The health benefits of dragon fruit are quite significant for the health of the body if consumed regularly every day in moderate amounts or just one glass a day. You can consume red dragon fruit or white dragon fruit, both of which contain antioxidants and a number of other nutrients that support health.
Dragon fruit is the fruit of a cactus plant from the genera Hylocereus and Selenicereus. The origin of this tanmana is from America, namely Mexico, Central America and South America. However, this plant can live anywhere, especially in loose and sandy soil. So, its spread is very easy and now we can find it in various parts of the world. Now dragon fruit plants have been cultivated in Asian countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Vietnam and others.
Apart from Asian countries, cactus plants from the clans Hylocereus and Selenicereus can also be found in Israel, Australia, China and Okinawa. In this country, it is said that this fruit is said to be dragon fruit because the fruit has a physical form of skin like dragon scales. This is an analogy so it is called dragon fruit. Dragon fruit types are very diverse, some are red, white, black and some even yellow.
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Types of Dragon Fruit
- Dragon fruit with a red color and white inside is called Hylocereus undatus
- Dragon fruit with pink skin and red inside is called Hylocereus polyrhizus
- There is also Selenicereus megalanthus, this is a dragon fruit with yellow skin and white inside
- Hylocereus costaricensis, this is a type of dragon fruit with a very red fruit color.
All types of dragon fruit have tremendous benefits for human health. So, you can plant whatever type you like either yellow dragon fruit, red dragon fruit or white dragon fruit. Here we consider what are the benefits of dragon fruit for health.
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Dragon Fruit Nutritional Value
Dragon fruit is one type of fruit that contains a lot of water in it, even in 100 grams of dragon fruit, as much as 87 hrams of water. After water, the most content is vitamin C which can act as an antioxidant that kills or inhibits cancer cells. Here we see a table of dragon fruit nutritional values.
| Dragon Fruit Nutrition | Per 100 grams | % Daily RDA | Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| water | 87 g | NA | Fruit rich with water |
| Protein | 1.1 g | 2.1 % | – |
| fat | 0.4 g | – | Fat free so it is good for diet |
| Carbohydrate | 11.0 g | 3.4 % | – |
| Fiber | 0.04 mg | 12 % | Become a source of fiber |
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) | 0.04 g | 2.7 % | – |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 0.05 mg | 2.9 % | – |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 0.16 mg | 0.8 % | – |
| Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) | 20.5 mg | NA | Very rich in vitamin C as an antioxidant |
| Kalsium (Ca) | 8.5 mg | 0.9 % | High in calcium |
| Besi (Fe) | 0.16 mg | 0.8 % | – |
From the nutritional data above, we know that dragon fruit has the following facts:
- Dragon fruit is a low-calorie fruit, in 100 grams of dragon fruit only contains half or 50 calories, this is almost the same as low-calorie kiwi fruit. However, this fruit contains a lot of anti-oxidants,
minerals, vitamins and rich in fiber so it is good for health. - Black dragon fruit contains many phytochemicals or phytoalbumin which are good enough for laxatives and serve as a natural remedy to increase appetite. It is also good for maintaining healthy skin.
- Dragon fruit is rich in vitamin C which is good for boosting immunity. Vitamin C also acts as an antioxidant which is good for fighting free radicals in the body and fighting infection.
- Red dragon fruit flesh is rich in carotene and vitamin A which is quite good for eye health. Vitamin A is also good for mucosa and skin. Carotene-rich fruit is also good for preventing oral cancer and throat cancer.
- Apart from containing vitamins, dragon fruit also contains many minerals such as manganese, iron, phosphorus, and magnesium. Magnesium is a mineral that plays an important role in maintaining healthy bones.
Health Benefits of Dragon Fruit
After we know the nutritional value in dragon fruit, then what are the benefits. Here is a list of the health benefits of dragon fruit that we need to know.
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1. Lose weight
The benefits of dragon fruit which are very genomenal are losing weight. contain high fiber, low calorie fiber is the capital in a food to be used as a weight loss diet companion. Dragon fruit also contains a lot of water so it is very good for digestion.
Jaadi, those of you who have been trying to lose weight in various ways for a long time but have not been successful, try to keep the fruit at home and drink it as a juice without sugar or low sugar every day.
