Dragon fruit is a nutritious plant from Central America, South America, and Mexico cacti. It is not well-known in the US but is very popular in Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, and Cambodia. Dragon fruit is rich in fiber and vitamins and helps boost heart health, strengthen the immune system, and prevent diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, lung diseases, GI problems, and urinary tract problems.
Here are 17 Health Benefits of Dragon Fruit
Tropical food Dragon fruit is known to have many health benefits, such as helping with digestion, weight loss, and immune system function. It should be a big part of everyone’s diet.
1 Heart Health
You rarely find a fruit that is low in cholesterol and bad fats, which are bad for your health. Plaque buildup in the arteries and veins is a major cause of heart attacks, strokes, and atherosclerosis. A diet that lowers cholesterol can help keep this from happening. Dragon fruit also has healthy fats that help build up good cholesterol and keep plaque from building up on the walls of arteries. The fruit seeds have these healthy fats, making them an excellent choice for people who want to lower their cholesterol.
2 Loaded with Fiber
Whole foods, like dragon fruit, are high in fiber. One dish has 7 grams of fiber. Health experts say women should eat 25 grams of fiber daily, and men should eat 38 grams. Fiber pills aren’t as good for you as fiber from food, but dragon fruit has a lot of it and may help keep your weight healthy and prevent heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Observational studies show that meals high in fiber may also help protect against colon cancer. No studies have linked these illnesses to dragon fruit, but its high fiber level can help you meet your daily fiber needs. But high-fiber diets only suit some, mainly if they are used to low-fiber meals. Slowly eat more fiber and drink water to keep your gut from hurting.
3 Improve Digestion
Dragon fruit has a lot of fiber, which helps you have regular bowel movements and digest food well. It makes peristaltic action happen, which makes peristaltic fluids that break down food and help the body receive nutrients. Fiber helps prevent constipation, irritable gut syndrome, and severe diseases like colon cancer. This keeps your gut healthy and keeps you from getting constipated or having irritable bowel syndrome.
4 Help Prevent Cancer
Dragon fruit has many antioxidants, vitamin C, and beta-carotene, all of which help the immune system and shrink cancer. Dragon fruit can help keep you healthy, protect you from getting the common cold, and keep you from getting major illnesses like cancer.
5 A Natural Antifungal and Antibacterial
Dragon fruit naturally kills bacteria and fungi, which helps protect the immune system against germs and fungi that are out to get you. If you eat dragon fruit every day, your body makes more white blood cells, which help fight off poisons and illnesses. This makes the climate hostile for these dangerous organisms, making them less likely to get sick or infected. Another thing dragonfruit can do is speed up cell regeneration, which makes it easier for cuts and bruises to heal faster. This means that dragon fruit is an excellent addition to any diet to keep dangerous bacteria and fungus at bay.
6 Promotes Gut Health
Dragon fruit has a lot of fiber, which helps Digestion and keeps you from constipating. It has oligosaccharides that help good gut germs like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus grow. These germs can help prevent or treat stomach problems like IBS. Over 100 trillion different bacteria live in the gut, and it is thought that these bacteria can affect health. Imbalances in the gut are linked to diseases like asthma and heart disease. Because dragon fruit has prebiotics, it may help balance the good bacteria in the stomach.
Prebiotics help lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria grow, which may lower the risk of getting an infection or diarrhea in the digestive system. Studies show that tourists who took prebiotics before and during their trip had fewer and milder cases of traveler’s diarrhea. However, studies on dragon fruit’s prebiotic action have only been done in test tubes. More research is needed to determine how it works in people’s stomachs.
7 Prevents Chronic Disease
Because it has a lot of vitamins, dragon fruit may help keep you from getting diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and metabolic syndrome. Red dragon fruits have betacyanins that help lower oxidative stress. Free radicals are the cause of oxidative stress, which can result in health issues like cancer, heart disease, and gout. Dragon fruit meat and skin are already very healthy, but the bright color makes them even better.
Studies show that eating many foods high in antioxidants may help keep you from getting long-term diseases like arthritis, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Dragon fruit has a lot of powerful antioxidants, like vitamin C, which has been linked to a lower risk of cancer. Studies in test tubes have shown that betalains can fight oxidative stress and kill cancer cells. It would help if you got antioxidants from food since taking supplements may have harmful effects.
8 It helps regulate blood sugar.
Dragon fruits have a lot of natural sugar. They may help control blood sugar by fixing beta cells in the pancreas that make insulin and amylin hormones. They also help reduce inflammation, which is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. A 2017 review of four studies found that dragon fruit lowered fasting blood sugar levels significantly in people with prediabetes but not in people with type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, more significant amounts of dragon fruit caused blood sugar levels to drop significantly.
