Recently, dragon fruit has gained popularity as a staple fruit at neighborhood supermarkets. There are three types of what is commonly referred to as strawberry pear, pitaya, or pitahaya. Three types of skin exist: yellow skin with white pulp, red skin with red pulp, and red skin with black seeds and white pulp.
Mexico and Central America are the birthplaces of dragon fruit. The term “pitaya” is exclusively Mexican in origin. When Europeans brought the fruit to Asia and South America, they gave it the common, contemporary name “dragon fruit.” The fruit’s name refers to its look, which is red skin covered in green scales resembling dragons.
The Hylocereus cactus is where the fruit grows. Given that the petals open exclusively at night, it is sometimes referred to as the Honolulu queen. The Latin term “cereus” means waxen, and the Greek word “hyle” meaning woody combine to form the word “hylocereus.”
The Ideal Selection
Dragon fruit is typically selected underripe for shipping purposes. They do this because the material is firmer, less prone to bruising, and will not deteriorate while in transit. Choose a fruit that is heavier than average for its size when selecting the ideal dragon fruit. This indicates that it is the most juicy of the group. You can tell this by taking a handful and observing the differences.
Its exterior should be a constant shade of pink and free of any bruises. While dragon fruit is often solid to the touch, when it is mature, it will give slightly when squeezed, much like an avocado. The wings or “scales” will also become yellow with brown tips when they dry up and become ripe. Should you purchase an unripe dragon fruit, allow it to mature on the counter until the wings start to turn yellow.
Preparing and Serving Dishes
Just cut this fruit open and remove the white or crimson pulp to prepare it. The red-skinned dragon fruit resembles a ripe kiwi in texture and tastes like a cross between a kiwi and a pear. Dragon fruit is delicious on its own, but it can also be prepared in a variety of ways.
You can combine it with other tropical fruits or your other favorites in a salad. Squeeze it into juice or water, or chop it into a salsa. Additionally, you may churn it into ice cream! However, take care not to add too much sugar. You may also add it to your next smoothie or on top of yogurt.
Storage
If you have any leftover dragon fruit, it will keep for up to five days in the refrigerator when kept in a plastic bag. Additionally, you can freeze it for up to three months. To incorporate dragon fruit into your smoothies and achieve the ideal smoothness, freeze them!
Dragon Fruit in Yellow
The yellow exterior of yellow dragon fruits is accompanied by white meat and black seeds. Compared to the other varieties, these seeds are a little larger. Similar to the red and white variant, it contains white flesh. Its golden skin is knobby and thick. The Hylocereus megalanthus is the species name.
Scarlet with Scarlet Flesh
The three types of dragon fruit differ in very minor ways. The dragon fruit with red flesh and skin can occasionally be pink or purple. Compared to the white fleshed dragon fruit, it has green, thicker scales all over its body. Compared to the white dragon fruit, it is slimmer, darker, and covered with more scales. In addition, the flower tips have a richer red color than the white variant.
More thorns on the branches of a dragon fruit is a very subtle clue that it’s the red type. Deeply crimson fruits and vegetables are thought to have higher antioxidant content. But compared to the white type, the red variety has more sugar. Hylocereus costaricensis is the name of the species.
White Flesh with Red Color
Green-yellow tips adorn the bigger scales of the white dragon fruit variety. In comparison to those with red flesh, they are less curved. Aside from that, they are farther apart, fewer, and wider. Lighter red flowers, occasionally green or yellow, are seen.
Their blossoms are sweet and white, notwithstanding their differences. In comparison to the red flesh variety, it is lower in sugar as well as antioxidant content. It is the black seeds that contain more antioxidants than the flesh itself. For diabetics, it is ideal because of the reduced sugar content. Hylocereus undatus is this species’ name.
These dragon fruit types are all similar in terms of their nutritional content and health advantages.
Advantages for Health
For everyone, but especially for individuals with diabetes, dragon fruit provides numerous health advantages. It has fiber, iron, magnesium, vitamin C, and vitamin E. It is minimal in calories as well. Additionally, it contains a variety of antioxidants that assist in removing free radicals from your body. Free radicals have been connected to aging and chronic illnesses.
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Antioxidants
The antioxidants include flavonoids, hydroxycinnamates, and betalains. Red dragon fruit pulp contains betalains, which have been demonstrated to offer protection against low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
Studies on animals in test tubes have shown that hydroxycinnamates have anticancer effects.
Finally, the most abundant and varied class of antioxidants are flavonoids. It is associated with a lower risk of heart disease and improved brain function.
Booster of the Immune System
Dragon fruit is beneficial for boosting immunity as well. The fruit has carotenoids and vitamin C, which strengthen immunity and guard against infection. It shields your white blood cells from harm as well. Your immune system’s white blood cells pursue and eliminate pathogens. But dragon fruit also helps with that, because they are highly vulnerable to damage from free radicals.
Iron
One of the few fresh fruits high in iron is dragon fruit. For oxygen to be transported throughout the body, iron is essential. It is also crucial for the conversion of food into energy. Iron deficiency is the most frequent nutrient deficit globally, affecting over 30% of the global population. Vitamin C facilitates the body’s absorption of iron, and dragon fruit provides 8% of your daily required dose.
Magnesium
One cup of dragon fruit provides 18% of your daily necessary magnesium consumption, making it a higher magnesium-rich fruit than most others. Approximately 24 grams of magnesium are found in your body; it is a component of every cell and is involved in more than 600 significant chemical reactions.
Magnesium participates in processes that are necessary for the conversion of food into energy, the contraction of muscles, the synthesis of bones, and even the generation of DNA.
Research indicates
Insulin resistance and fatty liver were reduced in obese rats in a trial involving both red and white dragon fruit. The mice who received the fruit extract experienced a decrease in weight gain, inflammation, and the development of beneficial intestinal flora.
There may be a connection between dragon fruit and improved blood sugar regulation. This is due to the fact that dragon fruit promotes the development of insulin-producing pancreatic cells.
The effects of placebo and dragon fruit in individuals with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes were studied in a clinical experiment. The authors draw the important conclusion that there was a substantial impact of the dragon fruit on fasting plasma glucose in prediabetic individuals.
Nutritious Value
Dragon fruit is very nutritious, yet it cannot cure diabetes. Some contend that diabetics shouldn’t eat any particular kind of dragon fruit. Based on certain research, there was minimal impact of dragon fruit on those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Compared to people with type 2 diabetes, those with prediabetes experienced a greater drop in blood sugar.
Allergens
Another study revealed that people who had never had any allergies before developed a severe allergy to dragon fruit. Research is still needed on the relationship between allergies and dragon fruit as well as diabetes. Hypertension has also been treated using dragon fruit. It has been shown that the seeds can assist control blood sugar levels.
Additionally, they discovered that the benefits to blood sugar can increase with the amount of dragon fruit consumed. Nevertheless, there was no association between eating dragon fruit and better type 2 diabetes management, according to the study.
Excellent for All
Dragon fruit is very beneficial to all people. It is low in calories, has a low glycemic index, and is packed with vitamins and minerals that support numerous body processes. Although the flesh itself is a healthy source of fiber, the real power comes from the seeds.
Dragon fruit seeds have a fibrous shell that your body’s natural bacteria can break down to reveal their prebiotic advantages, unlike certain seeds like flax that need to be ground in order for your body to absorb the good stuff within.
Dragon fruit can be consumed on its own, in salads, smoothies, and fruit salads. Oranges, grapes, apples, melons, and watermelon are some excellent combos with dragon fruit. But be careful to select fruits that won’t cause your blood sugar to spike!
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