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Dragonfruit: Full of Iron, Cooling Inflammation’s Fires

From Mexico, to Peru, to East Asia, to Australia and back to South America to the fruit’s homeland, dragonfruit is the most surprising of produce, originating from a cactus’s bloom. Originally sourced from South America, but now cultivated all over the world, the treat also known as pitaya or pitahaya is a sweet and sometimes sour delicacy that has the flavor of strawberry and pear, and was given its name due its vibrant exterior which creates the appearance of dragon scales with flashes of green amidst a range of yellows to pinks.


What Kind of Dragon?

Stenocerious, which sounds more dinosaur-ish, appropriate for the sharper taste of this variety missing some of the fruit’s mythic sweetness, is the sour kind. Though sour, it is uniquely delicious, cultivated in the Southern regions of the Americas for a refreshing tartness. The sweeter, appropriately more mystically named, variety that you will see more regularly is Selenium, which has an almost watermelon-like flavor.
This is the most common dragonfruit to enjoy, with a vibrant pink skin that you may have seen stand out in a local market, and green scales that really do make the fruit look like a dragon.


Betta With Betalain

The fruit’s vibrant hues of pink originate from compounds called betacyanins, the same compound which gives rich color to the beets you might add to your salad. Betacyanins are a kind of betalain, a rare antioxidant found in few vegetables and fruits, and a phytonutrient providing abundant anti-inflammatory as well as antioxidant benefits. The extensive health benefits you may have read you can obtain from beets are also found in their more spiny friends. Like beets, pitaya can help with rejuvenation and recovery after exercise exertion. Dragonfruit supports healing from every day stress, all the way to the most intense of illness, with anti-cancer and anti-tumor benefits. While replenishing with betalains, the fruit’s vitamin B content, a difficult vitamin source to find for vegans without supplementation, provides a plant-based option for the vitamin which also increases your energy to maximize the fruit’s rejuvenating phytonutrients.

This dragon may not breath fire, but can actually cool the flames of oxidative stress which contributes to inflammation and overheating throughout the body with their teeming antioxidants. Dragonfruit is packed with flavonoids, as well as antioxidant vitamin C for increased immunity, and reduction of the degradative oxidative activity that causes stress throughout the body. More, for glowing skin, vitamin C helps promote the growth of collagen, which helps maintain tissue strength and healthy appearance. The fruit is the ideal source of this vitamin you may be obtaining through a capsule or supplement, because as a food source, the nutrients can be more easily integrated into our bodies, which recognize the vitamin in its organic form for maximum absorption. The fruit also contains antioxidant vitamin E.

Not only are betalains powerful for their antioxidant activity, the seeds inside the fruit—another reason why dragonfruit is compared to watermelon—have been used in holistic medicine traditions long before the introduction of the fruit in Western diet consciousness, and can reduce glucose levels, as well as lower bad LDL cholesterol.


Go Oligo

But there are still more unexpected benefits within this delicacy. The fruit contains prebiotics, specifically prebiotics called oligosaccharides, which, like the probiotics you may know from yogurt, help support your gut with beneficial bacteria and flora that help fight against infection in your digestive tract. Dragon fruit is also one of the few fruit sources containing iron, ideal for vegans looking for another rare plant-based mineral source of iron to incorporate in their diet. Better yet, the vitamin C composition within dragon fruit works synergistically with its iron content to maximize the mineral’s absorption for maximum iron integration. The fruit is also rich in magnesium, which is essential for strong bones. This is one reason dragonfruit is helpful for osteoarthritis and related pain, because in addition to supporting stress in the body through anti-inflammatory antioxidants, it can directly help strengthen bones with minerals, and supports bone health even more with its calcium and phosphorus profile for a complete natural mineral supplement.


The Difference Is In The Seeds

Dragonfruit contains seeds that you can and should eat, as they are a fantastic source of fiber. More, the seeds are also a source of fatty acids, the three biggies—or should we say three omegas—omega 3s, 6s, and 9s, which are fantastic support for your heart, cognition, and emotional peace of mind, supporting your brain through stress and anxiety.


Pretty In Pink

If you are an avid health foodie, you may have seen pretty pink bowls throughout your news feed filled with smoothies and granola and coconut and all kinds of toppings—yet this vibrant shade of pink is likely not from blueberries and strawberries, but from pitaya powder, which is an incredible way to source dragonfruit benefits if you can’t find the fruit at your local grocer—and so easy to mix into almost everything. If you are able to find the fruit at your local grocery, try the fruit fresh for maximum health benefit, or even a frozen option.

The powder is so incredibly versatile, and it's a quick way to access dragonfruits’ vitamins. You can add the powder to plant milk, cereal, granola, salad, dressings, and with the frozen pitaya you may find in the freezer section, use powder pitaya create ice cream, pops, sorbet, and even pudding! For a savory take, add fresh or frozen pitaya to salsa or guacamole like you might mango for some sweet amidst the peppers’ heat. If you have trouble hydrating enough throughout the day, and just don’t like the taste of plain water, add some powdered pitaya for flavor. The magnesium content which supports your bones will also help you to stay hydrated.

With so many ways to enjoy, it’s time to obtain your dragon!

Resources:

- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/betacyanin

- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4425174/

- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5968885/

- https://foodrevolution.org/blog/dragon-fruit-benefits/

- https://naturerestore.com/blogs/wellness-blog/5-health-benefits-of-dragon-fruit-powder

- https://www.carotene.org/health-benefits-carotenoids/

- https://www.mountainlifehealth.com/pages/dragon-fruit-powder-benefits-and-uses

- https://livelovefruit.com/health-benefits-of-dragon-fruit/

- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/dragon-fruit-benefits

- https://www.nurturic.com/10-reasons-to-consume-omega3-fatty-acids/

- https://www.verywellfit.com/dragon-fruit-calories-carbs-nutrition-facts-4172559

- http://www.tjprc.org/publishpapers/2-50-1521020672-14.IJASRAPR2018014.pdf

- https://www.thepurposefulpantry.com/ways-to-use-fruit-powders/