Dragon fruit benefits for diabetes do make it a popular fruit. Dragon fruit benefits for the skin is also a good reason for the fruit to be consumed.
Dragon fruit, also known as pitahaya or strawberry pear, happens to be a tropical fruit popular for its vibrant red skin and sweet, seed-speckled pulp. There are several health benefits of this fruit:
Table of Contents
1. High in Nutrients
Dragon fruit happens to be low in calories and is packed with essential vitamins as well as minerals. It also contains a good amount of dietary fiber.
Apart from essential nutrients, dragon fruit does supply beneficial plant compounds such as polyphenols, carotenoids, and betacyanins.
2. May Help Fight Chronic Disease
Free radicals are rather unstable molecules that do cause cell damage, leading to inflammation and disease.
By eating antioxidant-rich foods such as dragon fruit it is possible to protect oneself from chronic disease.
Antioxidants do work by neutralizing free radicals, thus preventing cell damage as well as inflammation.
Dragon fruit benefits for diabetes are also manifold.
Diets high in antioxidants can prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis. Dragon fruit contains several types of potent antioxidants such as:
- Vitamin C: there is a correlation between vitamin C intake and cancer risk.
- Betalains: Test-tube studies show betalains can combat oxidative stress and thus suppress cancer cells
- Carotenoids: Beta-carotene and lycopene happen to be plant pigments that provide dragon fruit its vibrant color. Diets rich in carotenoids reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.
Dragon fruit does contain the antioxidants vitamin C, beta-carotene, lycopene, and betalain.
3. Loaded With Fiber
Dragon fruit is an excellent source f fiber and good for digestion. It can protect against heart disease, managing type 2 diabetes, and maintaining healthy body weight.
4. Promotes a Healthy Gut
Dragon fruit contains prebiotics, which can potentially improve the balance of good bacteria in one’s gut.
Prebiotics are a specific type of fiber that promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in one’s gut.
Apart from this dragon fruit benefits for the skin also promotes healthy growth.
The bacteria in one’s gut can digest them and they use the fiber as fuel for growth. Dragon fruit helps promote the growth of two families of healthy bacteria: lactic acid bacteria as well as bifidobacteria.
Regularly consuming pre-biotics can help reduce the risk of infection in one’s digestive tract as well as diarrhea. This is because pre-biotics does promote the growth of good bacteria.
5. Strengthens Your Immune System
The vitamin C and carotenoids in dragon fruit help boost one’s immune system and prevent infection by protecting the white blood cells from damage.
6. May Boost Low Iron Levels
Dragon fruit contains iron. Iron does play a crucial role in transporting oxygen throughout one’s body. It also helps play an important role in breaking down food into energy. Unfortunately, most people do not get enough iron. To combat low iron levels, it is necessary to have a variety of iron-rich foods. Rich sources of iron include meats, fish, legumes, nuts as well as cereals.
7. Good Source of Magnesium
Dragon fruit does offer more magnesium as compared to other fruits.
Higher intakes of magnesium can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Bone health also improves by having diets containing magnesium.
Dragon fruit is indeed a great source of magnesium.
Conclusion
Dragon fruit has several health benefits and is worth including in one’s daily diet. This fruit can help these suffering or trying to prevent chronic disease as it has certain antibodies that help the person consuming it to combat such diseases. Dragon fruit benefits for a skin for example cannot be negated.