about:
106 calories
27 grams carbohydrates
3 grams fiber
1 gram protein
0.3 milligram manganese (14%)
0.5 milligram copper (25%)
1.6 milligrams iron (9%)
0.2 milligram vitamin B2 (11%)
6 micrograms vitamin B9 (2%)
Health benefits of dragon fruits
Dragon fruit benefits for diabetes
Dragon fruit has a low glycemic index of 25, which makes it suitable for people with diabetes. This is because foods with a low GI are slowly digested and absorbed, which leads to gradual increases in blood sugar levels. Further, the fibre content in dragon fruit also helps in regulating blood sugar levels.
Research published in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism suggests that the antioxidants in dragon fruit can help prevent diabetes-related complications such as nerve damage, eye problems and kidney diseases.
Dragon fruit benefits for anti-ageing and glowing skin
Dragon fruit contains Photo albumin. This is a type of antioxidant that is known to have anti-ageing effects on the skin. This can help your skin look younger and more radiant by preventing free radical damage that can cause premature ageing of the skin. Free radical damage can also cause wrinkles, fine lines and age spots.
The carotene content in dragon fruit may be especially beneficial in this regard. Carotenes are antioxidants that convert into vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A helps support healthy cell turnover, which can contribute to soft, supple and luminous skin.
One of the benefits of dragon fruit for the skin is that it can be used as a face pack or mask for all types of skin including oily and sensitive skin types.
Dragon fruit benefits for improving digestion
Health benefits of dragon fruits also include Digestive health Some of the most common problems that affect the stomach and intestines are constipation, bloating and diarrhoea. These can cause uncomfortable symptoms and have a negative impact on your quality of life.
The good news is that there are several ways to improve your gut health and alleviate digestive issues. One way is to eat more dragon fruit.
Pitaya may help relieve constipation, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and diarrhoea. It may even protect against colon cancer. It also contains prebiotic fibre that helps feed healthy gut bacteria for improved digestion, immunity, and overall well-being.
Dragon fruit health benefits for preventing cancer
Suffering from cancer is a nightmare for everyone. Cancer, one of the most life-threatening diseases, can attack anyone with no discrimination. It can cause millions of people to die each year in the world. In fact, almost all people have been affected by cancer, either directly or indirectly.
In addition to the traditional ways to prevent and treat cancer, you may also pay attention to diet, especially dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus). Dragon fruit can be eaten alone or added to salads, ice cream and yogurt. It has a sweet taste and a high nutritional content of vitamins C and B1, calcium and phosphorus. All of these nutrients contribute to cancer prevention.
The high vitamin C content in dragon fruit makes it an effective way to neutralize free radicals in the body that cause various types of cancer. Vitamin C also plays an important role in detoxifying harmful chemicals in the body such as benzopyrene (a carcinogen found in cigarette smoke). Besides, vitamin C also helps boost your immune system so that you can fight against infections and viruses that trigger cancer cells development.
Dragon fruit benefits for treating Anaemia
Anaemia is a condition that occurs when there is a deficiency of haemoglobin or the red blood cells in your body. It will cause you to feel unusually fatigued, be susceptible to frequent infections, have pale skin and easy bruising, heart palpitations and breathlessness. To treat anaemia, it is vital that you consume foods rich in iron and Vitamin C as they help in absorbing the iron. Dragon fruit is one such food that is rich in both Vitamin C and iron and hence helps in treating anaemia. “Dragon fruit contains good amounts of vitamin C which helps with the absorption of iron and since it is a good source of this mineral, it can help counter the effects of anaemia.”
Dragon fruit benefits cardiovascular health
Dragon fruit is a superfood for your cardiovascular system. It contains high levels of antioxidants that reduce inflammation in your blood vessels and help prevent the build-up of plaque in your arteries.
It also lowers your blood pressure due to its high magnesium content. Dragon fruit has more magnesium than most other fruits, which helps keep your heart rate steady and reduces your risk of arrhythmias and heart attacks.
