Top 10 Health Benefits of Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit, also known as pitahaya or strawberry pear, is a tropical fruit with a bright red exterior and delicious, seed-flecked flesh. Its distinct ... read more...appearance and purported superfood abilities have made it famous among foodies and the health-conscious. You don't have to live in the tropics to reap the benefits of dragon fruit. In reality, it is available fresh or frozen in stores worldwide. Here are the finest evidence-based dragon fruit health benefits.
-
Vitamins B1, B2, B3, and C are abundant in dragon fruit. One cup of dragon fruit each day will provide several advantages, including increasing your immune system and enhancing thyroid function. Dragon fruit's rich vitamin content also benefits your skin, blood pressure, and metabolism. Getting all of your vitamins via nutrition is challenging, and eating dragon fruit on a daily basis will help alleviate this load.
Several nutrients are present in modest concentrations in dragon fruit. It's also high in iron, magnesium, and fiber. Here are the nutrition facts for a serving of 3.5 ounces, or 100 grams:
- Calories: 60
- Protein: 1.2 grams
- Fat: 0 grams
- Carbs: 13 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Vitamin C: 3% of the RDI
- Iron: 4% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 10% of the RDI
-
Free radicals are unstable chemicals that destroy cells, causing inflammation and illness. Eating antioxidant-rich foods like dragon fruit is one approach to fighting chronic disease. Antioxidants prevent cell damage and inflammation by neutralizing free radicals. Antioxidant-rich diets may help prevent chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis, according to research.
Dragon fruit contains several types of potent antioxidants, including:
- Betalains: Found in the pulp of red dragon fruit, these deep red pigments have been shown to protect “bad” LDL cholesterol from becoming oxidized or damaged.
- Hydroxycinnamates: This group of compounds has demonstrated anticancer activity in test-tube and animal studies.
- Flavonoids: This large, diverse group of antioxidants is linked to better brain health and a reduced risk of heart disease.
Importantly, antioxidants function best when consumed naturally in food rather than in pill or supplement form. In reality, antioxidant supplements can be dangerous, and using them without medical supervision is not advised. Dragon fruit, on the other hand, is highly recommended.
-
Dietary fibers are nondigestible carbohydrates with several potential health advantages. Women should consume 25 grams of fiber per day, while males should consume 38 grams. Fiber pills, like antioxidants, may not provide the same health advantages as fiber from meals. Dragon fruit is a good whole-food source, with 7 grams per one-cup meal.
Although fiber is generally best recognized for its role in digestion, evidence suggests it may also help prevent heart disease, manage type 2 diabetes, and maintain healthy body weight. Although additional study is needed, several observational studies show that fiber-rich diets may help prevent colon cancer. While no studies have connected dragon fruit to any of these illnesses, its high fiber content can assist you in meeting your daily fiber requirements. It is crucial to remember, however, that high-fiber diets might have downsides, especially if you are used to a low-fiber diet. To avoid stomach pain, gradually increase your fiber intake and drink lots of water.
-
Your gut is home to 100 trillion different microorganisms, including over 400 different types of bacteria. Many scientists feel that this population of bacteria may have an influence on your health. In both human and animal research, gastrointestinal abnormalities have been linked to illnesses such as asthma and heart disease. Dragon fruit includes prebiotics, which may help to increase the balance of healthy bacteria in your stomach.
Prebiotics are a form of fiber that encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria in your stomach. Your stomach, like other fibers, cannot break them down. The bacteria in your stomach, on the other hand, can digest them. They use the fiber as fuel for growth, and you benefit as a result. Dragon fruit, in particular, encourages the growth of two types of beneficial bacteria: lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria. Consuming prebiotics on a regular basis may lower your chances of digestive tract infection and diarrhea. This is because prebiotics encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria, which experts believe may outcompete harmful bacteria.
Research in travelers, for example, found that individuals who drank prebiotics before and during travel had fewer and less severe bouts of traveler's diarrhea. Prebiotics may also help with the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer, according to some research. Unfortunately, these findings are contradictory. While the majority of the study on prebiotics is positive, the research on dragon fruit's prebiotic effectiveness is restricted to test-tube studies.
