Negros Oriental – Dragon fruit is a tropical fruit that has a bright pink and bulb-shaped with spikes appearance. It grows on a climbing cactus called Hylocereus in which its flowers only open at night. Dragon fruit is also called as pitaya, pitahaya, or strawberry pear. When cut open, you’ll find either a white or red flesh with black seeds. It may look exotic, but this fruit offers a lot of nutrition and health benefits.

Dragon fruit is a superfood as it contains different vitamins and minerals and has low in calories but high in fiber. A 6-ounce serving of dragon fruit contains 102 calories, 0 grams of fat, 2 grams of protein, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, 100 IU of vitamin A, 4 milligrams of vitamin C, 31 milligrams of calcium, 0.1. milligram of iron, and 68 milligrams of magnesium.

The increasing production of dragon fruit in the Philippines has made it accessible for Filipinos to consume this super food. Some of the health benefits it has are: it is rich in antioxidants that protects the cells from free radicals that can cause inflammation and disease, loaded with fiber and prebiotics that helps in the digestion of food, boost immune system and increase body’s ability to fight against infection as it contains vitamin C and carotenoids, and increase iron levels as it contains iron and vitamin C which promotes the absorption of iron in the body.

These are only a few of the many health benefits it can provide as you consume dragon fruits, and it is a better source of vitamins and minerals than supplements. // ND II Shaira Vita A. Calumpang, RND