Dragon fruit is anti-cancerous and anti-diabetic!

But what makes it so healthy? 

How can it prevent cancer?

Well, there are a lot of queries regarding this tasty fruit and the benefits of having it. So, without further delay, we will be exploring everything about having dragon fruit in your diet.

Introducing dragon fruit:

As the name suggests this fruit and leaves look like a dragon.  It's otherwise called pitaya, pithaya, or strawberry pear which is a tropical fruit with vibrant skin and a unique appearance. In the past, it used to be cultivated in Central and South America but now it's grown all around the world including countries such as southeast Asia and Israel. Like all fruits, this also has different varieties, with bright pink or yellow skin and white or red flesh garnished with tiny black seeds. Now let's look into the nutritional content of dragon fruit.

Nutritional Content of Dragon Fruit 

Health Benefits of Eating Dragon Fruit 

Diabetic risk reduction:

This is one of the best reasons to have dragon fruit because due to unhealthy life habits, we all risk getting diagnosed with diabetes. But not anymore, fibre content in dragon fruit allows you to control blood sugar levels. Also according to a few studies, it can replace damaged pancreatic cells. This is associated with diabetes control, as the pancreas produces insulin that produces sugar thereby reducing diabetes risk.

Keeps you far from having cancer:

Cancer is one of the common causes of death as per recent studies. So this delicious fruit is enriched with antioxidants such as flavonoids, phenolic acid, and betacyanin that stop the damage caused by free radicals. And these free radicals might be a reason for developing cancer. Along with cancer, it reduces the risk of having Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s disease. 

Boosts up Immunity:

The next thing is that it has vitamin C the powerful antioxidant that is there for you to keep you far from most chronic diseases. Having 200 grams of dragon fruit will be the savior for you.

Promotes digestion:

For a healthy digestion process what you need is good gut bacteria.  Due to the presence of prebiotics such as oligosaccharides your gut bacteria gets improved thereby promoting digestion. These good bacteria also help to break down food allowing them to absorb easily. 

Heart health improvement:

Here we have the crucial part which is a healthy heart, this happens by improving iron levels in your body. Dragon fruit is rich in iron which is a major contributor to levelling up haemoglobin which plays a major role in transporting oxygen from the heart to all of your body parts.

As mentioned before dragon fruits have red pulp, and they have betalains which contain nitrogen pigments. These betalains are known to lower the bad cholesterol levels in your body. Also, the black seeds in all varieties of dragon fruits will offer you omega 9 and Omega 3 fatty acids that are highly essential for a healthy heart.

Anti-aging Properties:

The thing we were talking about from the starting point is the one helping with anti-aging too, which means antioxidants that are present in dragon fruit protect you from aging caused by pollutants, stress, and unhealthy eating habits. Also, vitamin C in this fruit brightens up your skin by eliminating wrinkles. 

Healthy hair:

You can have strong, shiny, and healthy hair just by having dragon fruit with milk every day because it protects your hair that's damaged by pollution and artificial colors.

Strong bones:

Not only with calcium and vitamin D you can get stronger bones by having dragon fruit too. This is because dragon fruit has magnesium that is responsible for strengthening bones and pains that are associated with age. 

Eye health:

What makes dragon fruit healthy for your eyes? That's none other than the presence of beta carotene which gets broken into vitamin A for enhancing your eye health. As per studies, having 3-6 milligrams of dragon fruit every day will keep you safe from eye concerns.

Dragon fruit During Pregnancy:

Pregnant women can benefit in several ways because:

➤It has healthy fats that are responsible for maintaining energy levels and the development of the fetus's brain.

➤Next, it helps by protecting against infections and cell regeneration. 

➤As pregnant women are more likely to develop digestion issues, having dragon fruit can help you out by reducing constipation and gastritis. 

Caution:

While Introducing something new to our diet we also need to have a basic understanding of their side effects. So when you have dragon fruit you might experience:

➤If you are someone having pre-existing allergic issues you may experience itching, swelling, and hives. So be careful and consume in moderation.

➤When consumed in excess amounts you can experience gastrointestinal issues such as diarrhea, bloating, and abdominal pain.

➤Dragon fruit can affect the efficacy of medicines, especially diabetes and blood pressure medications. Do consult with a healthcare professional before having it on your dietary routine. 

➤Dragon fruit has oxalates that can lead to kidney stones so make sure to consume it in moderation.  

You can also check out more healthy foods for your diet.

The bottom line:

This is everything about the health benefits of dragon fruit. Having this delicious tasty fruit can offer you several health benefits from skin health to the prevention of cancer. But moderation is the key to any dietary source you are having. So you need to eat mindfully and consult with your doctor if you observe yourself with any health concerns post having this fruit.