2. Good source of antioxidants
Antioxidants are compounds that are found in vegetables and fruits and are included in plants such as the steel plant. The benefits of antioxidants are to destroy free radicals in the body and get rid of toxins. Free radicals are harmful substances in the body that cause cell damage so that a person is easily attacked by disease or ages quickly.
Dragon fruit is a fruit rich in antioxidants, so consuming dragon fruit regularly includes efforts to maintain health and prevent various diseases in the body.
3. Dragon fruit prevents cancer
This fruit is rich in phytoalbumin antioxidants which prevent the formation of free radicals in the body. In addition, dragon fruit also contains substances that help prevent cancer such as fiber, phosphorus, calcium, vitamins C and B2, and this fruit is able to remove metal toxins in the body, this means that it helps prevent the formation of cancer cells.
4. Increase immunity
Dragon fruit is high in antioxidants, besides being useful for preventing cancer, it is also good for boosting immunity. So, consuming dragon fruit every day in domesticated amounts is highly recommended. When the body’s immunity increases, the body will find it difficult and difficult to get sick.
5. Good for diabetic
diabetics are also advised to consume these foods. Dragon fruit is low in sugar and rich in energy so that when it enters the body, it is digested immediately. A little sugar content is good for those who are experiencing problems with the pancreas because the body is not burdened with sugar levels.
6. Increase appetite
The benefits of dragon fruit are also good for increasing appetite. This is because dragon fruit contains vitamin B1 and vitamin B2. This vitamin will be an agent in increasing appetite, especially in children.
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7. Prevent premature aging
Premature aging is a condition where the body undergoes significant changes in a short time. In other words, it is called someone who experiences premature aging, then his physical appearance will appear older than his age.
One of the benefits of consuming dragon fruit is to prevent premature aging. The causes of premature aging are exposure to air pollution, consuming toxic foods such as fast food and others.
8. Asthma and cough
Dragon fruit is also good at helping to get rid of respiratory ailments such as coughs and asthma. Indeed, you cannot completely treat it with this fruit, but at least the presence of dragon fruit can make your breathing easier.
The high vitamin C content in dragon fruit is very important because it can fight infections and disease-causing bacteria. It can also boost immunity so it’s great for anyone, including those with asthma and coughs and flu.
9. Heart attack and high blood pressure
High blood pressure can be caused by two factors, namely oxidation stress and clogged arteries. Dragon fruit is useful for cleansing the body so it is good as a medicine to maintain heart health, and other health problems that are correlated with blood vessels.
Dragon fruit is also known to help relieve oxidation stress which is one of the causes of heart attacks. So, consuming dragon fruit regularly is quite good in preventing heart attacks and high blood pressure.
10. Useful for bones and blood
Another benefit of dragon fruit is to maintain healthy bones and blood. Dragon fruit is high in calcium and iron, so it is very good for supporting blood and bone health. One size dragon fruit meets 1% of the daily nutritional content. Even the FAO considers that dragon fruit is important for health because of its high calcium value.
While the iron contained in it for the size of one small fruit can reach 8% of daily needs. Muscles and nerves also need calcium to function properly. The iron content is to form red blood cells so that oxygen can be transported to all body cells including to the brain.
Other Dragon Fruit Health Benefits
In addition to the things that have been mentioned above, dragon fruit also has tremendous benefits for pregnant women, to maintain healthy teeth, detect borax content in food, digestion even for eye health though. Here we look at the benefits of dragon fruit for some of these things.
11. Benefits of dragon fruit for pregnant women
This is a very important benefit we know, dragon fruit is actually one of the important drugs or nutrients for pregnant women so that its existence for consumption of pregnant women is very important. Dragon fruit contains nutrients such as folic acid, vitamins, carotene, and fiber and all of these are very important for the health and development of pregnant women and their fetuses.
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So, besides being affordable, the benefits of dragon fruit for pregnant women are also very important, including for the development of the fetus because it contains a variety of nutrients that are needed by both; pregnant women and fetuses.
