Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHealth BenefitsTaste and TextureNutritional BreakdownPreparationWhere to FindAllergy Symptoms and Side Effects
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Health Benefits
Taste and Texture
Nutritional Breakdown
Preparation
Where to Find
Allergy Symptoms and Side Effects
Dragon fruit—also called pitaya, pitahaya, or strawberrypear—is an oval-shaped tropical fruit. It grows on vining cactus plants of theHylocereusorSelenicereusgenus.
Dragon fruit grows to the size of a baseball. It is covered with pointy green shoots resembling a dragon’s spikes. While you can’t consume the skin of a dragon fruit, its juicy flesh is tasty. Dragon fruit provides many nutrients with few calories. It can be eaten raw or cooked in many ways.
Huizeng Hu / Getty Images
7 Benefits of Eating Dragon Fruit
1. Boosts Your Immune System
2. Improves Cardiovascular Health
Dragon fruit seeds contain antioxidants that provide your body withomega-3and omega-9 fatty acids that may help improve cardiovascular health and reduce your risk ofstrokeandheart attack. Its benefits may also reduce total cholesterol, including low-density lipoprotein ( LDL) cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol).
3. Helps Digestion
Dragon fruit is rich in dietary fiber made up of oligosaccharides. While not digested in your stomach, they act asprebiotics, promoting the growth of healthy bacteria like bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. They assist in the digestive process.
4. Lowers Blood Sugar in Type 2 Diabetes
5. Aids in Reducing Cancerous Cells
Red dragon containslycopene, a strong antioxidant that can help reduce cancerous cells in the body. Evidence shows that extract from red dragon fruit may help prevent and treat breast cancer.
6. Reduces Inflammation
The anti-inflammatory properties of dragon fruit may help with pain and swelling. This may help reduce chronic pain, inflammation, and tenderness fromrheumatoid arthritis.
7. Supports Skin Health
The vitamin C and antioxidants in dragon fruit may help treat acne and slow the progression of premature aging of the skin. These nutrients may also help repair cell damage and help you achieve a more youthful appearance.
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Dragon Fruit Taste and Texture
Dragon fruit taste and texture can vary among species and their many varieties. Generally, dragon fruit taste is described as a lightly sweet combination of akiwi and a pear, with a slight taste of a barely ripewatermelon. Some varieties may be slightly sour.
The texture of a dragon fruit is comparable to a ripe pear or kiwi. It can be a little grainy and somewhat crunchy with a slightly watery quality. All dragon fruit have red, pink, or white fruit with black seeds, similar to tiny kiwi seeds.
Flavor can vary with the color of the flesh, as follows:
While most varieties of dragon fruit are tasty, those that are underripe can taste bland. Most varieties are picked before they ripen to prevent spoilage during transportation, making them more susceptible to being underripe at purchase.
Ripe dragon fruit is firm but will give under pressure, similar to a ripe avocado. They should be heavy for their size with no signs of bruises.
Types of Dragon Fruit
There are several varieties of dragon fruit, though issues such as cross-species hybridization have led to some disagreement in categorizing species.
Dragon Fruit Nutrition Breakdown
Dragon fruit is nutritious. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, dietary fibers, complex carbohydrates, and antioxidants while low in dragon fruit calories.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the nutrition profile of a 100 gram (g) portion (approximately 3.5 ounces) of dragon fruit delivers the following:
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Slicing, Storing, and Preparing
Slicing, storing, and preparing dragon fruit does not involve special procedures. Dragon fruit is commonly consumed raw.
To slice dragon fruit, cut it in half and slice each section. You can leave the skin on and eat each piece as you would a slice of watermelon with the rind attached. Since the flesh is usually soft and juicy, cutting it in half and eating it out of the skin is the easiest way to consume it.
You can also cut off the rind from each side. Or, you can scoop the flesh with a spoon and slice it into bite-size pieces.
Dragon fruit does not continue ripening once it is picked. Most dragon fruit can last up to four weeks when stored in containers in the refrigerator. The fruit will last four to five days at room temperature.
Dragon fruit can be eaten raw in the following ways:
Dragon fruit can also be consumed in the following prepared foods:
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Where to Find Dragon Fruit
You can find dragon fruit in markets worldwide, primarily in tropical and subtropical regions. The primary season for dragon fruit is June through September. However, some varieties thrive during the winter months of November through February.
