Dragon fruit is a tropical fruit that is also known as strawberry pear or pitahaya in some countries. This is an eye-catching fruit because of its physical appearance that is red and a lot of tiny black seeds inside. Despite its unique look, it is very well known as a superfood because it is loaded with dragonfruit benefits. In case you are not living in a tropical country where it usually grows, you can still enjoy one as it is available in grocery stores fresh or frozen. Be amazed by some of its amazing health benefits.
1. Nutrients Dense Fruit
This is a holy grail for people who are on a strict low-calorie diet. Despite its sweet taste, dragon fruit has low calorie and loaded with essential nutrients. The Health benefits of dragonfruit aside from low in calories are the fact that is has a considerable amount of fiber. It is a good addition to your diet plan to avoid lacking some essential vitamins and minerals that is a common problem of individuals who are in a low-calorie diet. Dragonfruit nutrition is beyond its vitamins and minerals as it houses plant compounds like betacyanins, polyphenols, and carotenoids.
2. Protect the Body from Chronic Diseases
Chronic diseases begin with cell damages brought by free radicals and one of the most effective ways to stop it from happening is to eat foods that are rich in antioxidant that makes dragonfruit good for you. These antioxidants found in food have neutralizing effects on free radicals thus stopping it from creating damages to cells and inflammation. Adding this fruit to your diet will provide you with different types of potent antioxidants that can promote good health.
- Vitamin C- some observational studies proved the link between high intake of vitamin C and lowering the risk of developing cancer in neck and head.
- Betalains- there are test-tube studies done with betalains that shows that it has a positive effect in fighting oxidative stress.
- Carotenoids- antioxidants in dragonfruit such as lycopene and beta-carotene are the plant pigments that are linked to lessen the risk of heart diseases and certain types of cancers.
There are antioxidants in the form of supplements, but health professionals recommend consuming it naturally in the diet. Taking over the counter supplements and making your own without medical supervision is against the law.
3. Fibrous Fruit
These dietary fibers are known as indigestible carbs that boasts a lot of potential health benefits to humans. The daily recommended amount of fiber in men and women varies. For females, it is important to consume 25 grams of fiber every day and for males around 38 grams of fiber is needed to maintain a healthy body. Dragonfruit benefits come with its high fiber content that you need to consider in your diet instead of taking a supplement.
Fiber is not only for digestive health because some studies show that eating a high fiber diet can help manage type 2 diabetes and protect the heart from diseases. There are observational studies suggest that foods that are high in fiber are effective in preventing colon cancer.
You may incorporate fiber gradually especially if you are used to a diet that is low in fiber as you may experience stomach upset. Also, to take advantage of the health benefits of dragonfruit high fiber, it is important to drink plenty of water.
4. Promote Digestive Health
The gut houses trillions of microorganisms and almost 400 types of bacteria and it can greatly impact your overall health. Studies done in both human and animals show that an imbalance in the gut may result in conditions like heart diseases and asthma. Prebiotics promotes balance in your gut and that makes dragonfruit good for you.
Prebiotics are the fiber that helps healthy bacteria to thrive inside your gut. The gut does not have the ability to breakdown fiber but healthy bacteria inside can digest them properly. Particularly, the fiber found in dragonfruit is ideal for the growth of two important healthy bacteria in the gut such as bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacteria. This dragonfruit nutrition in the gut may prevent infection in the digestive tract.
5. Boost Immune System Response
The body’s capacity to fight infections depends on different factors and that includes the food you consumed every day. Important antioxidants found in dragonfruit are carotenoids and vitamin C which can boost immune system response to infection by providing layers of protection to the white blood cells. It is the white blood cells that act as soldiers inside the body that fight foreign substances however; they are very sensitive to damages caused by free radicals. Dragonfruit benefits can help the immune system to function well.
