the
DRAGON FRUIT
(pitaya)
Description
The Dragon Fruit (Pitaya) is a cactus plant, and as such, resistant to droughts. The plant is a succulent, rustic cactus with long triangular stems. It usually gets entangled in nearby trees feeding on the moisture of its bark and climbs the branches eight or ten meters from the ground without penetrating the ground. The flower of the The Dragon Fruit (Pitaya), which is tubular, hermaphrodite like most cacti, is beautiful but brief, because it seems dazzling in the morning and as it begins to feel the heat of the sun it suddenly dehydrates. It opens only once in the evening hours and its pungent aroma attracts numerous insects. It fertilizes itself but can also interbreed, with bats being the best pollinators in their natural environment. The formation of the fruit from pollination to harvesting lasts from four to eight months depending on the existing temperatures.
The fruit is ovoid in shape with 10 cm long by 6 cm wide and usually presents from birth a green color that turns yellow or red depending on the cultivar, as it develops, offering a scaly skin whose special characteristic arose its name “pitahaya”, which in Haitian means scaly fruit. This bark has groups of hard and sharp spines that come off easily, and must be carefully removed before harvesting the fruit and thus avoid its punctures. It is a tasty fruit that contains a soft, sweet and soft pulp in the yellow and crimson cultivars in the red-skinned varieties, which usually contain less sugar.
Varieties of Dragon Fruit (pitaya)
H. triangularis (yellow Dragon Fruit) and
H. ocamposis (red Dragon Fruit)
Red Dragon Fruit White Pulp
Unlike the yellow variety, it does not have thorns but bracts. It is slightly larger in size and it is the most popular of all the dragon fruit and the best to regulate digestion
Yellow Dragon Fruit
It has a higher sugar content, so its flavor is sweeter. Due to its shape and color, it is usually reminiscent of pineapples.
Red Dragon Fruit Purple Pulp
Red dragon fruit has the same beautiful pink skin as its white relatives, but a burst of red flesh on the inside.
Nutritional Properties
The Dragon Fruit (pitaya) are fruits of very low caloric value, since they hardly contain carbohydrates. The vitamin C content stands out in the red variety. The edible portion accounts for 55% of the total weight. Dragon fruits have a high vitamin C content which aids in the formation of collagen, bones, teeth, and red blood cells. It is known to be a rare fruit with very high antioxidants.
10 Surprising Benefits Of Dragon Fruit You Never Knew
1. Heart Healthy
Americans have increasing problems maintaining cardiovascular health. Fortunately, this fruit has an amazing superpower that helps decrease bad cholesterol levels and replenish good levels. Dragon fruit is an excellent source of monounsaturated fats, helping the heart stay in great condition.
2. Better Than Cheerios
Dragon fruit has an extremely low amount of cholesterol, which ultimately helps the body break down this fruit quickly, keeping you happy and healthy. It’s the perfect fruit to maintain your weight and satisfy your sweet tooth.
3. Fill Up On Fiber
To clean up your digestive system, eat a dragon fruit. They have a high fiber content, which can assist with poor digestion and constipation. Eating the flesh and seeds, which contain good protein, will keep your body fortified and satisfied.
4. Promotes a Healthy Gut
Your gut is home to some 100 trillion diverse microorganisms, including more than 400 species of bacteria.
Many researchers believe this community of microorganisms may impact your health. Both human and animal studies have associated imbalances in your gut to conditions like asthma and heart disease.
Given that dragon fruit contains prebiotics, it can potentially improve the balance of good bacteria in your gut. Prebiotics are a specific type of fiber that promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in your gut.
Like all fibers, your gut cannot break them down. However, the bacteria in your gut can digest them. They use the fiber as fuel for growth, and you reap the benefits.
Regularly consuming prebiotics may reduce the risk of infection in your digestive tract and diarrhea. This is because prebiotics promote the growth of good bacteria, which researchers believe may outcompete the bad.
5. Fights Diabetes
The high amount of fiber in dragon fruit can ultimately help regulate diabetes, as it can stabilize blood sugar levels by suppressing sugar spikes. However, with any dietary changes or modifications, always consult your doctor to make sure this is a good food choice for you.
6. Reduces Signs of Aging
Its rich antioxidants can keep the skin tight and young. You can even make a face mask using the fruit combined with honey as a natural alternative to anti-aging masks.
7. Treating Colored Hair
Dragon fruit juice is an excellent agent for treating colored hair. By simply putting the juice or a conditioner containing dragon fruit on your scalp, you can protect your chemically treated or colored hair. This will keep the hair follicles open, allowing your hair to breathe and remain healthy and smooth.
8. Suppresses Arthritis
Arthritis directly affects the joints and causes severe irritation and immobility. Adding dragon fruit to your diet can help you fight these ailments. Dragon fruit’s benefits for people suffering from arthritis are so great that it’s commonly referred to as the “anti-inflammatory fruit.”
9. Avoiding Acne
This treatment is not just for teenagers. Rich in vitamin C, this fruit becomes a great topical ointment. Turn a slice of dragon fruit into a paste and apply it to your reddened areas on your face or skin, then rinse with water. For best results, use twice daily.
10. Soothe Sunburned Skin
By combining dragon fruit with cucumber juice and honey, you can create a compound much like aloe that can soothe burned skin. Abundant in vitamin B3, dragon fruit can moisturize sunburned skin and release heat from the affected area.