9 Promotes healthy blood flow
Researchers looked at 18 healthy teens and found that taking dragon fruit powder daily improved blood flow and made their arteries less stiff. Blood pressure, blood flow, and artery stiffness were checked right after the drug was taken and again 14 days later. Compared to the control group, the results showed significant increases in blood flow two, three, and four hours after taking the drug. It had an effect for two weeks. Likely because of the betalain color in the fruit, eating dragon fruit could significantly impact this risk.
10 Supports Your Immune System
The meat and peel of dragon fruit, which are high in antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antimicrobial properties, help the defense system work well. Changing the gut flora kills bacteria from food and boosts the defense system. The high levels of vitamin C and antioxidants in dragon fruit can boost the immune system and protect white blood cells from damage, which can help keep you from getting sick. Due to the high concentrations of vitamin C and carotenoids in these cells, the immune system may be able to protect them from free radical damage.
11 PREVENT PREMATURE AGING
Antioxidants in dragon fruit help keep skin tight and flexible, which keeps it looking young. These antioxidants eliminate free radicals, which protect the skin from damage. Dragon fruit might be even better for your skin if you eat it or use it as a mask with honey.
12 Alleviate arthritis
Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, dragon fruit can help reduce pain and swelling in joints affected by rheumatism and arthritis. This can lessen the painful and disabling effects of arthritis.
13 High in nutrients
Dragon fruit is a fruit that is low in calories and high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals your body needs. There are 136 calories, 3 grams of protein, 0 grams of fat, 29 grams of carbs, 7 grams of fiber, and 8% of the RDI for iron, 18% for magnesium, 9% for vitamin C, and 4% for vitamin E. It also has flavonoids, carotenoids, and betacyanins, which are helpful plant chemicals. You are less likely to get heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, stomach problems, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers because it has fiber in it.
14 May Boost Low Iron Levels
Dragon fruit is one of the few fruits that contain iron, which is needed for air to move around and for energy to be broken down. But 30% of the world’s population doesn’t get enough iron, making it the most common nutrient shortage in the world. To get more iron, eat meat, seafood, beans, nuts, and grains high in iron. One serving of dragon fruit gives you 8% of your daily suggested intake (RDI) of iron and has vitamin C, which helps your body absorb iron. To summarize, dragon fruit and vitamin C are essential to a healthy diet.
15 Maintain a Healthy Weight
Maintaining a healthy weight, eating enough fiber, and speeding up your metabolism can all help you reach your weight loss and maintenance goals. In the end, these actions will improve your health in several ways.
16 Get Your Metabolism Going
Dragon fruit has a lot of protein, which is good for your health and your body’s work. It helps bones, blood vessels, muscles, hair, and teeth grow and stay healthy. Protein-rich foods are broken down by enzymes, which turn the protein into muscle growth, cell repair, and metabolism. Foods high in protein include meat, veggies, and dragon fruit.
17 A Good Source of Magnesium
Dragon fruit is high in magnesium, accounting for 18% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) in just one cup. On average, the body has 24g of magnesium, or around one ounce. This mineral is found in all cells and is essential for over 600 chemical reactions, such as energy breakdown, muscular contraction, bone production, and DNA synthesis. According to studies, increased magnesium consumption may lower the risk of heart disease and stroke, and sufficient magnesium diets promote bone health.
Here are some suggestions for incorporating dragon fruit into your diet.
Dragon fruit is a fruit that is easy to eat by cutting it in half or by cutting it into cubes. Add it to smoothies, yogurt, and sauces. It is a flexible fruit in many drinks, snacks, and recipes. It is a healthy snack mixed with yogurt, soups, or salads. Dragon fruit can also decorate foods like black bean tacos or baked tofu.
Potential Risks
Some rare allergic reactions to dragon fruit are throwing up, getting spots, getting a rash, or swelling your tongue. If you eat red dragon fruit, your pee might turn pinkish red, but this doesn’t happen very often. Urologists warn that too many beets, berries, rhubarb, or other highly pigmented red foods could lead to pseudo hematuria or reddish urine.
The bottom line
Dragon fruit is a tropical fruit that is good for you in many ways. It has plant chemicals, vital nutrients, and prebiotic fibers. It’s low in calories and a great way to eat more veggies and change your meals. It has a lot of fiber and vitamins, which help the digestive and immune systems, improve circulation, and lower the risk of chronic diseases. Talk to your doctor about setting the best health goals.
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