Today, we are going to introduce everyone to Dragon Fruit.
Pitaya, also known as dragon fruit, dragon pearl fruit, pitaya fruit, sesame fruit or cactus fruit.
Dragon fruit is native to the tropical rain forests of Central and South America, and is cultivated throughout Central America, Mexico, the southern United States, Thailand, Vietnam and other countries. Cactaceae are cultivated as fruit trees including Hylocereus and Selenicereus. Among them, yellow pitaya of the genus Selenicereus has been widely planted in Colombia, Ecuador and other places. , Other areas are mostly interesting cultivation. At present, the commercial cultivated strains in Taiwan are mainly white meat (H. undatus) and red meat (H. polyrhizus & H. costaricensis).
The red-flesh dragon fruit has a shorter and a rounder appearance. The scales on the peel are relatively short and dense. The white-fleshed dragon fruit has a long appearance, usually an oval shape, and the scales on the skin are relatively long and bright green. In terms of taste, red flesh dragon fruit have softer flesh and higher sweetness. The white-fleshed dragon fruit tastes crispy, with a bit less sweetness.
Dragon fruit contains minerals such as organic acids, potassium, iron, folic acid, and is also rich in dietary fiber, as well as phytochemicals such as polyphenols and flavonoids. Whether it is red meat or white meat dragon fruit, it has the effect of promoting gastrointestinal peristalsis and moistening the intestines.
If you really want to break down the difference between the two types of dragon fruit (red vs. white meat)...then you can compare them based on the amount of betacyanin and dietary fiber. The bright flesh color of red meat varieties comes from the rich betacyanin content. Compared with white meat varieties, they have better antioxidant effects. Therefore, those who want to beautify their skin can choose red meat varieties. The white flesh red dragon fruit has more dietary fiber than the red flesh variety, so people who have constipation (or just irregular bowel movements in general) can choose white flesh red dragon fruit.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that dragon fruit is sweet in taste and cool in nature. It can produce body fluids to quench thirst, clear heat and cool blood, and facilitate urine. It has good effects in regulating summer heat, dry mouth, constipation, bad breath and other heat symptoms. Therefore, female friends who are prone to colds or diarrhea, and are in their menstrual period are not suitable for eating more.
Because dragon fruit is low in calories and rich in nutrients, it can promote digestion in the gastrointestinal tract, and it can be said to be the best fruit for weight loss and beauty. But don’t eat uncontrollably! Dragon fruit is a high-potassium fruit. White meat varieties contain about 228 mg of potassium, while red meat varieties have a potassium content of more than 300 mg. They are not suitable for patients with chronic kidney disease whose diet must be limited to potassium.
The sugar in dragon fruit is mainly natural glucose, which is easy to absorb. For diabetic patients, it is recommended not to consume more than half a capsule a day, or to consume 1/4 capsules in the morning and afternoon respectively to avoid excessive blood sugar spikes. If you have doubts about your diet and health, you must seek the advice of doctors and nutritionists.
The different color meat of the dragon fruits have slightly different taste. If you don't have a preference, you may wish to eat them alternately. In addition, dragon fruit is quite rich in iron. It is recommended that you can pair them with pineapples, guavas and other high Vitamin C fruits, which can help increase the absorption rate of iron.
When buying dragon fruits, you should choose those that have a rounded shape, the color of the peel is even and bright (with more than half already red), the color of the calyx end (the neck) is completely turned, and the scales are curled reversely. Also check that there's no bruising, pests, or cracks.
In addition, if it is not stored properly, it is easy to cause the red dragon fruit to sprout and grow a milky white ovule stalk. The bud plant is also a part of the fruit. After the red dragon fruit germinates, it does not produce toxins and can be eaten with peace of mind. You only need to cut off the "sprouting" area. However, it is recommended that you eat the fruit as soon as possible after you buy it home to avoid affecting the flavor.
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紅龍果介紹
又名為火龍果、龍珠果、仙蜜果、芝麻果或仙人掌果。
紅龍果原產於中南美洲的熱帶雨林，人工栽培遍及於中美洲、墨西哥、美國南部、泰國及越南等國家。仙人掌科作為果樹來栽培的包括三角柱屬(Hylocereus)及西施仙人柱屬(Selenicereus)這兩個屬，其中西施仙人柱屬的黃龍(yellow pitaya)，在哥倫比亞、厄瓜多爾等地有大面積的商業栽植，其它地區則多屬趣味栽培。目前臺灣商業栽培品系，以白肉(H. undatus)及紅肉品系(H. polyrhizus & H. costaricensis)為主。
紅肉紅龍果外觀較短，外型比較渾圓，果皮上的鱗片比較短，鱗片也比較密集。白肉紅龍果外觀較長，外型通常是橢圓形，果皮上的鱗片也比較修長，而且帶有鮮綠色。口感上，紅肉紅龍果果肉較軟，甜度比較高。白肉紅龍果吃起來比較爽脆，甜度比較低，帶有淡淡清甜。
紅龍果含有機酸、鉀、鐵、葉酸等礦物質，也豐富的膳食纖維，以及多酚和類黃酮等植物化學物質。不管是紅肉還是白肉紅龍果，都具有促進腸胃蠕動、潤腸通便的效果。大家可以如何選擇呢？若以營養價值差別，可從「甜菜紅素」及「膳食纖維」兩點作區分。
紅肉品種鮮豔的果肉顏色，來自所含有的豐富甜菜紅素（betacyanin），和白肉品種相比，有更好的抗氧化功效，因此想要養顏美容的人可以選擇紅肉品種。而白肉紅龍果的膳食纖維則較紅肉品種多，因此排便不順暢的人可以選擇白肉紅龍果。
中醫認為紅龍果味甘、性涼，可生津止渴、清熱涼血、通便利尿，對於調理夏日火氣大、口乾舌燥、便秘、口臭等熱症，都有不錯的功效。因此體質虛寒、容易感冒或是腹瀉以及正值生理期的女性朋友不適合多吃。
由於紅龍果熱量低、營養豐富、可促進胃腸道消化，可說是減肥美容的最佳水果。不過也不能毫無節制的吃喔！紅龍果屬於高鉀水果，白肉品種含有約228毫克的鉀，而紅肉品種的含鉀量可達到300毫克以上，並不適合飲食必須限鉀的慢性腎臟病患食用。
紅龍果內的糖分以天然葡萄糖為主，容易吸收，對於糖尿病患者，建議一天不要攝取超過半顆，或是分別在上、下午食用1／4顆，避免過量造成血糖飆升。大家若對自己的飲食及健康有疑慮，一定要尋求醫師及營養師的意見喔。
不管是紅肉紅龍果或是白肉紅龍果風味各有不同，若沒有特別偏好，大家不妨紅肉、白肉交替著吃。另外火龍果的鐵含量相當豐富。建議大家可以搭配鳳梨、芭樂等高維生素C水果，一起食用，打成果汁或水果沙拉，皆可幫助提升鐵質的吸收率。
在選購紅龍果時要挑選外形渾圓飽滿，果皮轉色均勻鮮豔，果萼端（縮口處）果皮完全轉色，鱗片反捲及轉紅達一半以上，無擦壓傷、病蟲害或裂果，鱗片及果梗切口新鮮者為佳。
另外，保存不當的話，容易導致紅龍果發芽，長出乳白色的胚珠柄，芽株也是果實的一部分。紅龍果發芽後，並不會產生毒素，可以安心食用，只需將「發芽」的地方切除。但還是建議大家水果買回家後要儘快食用完畢，避免影響風味。
Source: https://smiletaiwan.cw.com.tw/article/3873NE
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