-
Several variables, including the quality of your nutrition, influence your body's capacity to fight illness. Dragon fruit's vitamin C and carotenoids may help improve your immune system and prevent infection by preserving your white blood cells from harm. Your immune system's white blood cells fight and eliminate dangerous things. They are, nonetheless, particularly vulnerable to free radical damage. Vitamin C and carotenoids are powerful antioxidants that may neutralize free radicals and protect your white blood cells.
It is critical to maintaining your body's defenses, especially your immune system. Fortunately, dragon fruit's strong vitamin C concentration may significantly boost your immune system. Dragon fruit is also high in antioxidants, which seek for and neutralize free radicals that cause harm to your body. It is critical to remove these hazardous free radicals from your body since they have been related to heart disease and cancer.
-
One of the few fresh fruits that contain iron is dragon fruit. Iron is essential for the transfer of oxygen throughout the body. It is also vital in the breakdown of food into energy. Unfortunately, many people are deficient in iron. Iron insufficiency is believed to affect 30% of the world's population, making it the most prevalent nutritional deficit globally.
It is critical to consume a variety of iron-rich foods to combat low iron levels. Iron-rich foods include meats, seafood, beans, nuts, and cereals. Another wonderful alternative is dragon fruit, which delivers 8% of your daily required consumption in one serving (RDI). It also includes vitamin C, which aids iron absorption in the body. Dragon fruit contains iron as well as vitamin C, which may help your body absorb this crucial mineral.
-
Dragon fruit contains more magnesium than other fruits, providing 18% of your RDI in only one cup. Your body has around one ounce of magnesium or 24g. Despite its seeming little amount, the mineral is present in all of your cells and participates in over 600 key chemical events in your body.
It participates in events such as the breakdown of food into energy, muscular contraction, bone production, and even DNA formation. More research is needed, although some evidence suggests that increasing magnesium consumption may lower the risk of heart disease and stroke. Additionally, studies demonstrate that magnesium-rich diets promote bone health.
-
One distinguishing feature of dragon fruit is that it has no cholesterol or harmful fats that raise cholesterol and endanger your health. By regularly following a cholesterol-lowering diet, you lessen your chances of plaque blocking your arteries and veins, which is a primary cause of heart attacks, strokes, and the development of atherosclerosis. By substituting dragon fruit for other high-cholesterol snacks, you obtain critical vitamins and minerals while having no harmful impact.
However, dragon fruit does contain some fat. Fortunately, it's the beneficial sort of fat that aids in the formation of good cholesterol. Building up healthy fats and cholesterol also helps to reduce plaque development on your artery walls. These healthy fats are found in the numerous seeds that make up this fruit.
-
Dragon fruit includes a good quantity of fiber, which is good for keeping you regular. Getting adequate fiber increases the volume of your bowel movements, resulting in a smoother passage through the digestive tract. Encouragement of this action promotes peristaltic motion, which aids in the release of peristaltic fluids. These juices aid in the breakdown of food and support proper digestion, ensuring that all nutrients are absorbed. Dragon fruit is high in dietary fiber, which means it helps improve your bowel movements, avoid constipation, and boost the overall health of your digestive system.
People with IBS are normally encouraged to attempt to acquire the required daily fiber intake from easy-to-digest foods rather than grains, which can cause bloating and other problems. The fruit can aid in the growth of beneficial bacteria, lowering cravings and promoting better digestion.
-
Dragon fruit is high in antioxidants and anti-cancer compounds, which can aid in cancer prevention. Many studies have been conducted on antioxidants and their involvement in cancer prevention and therapy. The issue is free radicals and their impact on the body. Free radicals are produced as byproducts of regular bodily activities. Other external sources, such as pollution, can also create free radicals. The danger of free radicals stems from their ability to induce cell damage and, as a result, cancer.
Several antioxidants contained in a wide array of foods were identified by the researchers. According to them, over 60% of anti-cancer medications are derived from plants, including fruits and vegetables. Various antioxidants appeared to target specific tumors. Understanding how antioxidants attack cancer cells can lead to more effective therapy choices. Dragon fruit is a delightful addition to the numerous meals that are high in antioxidants.