Is dragon fruit a superfruit? What are the health benefits of dragon fruit? These are the most frequently asked questions about this fruit.
See also How to grow dragon fruit? and Yellow Dragon Fruit.
People have been using dragon fruit for years, but recently some scientific research has proved that dragon fruit is a superfood.
What is dragon fruit?
The dragon fruit is scientifically known as Selenicereus and in a few regions, this fruit is named strawberry pear or pitahaya. This bright-colored fruit with red flesh and tiny black seeds is nutrient-rich, which is why it is getting more popular with time.
Do you know where this dragon fruit originated from? History shows these are primarily grown in Asia, Central America, Mexico, and South America. But an interesting thing related to dragon fruit is that the ancient people claim that dragon fruit was the thing that came from the mouth of a fire-breathing dragon, but it’s not true.
Then the question is why is it called dragon fruit?
Actually, it is famous as a dragon fruit, because of its outer skin which has spikes that look like the scales of a dragon. This outer skin is not edible.
Additionally, a country like China eats dragon fruit regularly. Do you know why? Let me tell you the Chinese are health conscious and they use dragon fruit because of its health benefits.
What are the health benefits of dragon fruit?
Let me tell you, the dragon is a low-calorie fruit but has a bundle of healthy nutrients that prevents various diseases. If you want to know dragon fruit’s health benefits, keep reading.
Nutritional value
The dragon fruit is a nutrient-rich fruit, and It is low in calories. That’s why it is called a superfood.
According to the report, 100 grams of dragon fruit contains the following nutrients as
Calories: 60 calories
Protein: 1.2 grams
at: 0.001 gram
fiber: 3 gram
vitamin c: 3 percent of DRI
carbs: 13 grams
magnesium: 10 percent of the DRI
calcium: 52 percent
vitamin E: 4 percent
vitamin B: 0.04 MG
sodium: 1 mg
Phosphorus: 22.5 mg
zinc: 0.01mg
Health benefits of dragon fruit
The dragon fruit is full of nutrients, vitamins, antioxidants, and fibers that make it healthy. That’s why there is no surprise that dragon fruit aids in preventing various diseases and improving overall health.
Here are some common health benefits of dragon fruits mentioned such as
Fights against chronic disease
The dragon fruit is best for fighting against different kinds of cancer. Survey reports show that about 1.9 million Americans are going through various kinds of cancers. As you know, free radicals are responsible for cell damage, chronic inflammation, cancer, etc.
According to different studies, dragon fruit is loaded with antioxidants that neutralize free radicals and prevent cell damage.
Another study proved that it prevents cancer because it has a high vitamin C content that lowers the chance of cell damage.
Another report showed that 120856 patients with head and neck cancer showed improvement in head and neck cancer after eating dragon fruit.
A recent report claims that dragon fruit contains betalains that lower oxidative stress and prevent cancers. Moreover, a report in 2017 proved that dragon fruits contain carotenoids that reduce the risk of cancers.
Promotes gut health
A healthy gut is key to a healthy life, which means if your gut is healthy, you will be free from various diseases because the gut is a living place for healthy bacteria that promote gut health.
If your gut isn’t healthy, that could harm your heart health and asthma.
But dragon fruit positively impacts gut health because it is loaded with probiotics that support a healthy gut.
A few years ago, researchers performed a study on a group of travelers and showed that when using a tool, probiotic-rich fruit like dragons have good gut health and fewer diseases.
A report showed that the dragon fruit promotes the growth of two kinds of gut bacteria: lactic acid and bifidobacteria. That’s why nutritionists always add dragonfruit to patients’ diets because it supports their gut health.
Boosts immunity
Are you trying to boost your immunity? If yes, then dragon fruit is the best option for you. As you know, living a healthy life is not possible with a low immune system.
Because people with low immune systems are always at risk of infection and diseases.
According to experts, dragon fruit is a good source of vitamin c and carotenoids that aid in boosting immunity and protecting the white blood cells and preventing different infections.
Additionally, it has colored pigments called betalains that fight against free radicals. So people with low immunity should add dragon fruit to their diet.
Treats iron deficiency
Iron deficiency is common, and about 10 million people in the United state have iron deficiency. Iron deficiency occurs when your diet has a low iron content, but it is easy to get rid of it.
