The dragon fruit is a plant that is also called pitahaya or pitya fruit. It comes from a cactus called the dragon fruit cactus plant, which only blooms at night. This fruit typically grows in tropical, dry or subtropical environments, and is not widely grown in the United States. The fruit can be eaten fresh or dried, and both forms are full of nutrients and health benefits.
Fiber
According to NaturalFoodBenefits.com, dragon fruit is a good source of fiber, with nearly 1 g of fiber for every 100 g of fresh dragon fruit. When dragon fruit is dried, the fiber content rises even more, with 10 g of fiber or more found in 100 g of the dried fruit, depending on how much water the dried fruit has. Eating the skin of this fruit adds to the fiber content--just make sure the skin is free of mold and dirt.
Cholesterol and Fats
Dragon fruit has low amounts of cholesterol, and has minimal amounts of fats that raise cholesterol levels, states the Diabetic Life Diet website. The cholesterol in dragon fruit comes from the many seeds that are in the fruit, sometimes thousands of seeds in one piece of fruit. When you eat dragon fruit, the seeds are extremely small and diffused throughout the fruit, so it is impossible to remove all of the seeds prior to eating. These seeds add fat and protein to the fruit, but the majority of fat in the seeds is the good kinds of fat called monounsaturated fat.
Vitamins and Antioxidants
The dragon fruit is chock-full of vitamins, including vitamin C and antioxidants. The amount of vitamin C in each fruit can vary, depending on soil nutrients and differences in dragon fruit cacti, but the website Dragon Fruit Pitaya Fruit estimates that approximately 50 percent of your daily vitamin C requirement can be met by eating 100 g of dried dragon fruit or 1 kg of fresh dragon fruit. Other nutrients in dragon fruit include carotene, phosphorus and vitamins B1, B2 and B3, according to Agriculture Business Week. Antioxidants help destroy free radicals in the body, which are molecules that may cause cancer, cardiovascular issues and other health problems.
Effects on Diabetes
Dragon Fruit Pitaya Fruit notes that the fruit can help control glucose levels in some people with Type 2 diabetes. If you have diabetes, it is best to talk to your doctor about the possible health benefits of dragon fruit.
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