12. Maintain healthy teeth
The next benefits of dragon fruit are for dental health. To get this benefit you can consume dragon fruit regularly. An easy way to consume dragon fruit is to make dragon fruit juice. However, to be healthier you should reduce or eliminate sugar. The high calcium content can strengthen teeth and treat toothaches.
13. Detect borax content
Dragon fruit can actually be used to detect borax content. The way to detect borax in food is by soaking the food in dragon fruit skin soaking water. Then, the food is soaked in water mixed with dragon fruit skin for 10 minutes. Next, dip the tissue in water, if the food contains formaldehyde or borax then the tissue will be red for longer than food that does not contain borax.
14. Benefits of dragon fruit for eye health
Dragon fruit is rich in vitamin A like carrots, you can routinely consume carrots or mix it with dragon fruit. You can also consume dragon fruit juice which tastes better than carrots.
Regular consumption in moderation, God willing, can have a good effect on the health of your eyes.
Well, those are some of the benefits of dragon fruit that are important to know, but apart from that there are many more benefits that we may not explain one by one. Here are other benefits of dragon fruit in general and it is important to know as information and knowledge.
Other benefits and useful of dragon fruit
- Useful for cleaning the intestines
- Strengthens bones and teeth
- Useful for inflammation
- Fruit to increase stamina
- So that it doesn’t cramp easily
- Maintain body ions
- Prevent muscle paralysis
- Can be used to get rid of acne
- Good for seniors
- Great for keeping skin moist
- Maintain nerve health
- Can be used for natural coloring (red dragon fruit)
- Good for keeping the intestines from developing bacteria
- Prevents bone fragility
- Good for digestion for babies over 1 year
- Good for smooth blood flow
- Treating heartburn
- Good for increasing breast milk
- Good for treating thrush
- Use for dry throat
- Can keep facial skin tight
Dragon Fruit Side Effects
Actually there are no side effects which means consuming dragon fruit. However, to get good results for health, it is still recommended to consume in reasonable amounts. Consuming too much dragon fruit is worried about excess fiber in the intestines, causing impaired absorption of nutrients and gas or bloating. Likewise for pregnant women, consuming dragon fruit is good and good for their health and the fetus, but it must be controlled so as not to overdo it.
So, as long as consuming dragon fruit is still within normal limits, it is not a problem for your health, it is good for health.
Dragon Fruit Cultivation
Dragon fruit cultivation is suitable to be done in open land, with sufficient nutrient content in resistance. So the good land is sandy soil, and gets enough sunlight. Cultivation is usually done from cuttings or from seeding seeds. In addition, dragon fruit plants require good care and should be in temperatures between 38-40 ° C.
If the care is good and thrives, the dragon fruit plant will bear fruit when it is one year to 17 months old. Planting or cultivating dragon fruit plants can be done at an altitude of 0–1200 m above sea level because the most important thing for its growth is sufficient sunlight.
Dragon fruit plants are very greedy for nutrients, so wherever you plant them, don’t forget to pay attention to nutrients properly. If fertilized properly, one year it will grow to 3 meters. Indonesia is one of the areas that is suitable for cultivating dragon fruit plants considering that the dragon fruit market is very large in Indonesia. Now, only a few places have cultivated dragon fruit such as Mojokerto, Malang, Jember, Pasuruan, Ponorogo, Banyuwangi, Wonogiri, Kulon Progo, Kalibawang, Bandung and Batam.
How to Consume Dragon Fruit
We may not be so familiar with dragon fruit, because considering that in Indonesia only a few regions have cultivated it. So, maybe many are asking how to consume dragon fruit, is it the same as consuming guava fruit, or consuming mango fruit? So it is also important that we know how to consume dragon fruit to make it tasty and delicious.
The way to consume dragon fruit is to split the fruit into several parts, the inside is full of contents mixed with small and black seeds. The seeds are eaten with the pulp while the skin is removed or processed into other foods. The best and delicious way to enjoy dragon fruit is by making dragon fruit juice, but if you want to be different, you can try making salad, jelly or dragon fruit chips.
Thus the information about dragon fruit, starting from the benefits of dragon fruit, nutrition, dragon fruit side effects, to the types of dragon fruit and how to cultivate it, hopefully it will be useful and become additional knowledge.