Fresh fruit like dragon fruit has a high content of ions that aid in treating iron deficiency.
According to a study, dragon fruit contains 8% of the daily recommended amount of iron with vitamin c that lets you combat iron deficiency.
Reduce sugar level
The one main advantage of using dragon fruit is that it lowers the blood sugar level. According to research, dragon fruit has hypoglycemic properties. As much as you eat dragon fruit, your blood sugar level will decrease.
Good for heart
Heart issues are common and the number has recently increased, which is alarming. According to a survey in America, about 805k people have some sort of heart issue. But experts claim that good food can prevent heart complications.
According to reports, the dragon fruit has positive effects on the heart because the dragon fruit contains phytonutrients such as lycopene that aid in improving heart health.
Additionally, dragon fruit has a high content of fiber which is good for heart health.
Lowers the cholesterol level.
Having a high cholesterol level is not suitable for overall health, but a significant number of people have high cholesterol problems. But a few fruits aid in lowering cholesterol levels, such as dragon fruit, as it is a good source of linoleic and linolenic acid that is popular in reducing cholesterol levels.
Promotes weight loss
Are you looking for an easy trick to lose weight fast? If you want to lose weight with a diet only, you should eat dragon fruit because it is best for weight loss.
According to a small animal study, the dragon fruit has betacyanins that support weight loss.
Additionally, dragon fruit is a less-calorie fruit that is loaded with fibers. That’s why it is supposed to be the best food for weight loss.
People who are weight maintenance can easily eat this fruit to maintain their healthy weight.
Good for brain health
The dragon fruit has impressive benefits for the brain because it is full of beneficial nutrients supporting brain health.
A study’s results proved that the dragon fruit lowers the risk of neural degeneration.
Another study on an animal show that the red extract of dragon fruit boosts memory and treats depression.
Strengthens the bones
Are you an arthritis patient and want to get rid of it? An arthritis patient can feel the pain of other arthritis patients because this condition is excruciating when you cannot walk much. But you can be free of this pain by eating some healthy fruits like dragon fruit.
Because dragon fruit possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, that’s why it lowers joint inflammation and reduces pain.
Good for eyes
The dragon fruit is one of the excellent fruits that improves vision. Because it has beta-carotene, which is healthy for eye vision and it prevents cataracts and macular degeneration.
Supports healthy skin
Dragon fruit has anti-aging properties that prevent premature aging. Besides this, dragon fruit is rich in antioxidants, making skin fresh and more nutritious.
According to reports, dragon fruit treats acne because it has antioxidants and anti-bacterial properties that treat acne.
Also, dragon fruit is known for treating sunburn, and various studies have proved that it reduces sunburn.
Support healthy pregnancy
Pregnancy is the most beautiful feeling for women, but the pregnancy should be healthy. There are different ways to make your pregnancy healthy and free from complications and a good diet plays an important role in it.
Various researchers claim that eating dragon fruit during pregnancy is best because it provides a pregnant lady with vitamins and other beneficial nutrients.
During pregnancy, anemia occurs in pregnant ladies, but eating dragon fruit can prevent anemia because it has sufficient magnesium, calcium, and potassium.
Effective against dengue patient
According to a report, each year, almost 390 million people all over the world get affected by the dengue virus and there is a prediction that the number of patients will increase. Health experts suggest that dengue patients consume dragon fruit as much as they can eat because it lowers the severity of this viral attack.
Researchers performed a number of studies on dragon fruit and the dengue virus and they found that it is effective against the dengue virus.
A study claimed that the compound betacyanin, which is present in dragon fruit, helps the dengue patient in recovery.
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Conclusion
The dragon fruit is a superfood that includes healthy nutrients like vitamins C, E, and B and fiber, etc. Besides this, it has an outstanding and unique taste and plenty of health benefits because it has activation properties, anti-microbial properties and anti-viral properties.
The dragon fruit helps to lower sugar levels, treat anemia, support weight loss, lower cholesterol levels, strengthen bones, prevent pre-aging, and prevent cancer. Additionally, it helps the dengue patient in speedy recovery.
So, if you love to eat fruit, adding dragon fruit to your grocery list gives you a number of health benefits.
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