The many names of the fruit I had avoided for quite a few years has now become an all favourite of mine especially the red flesh ones, though I’ll eat the white ones too cos they are a whole lot cheaper. When I first came across the fruit in the supermarkets, I was wondering who in their right minds would eat such a fruit if it was even a fruit to begin with? Also I couldn’t figure out just by looking at it, how one would go about eating it. Then at a buffet dinner in a hotel I saw it cut up like in the pic below ( though most would just scoop it up like eating a kiwi fruit) and so I finally ate one to see how it would taste.
Well at that time I felt that it was almost tasteless with just a tiny hint of sweetness. And so concluded that there couldn’t be much nutritional value in the fruit. Boy! was I wrong…….anyhow after a few years, I finally tried the red flesh ones and I personally feel that it taste very much better. And apparently contains more antioxidants! Woo hoo!
Got this off wiki….
- The red flesh variety is rich in antioxidants.
- The pitaya fruit is rich in vitamins.
- The pitaya fruit helps the digestive process due to its fiber.
- The pitaya fruit helps prevent colon cancer and diabetes.
- The pitaya fruit helps to neutralize toxic substances such as heavy metal, reduce cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.
- Consumed regularly the pitaya fruit can help against asthma and cough.
Dragonfruit is also rich in phytoalbumins which are highly valued for their antioxidant properties. Antioxidants prevent the formation of cancer-causing free radicals. In Taiwan, diabetics use the fruit as a food substitute for rice and as a source of dietary fiber.
Dragonfruit is rich in fiber, Vitamin C and minerals. The typical nutritional value per 100g of dragonfruit is as follows:
- Ashes 0.68g
- Fat 0.61g
- Fiber 0.9g
- Phosphorus 36.1mg
- Carotene 0.012g
- Protein 0.229g
- Water 83.0g
- Calcium 8.8mg
- Iron 0.65mg
- Riboflavin 0.045mg
- Niacin 0.430mg
- Ascorbic Acid 9.0mg
Oh and apparently there is a Yellow Dragon Fruit too which is suppose to be sweeter…
Last but not least, the fruit is known to help control glucose blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes.
Filed under: Healthy Living, Notes To Remember
