A tasty, nutritious tropical fruit, dragon fruit has gained an increasing popularity in recent years.

Although it has a unique look and taste, evidence suggests that this fruit has several health benefits as well.

This article will focus mainly on dragon fruit, its benefits, and how to eat it.

What is dragon fruit?

Also known as the Honolulu queen, dragon fruit is a fruit native to Central America and southern Mexico with flowers that only open at night. It grows on the Hylocereus cactus.

With its increasing popularity, it’s now grown all over the world. It has many names, including strawberry pear, pitahaya, and pitaya.

The two most common types of dragon fruit resemble a dragon with bright red skin and green scales; the most common available type has white pulp and black seeds; and the less common variety has red pulp and black seeds.

There is also a yellow dragon fruit, which is another variety with yellow skin and white pulp with black seeds.

Although this fruit may look exotic, it has the same sweet flavor as other fruits. It has a slightly sweet cross between a pear and a kiwi.

Dragon fruit nutrition

Containing small amounts of several nutrients, dragon fruit provides fiber, iron, and magnesium. Below are the nutrition facts of a 100-gram serving of dragon fruit:

Calories: 60

Carbs: 13 grams

Fat: 0 grams

Protein: 1.2 grams

Fiber: 3 grams

Magnesium: 10% of the RDI

Vitamin C: 3% of the RDI

Iron: 4% of the RDI

A dragon fruit has extremely low calorie content and is rich in magnesium and fiber, making it a highly nutrient-dense fruit.

Dragon fruit provides several antioxidants

Dragon fruit provides several types of antioxidants that protect your cells from unstable molecules known as free radicals, which have been linked to aging and various chronic diseases.

Here are some of the main antioxidants found in dragon fruit pulp:

Hydroxycinnamates. Test-tube and animal studies found that hydroxycinnamates demonstrated anticancer activity.

Flavonoids. Flavonoids are a large, diverse group of antioxidants that have been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease and better brain health.

Betalains. Betalains are found in the pulp of red dragon fruit, which may protect “bad” LDL cholesterol from becoming damaged or oxidized.

A study comparing the antioxidant properties of 17 tropical fruits and berries found that dragon fruit’s antioxidant capacity is best at protecting certain fatty acids from free radical damage.

Dragon fruit health benefits

Dragon fruit has been shown in animal studies to provide various health benefits, mostly due to its antioxidant and fiber content.

Red and white varieties of this fruit have been found to improve insulin resistance and reduce fatty liver in obese mice.

An animal study found that mice fed with high-fat diet along with an extract of dragon fruit gained less weight and experienced reductions in inflammation, liver fat, and insulin resistance, which have been linked to beneficial changes in gut bacteria.

Dragon fruit has prebiotic fiber that may potentially improve metabolic health by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut. It may help improve certain features of metabolic syndrome, which is a cluster of conditions associated with stroke, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. However, not all effects can be favorable.

A study in mice fed a high-fat, high-carb diet found that the group that received dragon fruit juice experienced reductions in some liver enzyme markers and improved blood sugar responses; however, some markers of liver enzyme significantly increased.

In addition, a study in rats with diabetes treated with a dragon fruit extract experienced a 35% reduction in malondialdehyde, which is an indicator of free radical damage. Compared to the control group, they also had lesser arterial stiffness.

Further research is however necessary to confirm the fruit’s beneficial effects, as study results are inconsistent.

Dragon fruit side effects

Dragon fruit is generally safe; however, it may lead to an allergic reaction in some rare cases.

Two reported cases demonstrated that women without a history of food allergies developed anaphylactic reactions, which often begin with an uneasiness feeling, followed by tingling sensations and dizziness, after consuming a fruit mixture containing dragon fruit. They were found to have antibodies against dragon fruit in their blood.

At this point, these are the only reported allergic reactions. However, many other people may also be allergic to dragon fruit without being aware of it.

How to eat dragon fruit

Dragon fruit may look intimidating, but it is very easy to eat.

Here’s how to eat it:

• Select a ripe dragon fruit with pink or bright red color, as it tastes best when ripe.
• Slice it in half using a sharp knife.
• You can use a spoon to scoop out the flesh and eat it. It’s as easy as that!

You can serve the dragon fruit in different ways:

• Slice it up and eat it.
• You can top the chopped small pieces with Greek yogurt and chopped nuts.
• You can include the chopped small pieces in a salad.

Conclusion

Growing on a climbing cactus called hylocereus, dragon fruit is a low-calorie fruit, providing fewer carbs and less sugar than many other tropical fruits. It is a unique, tasty fruit that may offer some health benefits, such as cleaning up your digestive system.

Further human studies are however necessary to verify this. Generally, this fruit is incredibly delicious and can add variety to your diet.