Health experts recommend that you include fruits in your diet because they offer numerous benefits for your health. And while having a banana or apple a day is better than having none at all, they still encourage people to consume a variety of fruits every day. Hence, eating uncommon fruits, such as dragon fruit, can be beneficial. But, what can you get from dragon fruit? Here’s what you need to know about the health benefits of dragon fruit.
First Things First: Why Variety Matters
Before we discuss dragon fruit in particular, you must be wanting to know why variety is important.
You see, each fruit has different nutritional value and health benefits. If you just focus on several types of fruits, you might be missing out on what the other fruits have to offer. The more varied the fruits in your diet are, the higher the chance that you’ll be getting these benefits:
- Cancer prevention. The antioxidants in certain fruits, such as blueberries and plums, may help protect against cancer by reducing the formation of free radicals in the body.
- Diabetes prevention and/or management. Certain fruits can help control blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Heart disease prevention and/or management. Fruits lower cholesterol levels by lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or so-called “bad” cholesterol while increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good” cholesterol because they’re naturally rich in fiber.
- Stronger immune system. The more fruits you eat, the more of its immune-boosting vitamins and minerals you will consume.
Does dragon fruit also provide these benefits?
Health Benefits of Dragon Fruit
While this fruit looks like it comes straight from a fiction book, it’s very much real – and so are its health benefits:
1. It’s packed with nutrients
A 100-g serving of this fruit already gives you 60 calories, 1.18 g of protein, almost 13 g of carbohydrates, 2.9 g of fiber, and zero fat. This makes dragon fruit great for snacking, especially since it’s also rich in micronutrients like:
- Iron
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Vitamin B
- Vitamin A
- Lycopene
- Carotenoids
2. It might help improve gut health
A report said that dragon fruit promotes the growth of good bacteria in the gut. And with a balanced microbiome, it can boost digestion and even reduce colon cancer risk.
3. It’s rich in fiber
What are the health benefits of dragon fruit? As mentioned earlier, it contains fiber. In fact, it’s rich in fiber considering a 100-g serving already has about 3 grams of it. Fiber not only helps clean the gut, but it also boosts cardiovascular health by lowering cholesterol. Also, fiber appears to help manage blood sugar levels. Reports likewise indicate that dietary fiber can reduce the risk of obesity, stroke, and hypertension.
4. It helps boost the immune system
Dragon fruit not only has vitamins and minerals that help fight off diseases, it’s also rich in carotenoids, which are powerful antioxidants.
Antioxidants help protect cells from free-radical damage and they are also associated with anti-inflammatory properties that can help stave off inflammatory diseases, like arthritis.
5. It can give you an iron boost
Finally, one of the health benefits of dragon fruit is that it gives you iron. If you have iron-deficiency anemia, you might want to think about consuming more of this fruit from time to time, especially since it also has vitamin C, which helps the body absorb iron better.
Key Takeaways
Fruits are naturally good for health. They are rich in vitamins and minerals that help your body fight diseases. But, remember, variety is also important. Hence, add some uncommon fruits, like dragon fruit, to your diet. Research shows that it’s packed with nutrients, helps improve gut health, boosts the immune system, and is rich in iron and fiber.
Learn more about Nutrition Facts here.
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