Dragon fruit is native to and grown in Mexico, Central America, and South America. Countries producing the most dragon fruit in these regions are Nicaragua and Ecuador.
Dragon fruit is also grown in Asia, and Vietnam is the region’s top producer. It is also grown in other Asian countries, including Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Thailand, to grow dragon fruit. Other countries that produce dragon fruit include Israel and Australia.
In the United States, dragon fruit is imported primarily from Southeast Asia. Domestic dragon fruit is only grown commercially in California, Florida, and Hawaii.As dragon fruit has grown in popularity, you can often find it in local grocery stores' produce departments or frozen food sections.
While eating dragon fruit seems safe for most people, there have been rare reports of allergic reactions. Allergy symptoms are typical of other types of food allergies and can include the following:
While dragon fruit is generally safe to eat daily, overconsumption can cause potential problems:
Summary
Dragon fruit, also called pitaya, pitahaya, or strawberry pear, is a sweet and crunchy tropical fruit. It is an oval baseball-sized fruit that grows on vining cactus plants.
There are many versions of dragon fruit. The flesh ranges from white to red, while the skin is often pink, red, or yellow. All types of dragon fruit have tiny, edible black seeds on the flesh.
The low-calorie dragon fruit is packed with nutrients. It can help improve your heart health, immune system, digestion, and skin health. It can also provide health benefits to people with type 2 diabetes.
A dragon fruit provides many health benefits and is rarely linked to allergies. However, when too much is consumed, some people may have adverse effects.
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15 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Agricultural Marketing Resource Center.Dragon fruit.Sinha R, Jha KM, Karuna K. Dragon fruit: a fruit for health benefits and nutritional security [PDF].International Journal of Agriculture Science and Research. April 2018.Shinde M, Aher S, Saudagar RB. Dragon Fruit as a Nutraceutical [PDF].World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. March 19, 2018.Poolsup N, Suksomboon N, Paw NJ.Effect of dragon fruit on glycemic control in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2017; 12(9): e0184577. Published online 2017 Sep 8. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184577Guimarães DAB, De Castro DSB, Oliveira FL, et al. Pitaya extracts induce growth inhibition and proapoptotic effects on human cell lines of breast cancer via downregulation of estrogen receptor gene expression.Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. July 6, 2017.Nishikito DF, Borges ACA, Laurindo LF, et al.Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and other health effects of dragon fruit and potential delivery systems for its bioactive compounds.Pharmaceutics. 2023;15(1):159. doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics15010159Food Republic.How to eat a dragon fruit and bring out its flavors.Blue Book Services.Dragon fruit market summary.Food Network.What does dragon fruit taste like?Abirami K, Swain S, Baskaran V, Venkatesan K, Sakthivel K, Bommayasamy N.Distinguishing three dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.) species grown in Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India using morphological, biochemical and molecular traits.Sci Rep. 2021;11(1):2894. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-81682-xAgricultural Marketing Resource Center.Dragon fruit.U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Services.Dragon fruit bite size fruit cubes.Manea I, Ailenei E, Deleanu D.Overview of food allergy diagnosis.Med Pharm Rep. 2016;89(1):5-10. doi:10.15386/cjmed-513CARE Hospitals.Health benefits of dragon fruit.Fischer Institute.Overload: major side effects of eating too many dragon fruits.
