Yellow Dragon Fruit Benefits

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Dragon fruit, also called pitaya or strawberry pear, looks like something straight out of a Dr. Seuss book: On the outside, it’s a pink oval with green scales (hence, the “dragon” name). Inside, it has white flesh with tiny black seeds. The fruit’s strange appearance also gives off “psychedelic artichoke” vibes.

Dragon Fruit

Dragon fruit is a food that grows on a climbing cactus called hylocereus, which you’ll find in tropical regions around the world. The plant’s name comes from the Greek word “hyle,” which means “woody,” and the Latin word “cereus,” which means “waxen.”

On the outside, the fruit has the appearance of a hot pink or yellow bulb with spike-like green leaves shooting up like flames around it. Cut it open, and you’ll find fleshy white stuff inside dotted with black seeds that are OK to eat.

This fruit comes in red- and yellow-skinned varieties. The cactus originally grew in southern Mexico and South and Central America. The French brought it to Southeast Asia in the early 19th century.

Central Americans call it “pitaya.” In Asia, it’s a “strawberry pear.” Today, you can buy dragon fruit throughout the U.S.

Dragon fruit is juicy with a slightly sweet taste that some describe as a cross between a kiwi, a pear, and a watermelon. The seeds have a nutty flavor.

Dragon Fruit Nutrition

In one 6-ounce serving of dragon fruit cubes, you’ll get:

Calories: 102
Fat: 0 grams
Protein: 2 grams
Carbohydrates: 22 grams
Fiber: 5 grams
Sugars: 13 grams

You’ll also get these vitamins and minerals:

Vitamin A: 100 international units (IU)
Vitamin C: 4 milligrams
Calcium: 31 milligrams
Iron: 0.1 milligram
Magnesium: 68 milligrams

Dragon Fruit Health Benefits

Dragon fruit has many potential health benefits, including:

It’s rich in antioxidants like flavonoids, phenolic acid, and betacyanin. These natural substances protect your cells from damage by free radicals — molecules that can lead to diseases like cancer and premature aging.
It’s naturally fat-free and high in fiber. It makes for a good snack because it can help keep you full for longer between meals.
It may help lower your blood sugar. Researchers say this might be partly because it replaces damaged cells in your pancreas that make insulin, the hormone that helps your body break down sugar. But the studies were done on mice, not people. It’s unclear just how much dragon fruit you’d have to eat to get these benefits.
It contains prebiotics, which are foods that feed the healthy bacteria called probiotics in your gut. Having more prebiotics in your system can improve the balance of good to bad bacteria in your intestines. Specifically, dragon fruit encourages the growth of the probiotics lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. In your gut, these and other helpful bacteria can kill disease-causing viruses and bacteria. They also help digest food.
It can strengthen your immune system. Dragon fruit is high in vitamin C and other antioxidants, which are good for your immune system.
It can boost your iron levels. Iron is important for moving oxygen through your body and giving you energy, and dragon fruit has iron. And the vitamin C in dragon fruit helps your body take in and use the iron.

Dragon Fruit Health Risks

Dragon fruit is generally safe to eat, although studies have reported isolated allergic reactions. Symptoms include swelling of the tongue, hives, and vomiting. This type of reaction seems to be very rare.

If you eat enough red dragon fruit, it might turn your pee pink or red. This symptom looks more alarming than it actually is. The same thing can happen if you eat a lot of beets. Your pee should turn back to its normal color once the fruit is out of your system.

How to Prepare Dragon Fruit

Before you buy dragon fruit, squeeze it gently. It should give a little bit without feeling too soft or mushy. Avoid fruit that has bruises or dry leaves — signs that it’s overripe. If it feels hard when you press on it, let it ripen on the counter for a few days before eating.

To prepare the fruit, cut it into quarters. Either peel away the skin or remove the flesh with a spoon, ice cream scoop, or melon baller. Don’t eat the skin.

How to Eat Dragon Fruit

You can eat dragon fruit in a few ways. Toss it into a fruit salad along with other tropical fruits like pineapple and mango. Cut it into a salsa. Churn it into ice cream. Squeeze it into juice or water. Use it as a topping for Greek yogurt. Or freeze it and blend it into a smoothie.

How to Store Dragon Fruit

Store any leftover dragon fruit in a plastic bag in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or freeze it for up to 3 months.

