The nutritional value of pitaya and the benefits of eating pitaya

Pitaya, also known as red dragon fruit, is native to tropical regions of Central America. Pitaya is rich in nutrition and has unique functions. It contains rare plant albumin and anthocyanins, as well as rich vitamins and water-soluble dietary fiber.

Nutritional value of dragon fruit

Every 100 grams of pitaya pulp contains 83.75 grams of water, 0.34 grams of ash, 0.17 grams of crude fat, 0.62 grams of crude protein, 1.21 grams of crude fiber, 13.91 grams of carbohydrates, 59.65 kcal of calories, 1.62 grams of dietary fiber, 5.22 grams of vitamin C, 2.83 grams of fructose, 7.83 grams of glucose, 6.3-8.8 mg of calcium, 30.2-36.1 mg of phosphorus, 0.55-0.65 mg of iron, and a large amount of anthocyanins (the most abundant in red flesh fruit varieties), water-soluble dietary protein, plant albumin, etc. Pitaya is sweet and flat in nature, and its main nutrients include protein, dietary fiber, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin C, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, etc.

Dragon fruit benefits

1. Pitaya has a high content of anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are an antioxidant with obvious effects. They have antioxidant, anti-free radical and anti-aging effects. They also have the effects of inhibiting brain cell degeneration and preventing dementia.

2. Pitaya is rich in plant albumin, which is rare in general fruits and vegetables. This active albumin will automatically combine with heavy metal ions in the human body and be excreted through the excretion system, thus playing a detoxifying role. In addition, albumin also has a protective effect on the stomach wall.

3. Dragon fruit is rich in vitamin C, which can eliminate oxygen free radicals and has the effect of whitening the skin.

4. Dragon fruit is a low-energy, high-fiber fruit. It is very rich in water-soluble dietary fiber and therefore has the effects of helping with weight loss, lowering cholesterol, moisturizing the intestines, and preventing colorectal cancer.

5. The iron content in pitaya is higher than that in other fruits. Iron is an indispensable element for the production of hemoglobin and other iron-containing substances, and plays an important role in human health.

6. The sesame-like seeds in pitaya can promote gastrointestinal digestion.

7. The juice of pitaya fruit and stem has shown positive effects on tumor growth, viral infection and immune response suppression.

Benefits of eating dragon fruit

Pitaya is rich in nutrition and unique in function. It has excellent effects on human health. It contains plant albumin and anthocyanins, rich vitamins and water-soluble dietary fiber, which are rare in general plants. Albumin is a viscous, colloid substance that has a detoxifying effect on heavy metal poisoning. Due to the lack of attention paid to the treatment and recycling of industrial wastewater and waste, various water resources have been seriously polluted by heavy metals. In addition to direct drinking water poisoning, humans are also prone to poisoning when they consume excessive heavy metals in food. When albumin encounters heavy metal ions in the human body, it will automatically combine with the heavy metal ions and be excreted from the body by the excretion system, playing a detoxifying role. Therefore, eating pitaya rich in albumin can avoid poisoning caused by the absorption of heavy metal ions. Albumin also has a protective effect on the stomach wall. Moreover, the albumin in pitaya flowers, fruits, and stems is very good and has excellent stability. The aggregation of these albumins constitutes the main component of cactus mucus.

In addition to rich albumin, pitaya also has a more special ingredient - anthocyanin. Anthocyanin is found in fruits and vegetables such as grape skin and red beets, but the content of anthocyanin in pitaya is the highest, especially in the red flesh fruit. It has antioxidant, anti-free radical and anti-aging effects, and can also improve the prevention of brain cell degeneration and inhibit the occurrence of dementia. At the same time, pitaya also contains vitamin C that whitens the skin and rich water-soluble dietary fiber that has the effect of losing weight, lowering blood sugar and moisturizing the intestines, and preventing colorectal cancer.

The branches and flowers of pitaya have a unique mucus due to their extremely low osmotic pressure, which contains a large number of nutritional and therapeutic substances with significant medicinal effects. Pitaya has the effects of preventing constipation, promoting eye health, increasing bone density, helping cell membrane formation, preventing anemia, and resisting neuritis, angular cheilitis, lowering cholesterol, whitening the skin and preventing dark spots. It also has the effects of relieving heavy metal poisoning, resisting free radicals, preventing senile diseases, losing weight, and preventing colorectal cancer. The latest research results show that the juice of pitaya fruit and stems has a positive effect on tumor growth, virus and immune response inhibition and other diseases.