火龙果是一种热带水果,近年来越来越流行。

尽管人们主要以其独特的外观和口味而享受它,但证据表明它也可以提供健康益处。

This article takes a look at dragon fruit, including its nutrition, benefits, and how to eat it.

Dragon fruit grows on theHylocereus仙人掌,也被称为火奴鲁鲁女王的flowers only open at night.

该植物原产于墨西哥南部和中美洲。今天,它已经在世界各地种植。

It goes by many names, including pitaya, pitahaya, and strawberry pear.

The two most common types have bright red skin with green scales that resemble a dragon — hence the name.

最广泛的品种的白色果肉含有黑色种子,尽管也存在红色果肉和黑色种子的较不常见的类型。

Another variety — referred to as yellow dragon fruit — has yellow skin and white pulp with black seeds.

Dragon fruit may look exotic, but its flavors are similar toother fruits。它的味道被描述为猕猴桃和梨之间的一个略带甜蜜的十字。

概括

Dragon fruit is a tropical fruit native to Mexico and Central America. Its taste is like a combination of a kiwi and a pear.

火龙果含有少量的几种营养素。这也是铁,镁和纤维

这是一份3.5盎司或100克的营养事实( 1 ):

  • Calories:60
  • 蛋白质:1.2克
  • Fat:0 grams
  • Carbs:13克
  • 纤维:3 grams
  • Vitamin C:RDI的3%
  • Iron:RDI的4%
  • 镁:10% of the RDI

Given the high amount of fiber and magnesium, as well as the extremely low calorie content, dragon fruit can be considered a highly营养密度fruit.

概括

Dragon fruit is a low-calorie fruit that is high in fiber and provides a good amount of several vitamins and minerals.

Dragon fruit contains several types ofantioxidants

These are compounds that protect your cells from unstable molecules called free radicals, which are linked to chronic diseases and aging ( 2 )。

These are some of the main antioxidants contained in dragon fruit pulp ( 3 ):

  • Betalains:这些深红色的颜料在红色的果实的果肉中发现,可保护“不良” LDL胆固醇免于氧化或受损( 4 )。
  • Hydroxycinnamates:这组化合物表现出在试管和动物研究中的抗癌活性( 5 )。
  • Flavonoids:这种大型,多样化的抗氧化剂与改善大脑健康和心脏病风险降低有关( 6 , 7 , 8 )。

一项研究比较了17种热带水果的抗氧化特性和berries

While dragon fruit’s antioxidant capacity was not especially high, it was found to be best at protecting certain fatty acids from free radical damage ( 9 , 10 )。

概括

火龙果含有几种保护细胞免受损伤的抗氧化剂。这些包括贝塔莱因,羟基菌和类黄酮。

动物研究表明,火龙果可能会带来各种健康益处。

Many of these are likely due to its fiber and antioxidant content.

红色和白色水果品种均已证明可以减少insulin resistanceand fatty liver in obese mice ( 11 , 12 , 13 )。

In one study, mice on a high-fat diet who received an extract of the fruit gained less weight and had reductions in liver fat, insulin resistance, and, which were attributed in part to beneficial changes in gut bacteria ( 13 )。

Dragon fruit contains prebiotic fiber that promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut — potentially improving metabolic health (14)。

Although this fruit may improve certain features of metabolic syndrome — a condition associated with type 2 diabetes — not all effects may be favorable.

In a study in mice on a high-fat, high-carb diet, the group that received dragon fruit juice had better blood sugar responses and reductions in some liver enzyme markers, while another liver enzyme marker significantly increased ( 15 )。

在另一项研究中,用水果提取物处理的糖尿病大鼠的丙二醛降低了35%,这是自由基损害的标志。与对照组相比,它们的动脉刚度也较小( 16 )。

研究结果关于火龙果对2型糖尿病的影响的研究结果不一致,需要更多的研究来确认这些有益的效果( 17 )。

概括

动物研究表明,火龙果可以改善胰岛素抵抗,肝脏脂肪和心脏健康。但是,人类研究的结果不一致。

总体而言,火龙果似乎是安全的。但是,在某些极少数情况下,人们可能会产生过敏反应。

在两种情况下,没有食物过敏史的妇女在食用含有火龙果的水果混合物后会产生过敏反应raybet雷竞技下载。测试证实他们在血液中有针对火龙果的抗体( 18 ,19)。

These are the only two reported allergic reactions at this point, but other people may be allergic to this fruit without knowing it.

概括

To date, there have been two reported cases of a severe allergic reaction to dragon fruit.

尽管看起来很吓人,但火龙果很容易吃。

Here’s how to eat dragon fruit:

  • Select a ripe fruit with bright red, evenly colored skin that gives slightly when squeezed.
  • 用锋利的刀直接切成果实,将其切成两半。
  • 您可以用勺子将水果从皮肤中吃掉或peel the skin关闭,将纸浆切成小块。

Ideas for serving dragon fruit:

  • 只需将其切成薄片并按原样食用。
  • 将其切成小块,上面放上希腊酸奶and chopped nuts.
  • Include it in a salad.
概括

Dragon fruit is easy to prepare and can be enjoyed on its own or paired with other foods in healthy recipes.

Dragon fruit is a low-calorie fruit that contains糖更少and fewer carbs than many other tropical fruits.

它可能会提供一些health benefits, but human studies are needed to verify this.

Overall, dragon fruit is unique, incredibly tasty, and can add variety to your diet.