Dragon fruit benefits to improve eyesight.
Dragon fruit can help promote eye health. Dragon fruit contains vitamin A and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants that promote good vision. Vitamin A is found in many foods and supplements used to improve eyesight, including liver, carrots and fish oils. Zeaxanthin is also an antioxidant that your body converts into vitamin A for use in the retina of the eye.
Dragon fruit to Boost Immunity
Dragon fruit has a special role in boosting immunity. It is rich in Vitamin C so it will help boost your immune system and prevent you from falling ill.
Dragon fruit is rich in antioxidants, which increase the immune system’s ability to fight disease-causing free radicals.
Not only are they rich in antioxidants, they also help stimulate and regulate the immune response in the body.
A good addition of dragon fruit to your daily diet not only boosts your immune system but
Dragon fruit for Weight Loss
Dragon fruit is a great weight loss agent because it has low calories and high fibre. A 100 gram serving of dragon fruit only has 60 calories, while the same amount of berries has about 70-85 calories. Dragon fruit also contains insoluble fibres that help improve bowel movement and removing toxins from the body. Insoluble fibres also make you feel fuller for longer, helping you regulate your appetite and reduce your calorie intake.
Dragon fruit for Hair Care
Dragon fruit helps in nourishing dull and lifeless hair. It is rich in vitamin C which helps in building collagen. Collagen is a type of protein that plays an important role in the formation of cells and tissues. As our hair is made up of keratin (protein), consuming this fruit can help our body produce more amount of keratin that is essential for healthy hair growth. As per a study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, dragon fruit is rich in fibers that are required for shedding dead skin cells that give rise to dandruff and split ends. It also contains flavonoids that are antioxidants that protect your scalp from free radical damage.
The vitamins present in dragon fruit help make your hair strong and healthy by reducing free radical damage to the scalp by promoting collagen production and preventing the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This helps prevent dryness, dullness
Dragon Fruit Benefits for Skin
There are many ways to use dragon fruit benefits for skin care, including applying the pulp directly to your skin, eating it, and drinking its juice.
Dragon fruit is full of vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent premature aging of the skin by scavenging free radicals and preventing oxidative damage. Vitamin C also stimulates collagen production for firmer and more youthful-looking skin .
The B vitamins in dragon fruit have been shown to boost energy levels when eaten. When applied topically, research shows that they can help reduce hyperpigmentation and improve overall skin complexion by inhibiting melanin production. Melanin is a pigment that gives our skin colour — too much melanin leads to dark spots .
Health benefits of dragon fruits during Pregnancy and Breast-feeding
● Dragon fruit contains polyunsaturated (good) fats, which help in supplying the required amount of energy without depositing fat in the body.
● Dragon Fruit is rich in iron and magnesium, which helps to strengthen bones and teeth in infants.
● It also helps in increasing the breast milk supply in breastfeeding mothers. Dragon Fruit contains vitamin C and B2, which helps in improving immunity, preventing the chances of cough and cold in infants.
● It also has anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce stomach ulcers and colitis.
How to eat Dragon fruits to get its full health benefits
Like any other fruit, dragon fruit is best eaten raw and fresh.
You can slice it open and scoop the flesh out with a spoon. However, you can also chop it up, blend it with water or milk, and strain to make fresh juice.
Dragon fruit is also delicious in salads and smoothies. It goes well with other tropical fruits like mangoes and bananas.
Seeds are edible but slightly bitter and crunchy, similar to those of kiwi fruits. They contain small amounts of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
You can eat the peel as well. It contains most of the dietary fibre, so be sure not to waste it.
Conclusion
There are many different health benefits that come from eating dragon fruit. Not only does it taste great but has nutritional needs as well. It’s high in iron, magnesium, and vitamin C too! And did we mention that dragon fruits are actually crazy cute? So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and give these super cute fruits a try at home!