Health Benefits And Recipes Of Dragon Fruit
Dragon Fruit
The dragon fruit, sometimes called pitahaya or strawberry pear, is really a tropical fruit with a bright red exterior and a sweet, seed-speckled pulp. Its distinctive appearance and touted superfood properties have made it famous among foodies and health-conscious individuals. You don't have to live in the tropics to reap the benefits of dragon fruit, thankfully. It's available fresh or frozen in supermarkets all around the world.
Benefits of dragon fruit:
- Extremely high in nutrients:
The dragon fruit is low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals. It also includes a significant amount of dietary fiber. The major nutrients in a one-cup intake are listed below.
- Calories: 136
- Protein: 3 grams
- Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 29 grams
- Fiber: 7 grams
- Iron: 8% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 18% of the RDI
- Vitamin C: 9% of the RDI
- Vitamin E: 4% of the RDI
Dragon fruit also contains beneficial plant chemicals such as polyphenols, carotenoids, and betacyanins, in addition to important minerals.
2. It could help fight chronic disease:
Free radicals are extremely reactive molecules that cause inflammation and disease by destroying cells. One way to combat this is to eat antioxidant-rich foods such as dragon fruit.
Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, preventing cell damage and inflammation. According to study, eating an antioxidant-rich diet can help avoid chronic diseases including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis. Several forms of powerful antioxidants are found in dragon fruit, including:
- Vitamin C: Vitamin C intake and cancer risk have been linked in observational studies. For example, higher vitamin C intake was linked to a decreased risk of head and neck cancer.
- Betalains: Test-tube research suggests that betalains can fight oxidative stress and could be able to kill cancer cells.
- Caternoids: The plant pigments beta-carotene and lycopene are responsible for the brilliant color of dragon fruit. Carotenoids-rich diets have been related to a lower incidence of cancer and heart disease.
Antioxidants are highly reactive molecules that kill cells. They are most effective when ingested naturally through food instead of as a prescription or supplement. Antioxidant supplements can be extremely dangerous, thus using them without medical supervision is not recommended.
3. It is loaded with fiber:
Dietary fibers are nondigestible carbohydrates that provide a number of health benefits. Men and women must consume 25 and 38 grams of fiber per day, respectively. Fiber tablets, like antioxidants, may not offer the same health benefits as fiber obtained through diet. With 7 grams of protein per one-cup serving, dragon fruit is a good whole-food source. Although fiber is best known for assisting digestion, research suggests it may also help with heart disease prevention, type 2 diabetes management, and maintaining a healthy body weight.
While further research is needed, retrospective studies show that high diets may help prevent colon cancer. While no studies have linked dragon fruit to any of these conditions, its high fiber content can help you meet your daily fiber needs. However, it's important to remember even high-fiber diets may well have drawbacks, especially if you're acclimated to a low-fiber diet. To avoid stomach pain, gradually increase your dietary fiber intake and drink lots of water.
4. It helps in achieving a healthy gut:
In your stomach, there are about 400 different bacteria species and 100 trillion different microorganisms. Many scientists believe that your health is influenced by the microbial environment. Gastrointestinal problems have been related to ailments like asthma and heart disease in both human and animal studies. Dragon fruit contains prebiotics, which may assist to improve the balance of beneficial bacteria in your gut. Prebiotics are a type of fiber that helps the gut's beneficial bacteria develop. They may be broken down in your stomach, much as other fibers. Your gut flora, on the other hand, can digest them. They use the fiber to generate energy, and you reap the benefits.
The growth of two species of helpful bacteria, lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria, is aided by dragon fruit. Prebiotics can help protect your digestive tract against infection and diarrhea. Prebiotics encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria, which researchers believe can outcompete harmful germs. Travelers who took prebiotics before and throughout their vacation had less frequent and severe traveler's diarrhea. According to some research, prebiotics may also aid with the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer. Unfortunately, the findings are inconclusive. While the majority of prebiotic research is good, dragon fruit probiotic research is limited to test-tube trials.
5. It strengthens the immune system:
Your body's ability to fight illness is influenced by a number of things, including the quality of the nutrition. Vitamin C and carotenoids included in dragon fruit may help the immune system and prevent sickness by protecting your white blood cells from injury. White blood cells in your immune system attack and destroy harmful substances. Nonetheless, they are particularly susceptible to free radical damage. Vitamin C and carotenoids are potent antioxidants that neutralize free radicals and protect white blood cells from harm.
- It helps in boosting low iron levels:
Your body's ability to fight illness is influenced by a number of things, including the quality of the nutrition. Dragon fruit is one of the few fresh fruits that contains iron. Iron is required for oxygen transport throughout the body. It's also required for the transformation of food into energy. However, many people do not get enough iron. Iron deficiency is thought to afflict 30% of the world's population, making it the most common nutrient deficiency on the globe. To combat low iron levels, it's vital to consume a variety of iron-rich foods. Iron can be found in meats, seafood, beans, nuts, and grains. One serving of dragon fruit provides 8% of the daily required vitamin C intake.
Take Away
Several factors, particularly the quality of one's nutrition, influence the body's ability to fight sickness. One of the few naturally iron-rich fruits is dragon fruit. Iron is required for oxygen transfer in the body. It is also necessary for the conversion of food into energy. Many people, however, are iron deficient. Iron insufficiency is estimated to affect 30% of the global population, highest incidence nutrient shortfall. Consume a range of iron-rich foods to battle low iron levels. Meats, seafood, beans, nuts, and grains all contain iron. One serving of dragon fruit offers 8% of the daily vitamin C requirement.
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