How Dragon Fruit Benefits Will Help You Slay the Game of Health
Most people know that getting enough servings of fruit throughout the day can help with multiple aspects of health, including digestion, gut health, and immune health, thanks to the many vitamins and minerals.
However, if you’re tired of eating the same fruits repeatedly, you may find it difficult to get your ideal number of fruit servings into your day.
Looking for a new and exotic way to spice up your diet while supporting your health? If you’ve never tried dragon fruit, now is the time to consider including this delicious fruit in your daily routine.
Table of contents:
- What Is Dragon Fruit?
- Dragon Fruit Taste and Texture
- Best Ways to Eat Dragon Fruit
- Superfoods to Combine With Dragon Fruit
- Dragon Fruit Benefits
- How to Tell If Dragon Fruit is Ripe
- How to Properly Store Dragon Fruit
- Possible Risks of Dragon Fruit Consumption
- Where Can I Find Dragon Fruit?
What Is Dragon Fruit?
Dragon fruit is a unique tropical fruit characterized by its bright pink skin and scaly-looking exterior that resembles little shooting flames, which is where it gets its name. While the skin is inedible, the flesh inside is sweet and contains many small, edible black seeds.
Other Names and Types of Dragon Fruit
If you’ve never heard of dragon fruit, you may have heard it referred to by one of its other names – strawberry pear or pitaya. These names come from Central America and Asia, respectively.
Though most dragon fruit has a pink exterior and a white flesh interior, this is only the most common variety of the fruit. In addition to being grown around the world and sold at the highest volume, this variety is known to be the least sweet of the many varieties of dragon fruit.
Other varieties available include pink or red flesh inside, which tends to be larger and sweeter; purple flesh, which is native to South and Central America as well as Florida; and yellow skin and a white interior, which is the smallest and sweetest variety but also the most difficult to find as it isn’t grown on a massive scale.
Where Does Dragon Fruit Grow
Dragon fruit is grown all around the world in tropical climates. The biggest worldwide producers of dragon fruit are Asia, South and Central America, Hawaii, and certain areas of the continental U.S., like southern California and southern Florida.
Dragon Fruit Taste and Texture
Dragon fruit has a subtle sweetness that makes it easy to enjoy on its own as a snack or as part of a recipe without overpowering the dish. Many people describe the flavor of dragon fruit as a cross between a pear and a kiwi, and it has a distinctive tropical taste.
The texture of dragon fruit skin is thick and rough, and you cut it open to reach the edible flesh inside. Dragon fruit flesh can be described as creamy but substantial, with small seeds inside, similar to the texture of a kiwi.
Different Forms of Dragon Fruit
If you have access to fresh, whole dragon fruit at your local health food store or Asian market, you can enjoy freshly cut dragon fruit at home.
However, if you don’t have access to whole dragon fruit or prefer to consume it in other ways, you can also purchase dragon fruit powder, which has a much longer shelf life while still providing many of the same benefits for your health.
Best Ways to Eat Dragon Fruit
Wondering how you can fit dragon fruit benefits into your daily life without switching up your routine? Here are a few of the best ways to eat dragon fruit.
Smoothies and Smoothie Bowls
Though dragon fruit has a unique and specific taste, it blends very well with other fruits and flavors inside a smoothie or smoothie bowl. It can provide a subtly sweet and tropical taste without being overpowering and make your smoothie that much more nutrient-dense.
You can do this by blending freshly cut dragon fruit into your smoothie or smoothie bowl or adding some dragon fruit powder into your blender for convenience. Fresh dragon fruit will likely provide a stronger flavor than the powdered version.
Acai Bowls
Acai is one of the most popular tropical fruit flavors, and most people enjoy it as a frozen paste at the base of a bowl covered with delicious and nutritious toppings.
You can include dragon fruit benefits in your acai bowl by blending fresh dragon fruit into your base, mixing dragon fruit powder into your base, or sprinkling fresh dragon fruit pieces onto your base as a topping.
Inside a Fruit Salad
Freshly cut dragon fruit is the perfect way to turn a traditional fruit salad into a tropical getaway. Dragon fruit will add a unique flavor to your fruit salad without overpowering the delicious tastes of the other fruits, and it mixes particularly well with a variety of other tropical fruit flavors, including kiwi, pineapple, mango, and more.
Superfoods to Combine With Dragon Fruit
A superfood is generally categorized as a particularly nutrient-dense food, and the many dragon fruit benefits can certainly put it in that category.
If you’re looking to improve your health by including as many superfoods as possible in your diet, here are a few easy and tasty ways to combine dragon fruit benefits with the health benefits of other superfoods.
Spirulina
Spirulina is a type of nutrient-dense algae typically ground into a powder and used in smoothies, juices, and acai bowls. Spirulina’s slightly bitter taste can balance out the sweetness of dragon fruit in a smoothie, smoothie bowl, or acai bowl, not to mention increase the protein content of your meal to improve satiety.
Ginger
Ginger has a variety of health benefits and can be used fresh or in powder form to elevate any dish with its slightly spicy flavor. If you like the combination of sweet and spicy, you might want to add a bit of fresh ginger along with dragon fruit into your next fruit salad or smoothie recipe.
Maca Root
Maca root is another popular superfood usually sold in powder form, making it easy to include in a variety of food and beverage recipes to increase the nutritional value. Maca root has a subtle earthy taste, which blends well into smoothies and smoothie bowls full of sweet fruits like dragon fruit.
What Are the Biggest Dragon Fruit Benefits?
Now that you understand a bit more about what dragon fruit is, what it tastes like, and how it can be eaten, you may be wondering exactly what dragon fruit benefits you should be looking for when you include this tropical fruit in your regular diet. Here are a few of the most significant dragon fruit benefits for health and wellness.
