8 Delicious Health Benefits of Dragon Fruit - Reasons Why Dragon Fruits Are Extremely Vital to Your Health

fun fact: Doctors in Taiwan urge their diabetic patients to eat dragon fruit to lower blood sugar levels.

Introduction

Commonly known as Dragon Fruit, the white-fleshed Pitahaya or Strawberry Pear indeed has a high nutritional value and low calorie content.

Each 100 grams serving of this fruit has only 60 calories, 18 calories of which come from fat, 34 calories from carbohydrates and a total of 8 calories come from protein. It also does not contain any complex carbohydrates that are very difficult to be broken down by the body.

Each 100-gram or 3.5 oz serving of white-fleshed Pitahaya has about 21 milligrams of vitamin C, three times higher than the vitamin C content in Carrots, which can help boost the body’s capacity to remove heavy metals as well as other toxins from the system. This amount of vitamin C is already equal to 34% of the required daily value intake for vitamin C.

Aside from vitamin C, Dragon Fruit is also rich in dietary fiber which is a natural remedy for constipation. Each 100 gram serving of Dragon Fruit amounts to 3 grams of fiber which is already equal to 12% of the daily required intake of dietary fiber.

The Dragon Fruit also has very high water content equal to 87 grams per 100 gram serving and virtually contains zero amount of fat with only 0.4 grams of fat for every 100 gram serving.

It is also a good source of iron containing 1.9 milligrams for each 100 gram serving, equivalent to 10.6% of the required daily value intake for Iron. This makes the dragon fruit good for the blood.

Dragon fruit is also good for the bones as it contains a rather high amount of calcium. Each 100 gram serving of this fruit contains 8.5 milligrams of calcium which is almost 1% of the required daily intake value for an average person.

This super food likewise contains 22.5 milligrams of phosphorus for each 100 gram serving amounting to 2.3% of the required daily intake for p This mineral is essential for the normal growth and development of cells in the body.

Dragon fruit contains a lot of seeds and these seeds are very high in polyunsaturated fatty acids such as omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. These fatty acids are very helpful in the reduction of triglycerides and avoid the risk of developing a cardiovascular disorder.

Dragon fruit is also known to contain phytoalbumins. These phytoalbumins contain antioxidant properties which can help in preventing the formation of cancer cells in the body.

The Amazing Health Benefits of Dragon Fruit

Low Cholesterol Levels

Excessive cholesterol levels materially triggers overall health. It is vital to keep cholesterol in check in order to avoid various types of diseases especially in the heart. Dragon fruit is among the types of foods that has the lowest amount of cholesterol and fats. Consumption of dragon fruit instead of processed foods and drinks will benefit your health in many ways. Low cholesterol foods are known to be heart healthy. Excessive levels of cholesterol primarily cause almost all heart conditions. Engaging in foods with too much cholesterol can also lead to obesity.

Rich in Fiber

Fiber plays an important role in the digestive system and proper heart functioning. Fiber significantly optimizes the digestive process. Eating fiber will boost the nutrient absorption ability of the body. Nutrients keep our body’s organs healthy and able to perform each of its functions. Lack of nutrients or inability to absorb them from the food we intake causes malfunctions and irregularities that lead to sickness. Eating fibrous food will ascertain that the nutrients from the food we eat are absorbed properly so that each of the systems in our body can adequately make use of such nutrients for their increased functioning. On top of that, fiber also assures that the digestive tract is clear so that the food intake is carried on in the digestive process accordingly. Fiber also regulates proper bowel movement thwarting off digestive issues such as constipation. Because of this, dragon fruit consumption also has weight loss effects.

Rich in Antioxidants

Dragon fruit is known for its abundance in strong antioxidants that generally cleanses the body and eliminates formation of free radicals. Dragon fruit is in fact used as a primary ingredient in producing healthy supplements because of its high amounts of antioxidant content. A single serving of dragon fruit is able to dissolve abnormal mass growth and free radical formation that leads to irregularities in the body causing serious illnesses such as cancer and heart ailments.

High Levels of Vitamin C

Vitamin C plays a very important role in our general health. Vitamin C acts as antioxidants that remove harmful toxins in the body as well as boost the immune system. It is important that the body receives its daily Vitamin C requirement for the organs to perform their functions properly. Dragon fruit is an excellent source of Vitamin C which will make it a very beneficial addition to your diet. To reach the daily Vitamin C demand of your body make sure to eat plenty of dragon fruit regularly.

Contain Significant Amounts of Anti-inflammatory Compounds

Dragon fruit is also a powerful anti-inflammatory fruit. It reduces inflammation in the body that causes heart burn, joint pain and discomfort, and others more. Inflammation also has far more dangerous effects in the body like cancer, high blood pressure, and various heart diseases. Eating dragon fruit is also proven to treat arthritis and joint swelling and irritation. Its anti-inflammatory compounds also support heart health.

Defies Ageing

Because dragon fruit is infused with high levels of antioxidants, its consumption fights the effects of ageing. Antioxidants avoid the formation of free radicals that affects the structure of the skin. The antioxidants in dragon fruit stimulate collagen production that makes the skin look young, glowing, and nourished. Unlike using skin care products, eating foods rich in powerful antioxidant such as Vitamin C will make the skin beautiful not only from the outside but also healthy from the inside. Vitamin C makes sure that skin cells are protected and that skin tissue growth is well maintained.

Treats Skin Problems

As mentioned above, dragon fruit has positive effects on the skin. Aside from maintaining healthy skin cells, dragon fruit can also resolve skin conditions like sun burn, acne, wrinkles, and dark spots. Placing dragon fruit extract directly on the skin help in making these conditions better. The extract of dragon fruit is in fact commonly used in making products to treat acne. Using dragon fruit will yield more effective, safe, and instant results. Dragon fruit also has soothing effects on sun burned skin. You can add cucumber juice and honey to the dragon fruit juice for faster effects. Dragon fruit can cool the affected area helping it to restore in its normal condition. This will also give your skin protection from the harsh heat of the sun as well as pollution.

Prevents Asthma and Cough

The high Vitamin C content of Dragon fruit is able to strengthen the respiratory system. A strong respiratory system avoids asthma, cough and other respiratory disorders. If you suffer from asthma from time to time, regularly drinking dragon fruit juice can prevent asthma attacks. Dragon fruit can significantly help to make your respiratory condition better.