Dragon Fruits - An Insight View

I have eaten this fruit during my childhood days I used to bring our cow to farm fields for them to eat grass, we call it Maadu meithal (மாடு மேய்த்தல்) in Tamizh. So, we go for searching varities of wild grown fruits to eat just like our tidbits these days. We come across many such items I can't name them here since its all Tamizh Names all that I know of. During such act I also remembered plucking this type of fruit from Cactus valley grown in the waste land. But those days I ate it just for the taste it, but now I have learned the real power of it.

The legend of the dragon fruit says that the fruit was created by fire-breathing dragons. By eating the dragon fruit it was believed that one became empowered with the same strength and ferocity of a dragon. Other stories say that the dragon fruit looks like a dragon's egg. Enjoy the nutritional facts and amazing health care information of it here.

• Dragon fruit is of cactus family, with high economic value. It can be taken as fruit, flower, vegetable, health product and medicine as well, called "priceless treasure“


• As "king of the fruit", dragon fruit appears shining red and olive-shaped. Every single one is 500-1200g, and its flesh is white or red, tasted sweet but not thick, with light fragrance. The sweetness of dragon fruit is 16-18 degree, better than water melon. It can be called as "water melon on trees", considering about its structure, eating method and planting way


• Dragon fruit is delicious vegetable dishes, having high nutrition, low heat, rich vitamin C


• It is good material of beverage, may be processed to be all kind of drinks


• Dragon fruit can be used as cosmetic and health material, with functions of improving eyesight and preventing hypertension


• Environment protection. Dragon fruit absorbs CO2 at night and releases oxygen to purify the air


• Dragon fruit can be plant easily. It has strong root and is good at water observing, heat and drought resisting. So planting dragon fruit is low cost


• The red flesh variety is believed to be rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants prevent the formation of cancer-causing free radicals


• The dragon fruit is rich in vitamins


• The dragon fruit helps the digestive process


• The dragon fruit helps prevent colon cancer and diabetes


• The dragon fruit helps to neutralize toxic substances such as heavy metal, reduce cholesterol levels and high blood pressure


• Consumed regularly the dragon fruit can help against asthma and cough


• In Taiwan, diabetics use the fruit as a food substitute for rice and as a fiber rich part of the diet

Dragon fruit is rich in fiber, Vitamin C and minerals. The typical nutritional value per 100g of dragon fruit 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 - 8.8g
Iron - 0.65mg
Riboflavin - 0.045mg
Niacin - 0.430mg
Ascorbic Acid - 9.0mg