What is the difference between red-fleshed and white-fleshed "climbing plant" dragon fruit? Is it genetically modified? How much does it cost per jin? (With benefits and effects)

Red-fleshed dragon fruit is a perennial climbing plant of the genus Hylocereus in the cactus family, and it is an emerging fruit with good health benefits. So what is the difference between it and white-fleshed dragon fruit? Is it genetically modified? How much does it cost per jin? What are its benefits and effects? According to the Changsha Hongxing Fruit Wholesale Market, the market price of red-fleshed dragon fruit is about 5 to 10 yuan per jin, mainly determined by the purchasing season and region. Red-fleshed dragon fruit and white-fleshed dragon fruit are two relatively common varieties on the market. There is a saying that red-fleshed dragon fruit has higher nutritional value than white-fleshed dragon fruit, and its texture and taste are also slightly better, which causes the price of red-fleshed dragon fruit to be slightly higher as well.

What is the difference between red-fleshed and white-fleshed dragon fruit?

1. The taste is different.

The most obvious manifestation is the different taste. Under normal circumstances, the sugar content of red-fleshed dragon fruit reaches above 15 degrees, while the sugar content of white-fleshed dragon fruit is only around 10 degrees, so in terms of taste, red-fleshed dragon fruit is tastier than white-fleshed dragon fruit.

2. The nutritional value is different.

Originally, this was the primary point. Besides being tastier, red-fleshed dragon fruit also has higher nutritional value. This is specifically reflected in the following three aspects:

First, red-fleshed dragon fruit is rich in more carotene. Carotene is one of the most useful antioxidants against free radicals, helping to improve immunity and protect the fibrous part of the eye lens.

Second, red-fleshed dragon fruit is rich in more vitamin C. It not only has a very good beauty and skin-care effect, but can also allow those dieting to lose weight to extend their feeling of fullness without suffering unbearable hunger, thereby having a good weight-loss effect.

Third, red-fleshed dragon fruit is rich in more anthocyanins. First, anthocyanin is an antioxidant with obvious effects, which can effectively prevent vascular hardening, thereby blocking heart attacks and stroke caused by blood clot formation. Second, it can also eliminate free radicals in the body and has an anti-aging effect. Third, it can also improve the prevention of brain cell degeneration, thereby delaying the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Is red-fleshed dragon fruit genetically modified?

Red-fleshed dragon fruit is actually not a genetically modified food. It is only a sub-variety of dragon fruit; this variety is just relatively lower in yield and more uncommon.

Genetic modification refers to biotechnology that introduces a certain natural or artificially modified gene sequence into a target organism by certain methods and causes it to be expressed. Red-fleshed dragon fruit, however, was not cultivated by artificially altering genes, so it clearly cannot be called a genetically modified food.

Appendix: The benefits and effects of red-fleshed and white-fleshed dragon fruit

Because of its unique components, dragon fruit has excellent health benefits for the human body.

1. It contains a viscous plant albumin rarely found in ordinary fruits. Many people know that heavy metals (mainly referring to the five types: lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, and chromium) harm health, and children's lead levels are often above the standard, while albumin, when encountering heavy metal ions in the human body, will quickly wrap them up, preventing intestinal absorption and excreting them from the body to play a detoxifying role.

2. It is rich in the more special component anthocyanin, with the highest content in red-fleshed dragon fruit. Anthocyanin is an antioxidant that can retain its activity in human blood for 75 hours, more than 10 times stronger in antioxidant benefits than carotene! However, eating too much can lead to problems such as pink-purple stool, pink urine, and a positive occult blood test at the hospital.