Immune System Support
Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins to consume when it comes to maintaining a healthy and functional immune system. Luckily, dragon fruit is packed with vitamin C, which makes it a healthy part of an immunity-supporting diet. Additionally, the many antioxidants present in dragon fruit can support high immunity as well.
Reduced Inflammation
Inflammation is a major part of the body’s natural response to stressors, such as sickness, overexercising, and mental strain. However, too much inflammation has the potential to cause issues like chronic pain and disease.
One promising study performed on mice showed a noticeable decrease in inflammation after consuming dragon fruit extract while on a high-fat diet. Other changes during the study included less weight gain, reductions in insulin resistance, and reductions in fatty liver tissue.
Better Gut Health
To have a healthy gut, you need to maintain a balance between prebiotics and probiotics. Prebiotics feed probiotics, or healthy bacteria, which keep your intestines functioning properly.
One of the most helpful dragon fruit benefits is the fact that it encourages the growth of two prebiotics called bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. These prebiotics help to feed the healthy bacteria in your gut and prevent bloating and indigestion.
Great Source of Antioxidants
Antioxidants are an essential part of any healthy diet as they help to prevent disease and inflammation by stopping harmful oxidation processes in the body. Much like many other fruits, one of the primary dragon fruit benefits is its high antioxidant content, which supports the immune system and helps the body recover from stress.
Packed With Fiber
Supporting prebiotic growth is only one of many dragon fruit benefits surrounding digestion. Dragon fruit contains high levels of fiber, which supports gut health, digestive health, and satiation, helping you to feel fuller for longer.
Additionally, the combination of fiber with the natural sugars in dragon fruit makes this a healthy and safe snack for those who struggle with blood sugar regulation.
Good Source of Minerals
In addition to its vitamin content, dragon fruit contains high levels of some health-boosting minerals, including iron and magnesium. In fact, a serving of dragon fruit provides the average person 10% of their recommended daily intake of magnesium while still maintaining a low-calorie content.
Lower Sugar Content than Most Fruits
In addition to the many dragon fruit benefits, you can rest assured knowing that dragon fruit is not particularly high in sugar and is only around 60 calories per 100-gram serving. The high fiber content in dragon fruit also helps to mitigate any blood sugar spikes.
Bowl or Juice?
After learning all about dragon fruit benefits, the question becomes not whether or not to incorporate them into your diet, but rather how would you prefer to enjoy this delectable fruit. If you’re looking for a filling way to add dragon fruit to your day, a bowl is a great option. In Clean Juice’s Dragon Fruit Bowl we artfully combine organic acai, banana, pineapple, coconut oil, almond milk, with dragon fruit, and then top it all with organic granola, coconut chips, chia seeds, goji berries, and your choice of drizzle. There’s no better pick-me-up.
But if you’re more of a juice over bowl person, Clean Juice still has you covered. The Pink Juice is a delightfully simple drink, consisting of filtered water, organic lemon, agave and dragon fruit. Drink in the dragon fruit benefits on the go and order yours here.
How Can I Tell If Dragon Fruit Is Ripe?
Not sure how to pick the perfect dragon fruit at your local Asian market or health food store? Dragon fruit’s peak season is summer and early fall, but you can usually find it in stores year-round.
Look for a dragon fruit with bright-colored skin and an even tone across the whole fruit. If the dragon fruit has several large blotches of darker or lighter skin, it might be too ripe or not ripe enough.
Press lightly into the dragon fruit’s skin to feel its firmness. If it gives slightly, it’s at peak ripeness; if it presses in too easily or not at all, it’s either overripe or underripe.
How to Properly Store a Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit powder can be stored for long periods of time in a cool, dry place as long as it is properly sealed.
If you purchase a fresh dragon fruit, it can remain on the counter until you’re ready to eat it, but it will remain fresh longer if you store it in the fridge in a sealed plastic bag. The purpose of the plastic bag is to prevent your dragon fruit from picking up the tastes and odors of the other foods in your fridge.
Once your dragon fruit has been cut, store any leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge. You should consume your dragon fruit within a day or two for optimal freshness and taste.
Possible Risks of Dragon Fruit Consumption
Dragon fruit is typically safe to eat for the average person. Allergic reactions to dragon fruit can occur, but they are rare. Contact your physician immediately if you notice symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or hives after eating dragon fruit.
Where Can I Find Dragon Fruit?
Dragon fruit is available at most health food stores as well as many Asian markets, as different varieties of dragon fruit are major exports of many Asian countries.
If you’re unsure whether your local grocery store carries dragon fruit, you can call and ask to speak to the head of the produce section. Even if the store doesn’t carry dragon fruit, the produce manager might be able to tell you where to find fresh or powdered dragon fruit in your area.
Boost Your Health the Tasty Way With Clean Juice
Another great way to get your dragon fruit fix is with Clean Juice. All of our recipes are made with only the freshest ingredients, which are used at peak ripeness to make sure your smoothie, smoothie bowl, acai bowl, or juice is as nutritious and tasty as can be.
Ready to improve your health while keeping your daily diet as delicious as ever? Order Clean Juice products to make healthy living as easy as it is fun and delicious.
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Disclaimer: The information presented here is for educational purposes only and is in no way intended as a substitute for medical counseling. Consult your doctor before using any health treatment, including natural remedies, and tell your doctor if you have a serious medical condition or are taking any medications.
If you’re unsure whether Dragon Fruit would be a healthy addition to your wellness routine, ask your doctor if any of your health details might make Dragon Fruit unsafe for you.