Here are more ways to eat dragon fruit.

Show Sources

American Culinary Federation Education Foundation: “All About Dragon Fruit.”

Chulalongkorn Medical Journal: “Pseudohematuria due to red dragon fruit ingestion.”

DK: The Illustrated Cook’s Book of Ingredients.

Food Chemistry: “Oligosaccharides of pitaya (dragon fruit) flesh and their prebiotic properties.”

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: “Antioxidants: In Depth.” “Probiotics: In Depth.”

National Library Board Singapore: “Dragon fruit.”

National Institutes of Health: “Iron”

Cleveland Clinic: “All About Dragon Fruit: 3 Health Benefits + How to Eat It.”

Dragon Fruit: What It Is and Why It’s Healthy

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Dragon fruit is a nutritious — not to mention vibrant — fruit that’s full of fiber and may improve your gut health.

Ready to get a little adventurous?

Registered dietitian Joyce Prescott, MS, RD, LD, explains the benefits of dragon fruit and how to incorporate the fruit into your diet.

What is dragon fruit?

Dragon fruit, also called pitaya or strawberry pear, looks like something straight out of a Dr. Seuss book: On the outside, it’s a pink oval with green scales (hence, the “dragon” name). Inside, it has white flesh with tiny black seeds. The fruit’s strange appearance also gives off “psychedelic artichoke” vibes.

“It’s a tropical fruit that comes from a cactus,” Prescott explains. “It’s available everywhere around the world, but it’s indigenous to Mexico and South America.”

Dragon fruit is in season from summer to early fall. It comes in a variety of shapes and colors:

Pink skin with white flesh. This is the most well-known kind, but it’s the least sweet. It’s sold under the names Alice, Cosmic Charlie and Guyute.
Pink skin with red or pink flesh. Bigger and sweeter than its white-fleshed cousin, this variety is sold in stores under names such as Red Jaina and Bloody Mary.
Pink skin with purple flesh. Look for the name “American Beauty” in stores.
Yellow skin with white flesh. Yellow dragon fruit is the hardest to find, but it’s also the sweetest.

“If you like kiwi fruit and pears, then you’ll probably like dragon fruit,” says Prescott. “It’s sweet and crunchy.”

Dragon fruit nutrition

Is dragon fruit healthy? According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a 1-cup serving of dragon fruit contains:

103 calories.
0 grams of fat.
5.6 grams of fiber.
27.4 grams of carbohydrates.

Dragon fruit health benefits

The flesh of the dragon fruit is low in calories and fat-free. Dragon fruit benefits also include the following:

It’s a good source of fiber

Dragon fruit is an excellent source of fiber, Prescott says. The daily recommendation for fiber in adults is at least 25 grams — and dragon fruit packs 5.6 grams in a single 1-cup serving.

“Fiber may benefit gastrointestinal and cardiovascular health,” she adds. “Fiber is also filling, which is helpful if you’re trying to lose weight. People who eat whole, fiber-rich foods are more likely to maintain a healthy weight.”

It may improve your gut health

Healthy bacteria in your gut may help digestion and even reduce colon cancer risk. Dragon fruit is a prebiotic that boosts the growth of probiotics lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.

“Some studies appear to show that dragon fruit promoted the growth of healthy gut bacteria,” says Prescott. “It may have a positive effect on the gut microbiome, the good bacteria in our intestines.”

It’s rich in antioxidants

Dragon fruit contains a few different kinds of antioxidants, which work to neutralize free radicals. Those free radicals can damage cells and cause inflammation, which can lead to chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even cancer.

Vitamin C, an antioxidant, helps your body absorb iron and boosts immune system health. Carotenoids may reduce cancer risk. And lycopene, a type of carotenoid, may improve heart health and reduce cancer risk.

Does it matter if dragon fruit is fresh or frozen?

Because of its popularity over the last few years, you can typically find dragon fruit either in the produce department or the frozen food section of your local supermarket.

While dragon fruit is best eaten raw, you can also throw it on the grill like some other fruits. Enjoy it on its own or add it to:

Cocktails.
Desserts.
Fish, especially cod, tuna and mahi-mahi.
Salads.
Smoothies.

“Overall, the health benefits of dragon fruit make it an ingredient worth exploring,” encourages Prescott. “So, have fun and shake up your breakfast, make a new snack or try out a fun dessert with it.”