15 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Agricultural Marketing Resource Center.Dragon fruit.Sinha R, Jha KM, Karuna K. Dragon fruit: a fruit for health benefits and nutritional security [PDF].International Journal of Agriculture Science and Research. April 2018.Shinde M, Aher S, Saudagar RB. Dragon Fruit as a Nutraceutical [PDF].World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. March 19, 2018.Poolsup N, Suksomboon N, Paw NJ.Effect of dragon fruit on glycemic control in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2017; 12(9): e0184577. Published online 2017 Sep 8. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184577Guimarães DAB, De Castro DSB, Oliveira FL, et al. Pitaya extracts induce growth inhibition and proapoptotic effects on human cell lines of breast cancer via downregulation of estrogen receptor gene expression.Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. July 6, 2017.Nishikito DF, Borges ACA, Laurindo LF, et al.Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and other health effects of dragon fruit and potential delivery systems for its bioactive compounds.Pharmaceutics. 2023;15(1):159. doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics15010159Food Republic.How to eat a dragon fruit and bring out its flavors.Blue Book Services.Dragon fruit market summary.Food Network.What does dragon fruit taste like?Abirami K, Swain S, Baskaran V, Venkatesan K, Sakthivel K, Bommayasamy N.Distinguishing three dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.) species grown in Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India using morphological, biochemical and molecular traits.Sci Rep. 2021;11(1):2894. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-81682-xAgricultural Marketing Resource Center.Dragon fruit.U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Services.Dragon fruit bite size fruit cubes.Manea I, Ailenei E, Deleanu D.Overview of food allergy diagnosis.Med Pharm Rep. 2016;89(1):5-10. doi:10.15386/cjmed-513CARE Hospitals.Health benefits of dragon fruit.Fischer Institute.Overload: major side effects of eating too many dragon fruits.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Agricultural Marketing Resource Center.Dragon fruit.Sinha R, Jha KM, Karuna K. Dragon fruit: a fruit for health benefits and nutritional security [PDF].International Journal of Agriculture Science and Research. April 2018.Shinde M, Aher S, Saudagar RB. Dragon Fruit as a Nutraceutical [PDF].World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. March 19, 2018.Poolsup N, Suksomboon N, Paw NJ.Effect of dragon fruit on glycemic control in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2017; 12(9): e0184577. Published online 2017 Sep 8. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184577Guimarães DAB, De Castro DSB, Oliveira FL, et al. Pitaya extracts induce growth inhibition and proapoptotic effects on human cell lines of breast cancer via downregulation of estrogen receptor gene expression.Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. July 6, 2017.Nishikito DF, Borges ACA, Laurindo LF, et al.Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and other health effects of dragon fruit and potential delivery systems for its bioactive compounds.Pharmaceutics. 2023;15(1):159. doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics15010159Food Republic.How to eat a dragon fruit and bring out its flavors.Blue Book Services.Dragon fruit market summary.Food Network.What does dragon fruit taste like?Abirami K, Swain S, Baskaran V, Venkatesan K, Sakthivel K, Bommayasamy N.Distinguishing three dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.) species grown in Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India using morphological, biochemical and molecular traits.Sci Rep. 2021;11(1):2894. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-81682-xAgricultural Marketing Resource Center.Dragon fruit.U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Services.Dragon fruit bite size fruit cubes.Manea I, Ailenei E, Deleanu D.Overview of food allergy diagnosis.Med Pharm Rep. 2016;89(1):5-10. doi:10.15386/cjmed-513CARE Hospitals.Health benefits of dragon fruit.Fischer Institute.Overload: major side effects of eating too many dragon fruits.
Agricultural Marketing Resource Center.Dragon fruit.
Sinha R, Jha KM, Karuna K. Dragon fruit: a fruit for health benefits and nutritional security [PDF].International Journal of Agriculture Science and Research. April 2018.
Shinde M, Aher S, Saudagar RB. Dragon Fruit as a Nutraceutical [PDF].World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. March 19, 2018.
Poolsup N, Suksomboon N, Paw NJ.Effect of dragon fruit on glycemic control in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2017; 12(9): e0184577. Published online 2017 Sep 8. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184577
Guimarães DAB, De Castro DSB, Oliveira FL, et al. Pitaya extracts induce growth inhibition and proapoptotic effects on human cell lines of breast cancer via downregulation of estrogen receptor gene expression.Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity. July 6, 2017.
Nishikito DF, Borges ACA, Laurindo LF, et al.Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and other health effects of dragon fruit and potential delivery systems for its bioactive compounds.Pharmaceutics. 2023;15(1):159. doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics15010159
Food Republic.How to eat a dragon fruit and bring out its flavors.
Blue Book Services.Dragon fruit market summary.
Food Network.What does dragon fruit taste like?
Abirami K, Swain S, Baskaran V, Venkatesan K, Sakthivel K, Bommayasamy N.Distinguishing three dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.) species grown in Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India using morphological, biochemical and molecular traits.Sci Rep. 2021;11(1):2894. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-81682-x
U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Services.Dragon fruit bite size fruit cubes.
Manea I, Ailenei E, Deleanu D.Overview of food allergy diagnosis.Med Pharm Rep. 2016;89(1):5-10. doi:10.15386/cjmed-513
CARE Hospitals.Health benefits of dragon fruit.
Fischer Institute.Overload: major side effects of eating too many dragon fruits.
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