Where does dragon fruit come from? Read this one article to understand its benefits and effects

Dragon fruit, also known as red dragon fruit, dragon pearl fruit, immortal honey fruit, or jade dragon fruit, is the fruit of a plant in the Cactaceae family, genus Hylocereus. Sowhere does dragon fruit come from? Is dragon fruit a cooling food? What are its benefits and effects?Let's find out together!

1. Where does dragon fruit come from?

The place of origin of dragon fruit is in Central America, in places such as Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Ecuador, Cuba, and Colombia. In Central America, dragon fruit is a staple fruit for local people, just as common as papaya and pineapple are in Taiwan, China. It later spread to Asia with colonizers, and after the Vietnam War, when large amounts of herbicides were sprayed, only the hardy dragon fruit survived, becoming a life-saving food for local residents. People unexpectedly discovered that it was actually delicious, and only after the war did they begin to cultivate it deliberately.

Dragon fruit is a tropical fruit, so it can only be grown in southern parts of our country, such as Hainan and Guangdong. In China, it is grown only in Taiwan, China, Hainan, Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, and some other provinces and regions.

2. Is dragon fruit a cooling food?

Dragon fruit is a cooling tropical fruit; it is cool in nature and sweet-sour in taste.

Cooling fruits are those that are cold in nature and have the effect of relieving dryness and dispersing heat. Most fruits in summer are cold or cooling in nature and are suitable for people with a constitution of excess heat. Generally speaking, summer is hot, and people with an excess-heat constitution have vigorous metabolism and sweat more; they often have a flushed face, a dry mouth and tongue, and are easily irritable, and are also prone to constipation, so in summer they like icy things.

3. What benefits and effects does dragon fruit have?

1. The anthocyanin content in dragon fruit is relatively high, especially in red-fleshed varieties. Anthocyanin is an antioxidant with clear effects; it can effectively prevent vascular hardening, thereby helping to prevent heart attacks and stroke caused by blood clot formation; it can also fight free radicals and effectively resist aging; it can also improve prevention of brain cell degeneration and inhibit the occurrence of dementia.

2. Dragon fruit is rich in plant albumin, which is relatively rare in ordinary vegetables and fruits. This active albumin automatically binds with heavy metal ions in the human body and is excreted through the excretory system, thereby 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 whitens the skin, and in water-soluble dietary fiber, which helps with weight loss, lowers blood sugar, lubricates the intestines, and prevents colorectal cancer. 4. The iron content in dragon fruit is higher than in ordinary fruits. Iron is an indispensable element for making hemoglobin and other iron-containing substances, and taking in an appropriate amount of iron can also prevent anemia.