Speaking of exotic, tasty and healthy fruit, dragon fruit is one of the fruits in the top of the list. The crunchy texture and mild sweet flavour is the signature of dragon fruit though the appearance may drawback some people to taste its sweet flesh inside. Dragon fruit is also packed with nutrients and highly recommended for mothers during pregnancy.
Why Dragon Fruits Are Great for Pregnancy?
During pregnancy, consuming fruits is highly recommended because fruits are packed with fiber, essential vitamins and minerals that are good for during pregnancy and dragon fruit is a like a fruit which contains all the those essential vitamins, minerals and other natural components that are excellent for pregnancy. There are two varieties of dragon fruits, the one with white flesh and deep purple flesh. For the flavour, both varieties of dragon fruits are similar though if you don’t want to mess with your clothes is better to choose the white flesh variety instead of the deep purple one.
Nutritional Values of Dragon Fruits that Are Good for Pregnancy
The first nutritional value you could get from the dragon fruit is fiber content. During pregnancy, constipation and slow bowel movement is normal caused by the growing fetus inside the womb. That is why consuming food rich of fiber may be helpful. Moreover, dragon fruit is also packed with vitamin C and vitamin A, the powerful antioxidants strongly required by mothers during pregnancy. To learn more about the amazing health benefits of dragon fruit for pregnant women, the list below will tell you in details.
- Excellent Source of Fiber
The juicy texture of dragon fruit is the strong indication that this fruit is rich of fiber. During pregnancy, fiber is essential because stomach problems are common to occur especially when the mothers reach the third trimester.
- Great to Prevent Constipation
One of the excellent health benefits of fiber for pregnant women is super great to prevent constipation. Along with the growth of the fetus inside the womb may affect the movement inside the bowel. Fiber may help improve the bowel movement and treat constipation in natural way.
- Rich of Antioxidants
The list of essential vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A and beta-carotene are the proof that this fruit is packed with some potent antioxidants.
- Packed with Vitamin C
Vitamin C benefits during pregnancy are super essential. Vitamin C will help maintaining the immunity system to keep the mothers healthy during pregnancy. Moreover, dragon fruit may be helpful to help fighting morning sickness due to its juicy and tasty flavour.
- Excellent Source of Folic Acid
Folic acid is one of the essential compounds for mothers during pregnancy. Health benefits of folic acids are super essential to the development of brain and nervous system, especially in the first trimester.
- Maintains Immunity System
During pregnancy, mothers are forbidden to get sick because it may affect the fetus development inside the womb. That is why having great immunity system is a must. Dragon fruit contains some essential vitamins and potent antioxidants to help maintain the immunity system.
- Prevents Microbial Infection
Strong immunity system may help fighting and preventing microbial infection. That is why consuming fruit or foods that may help improving immunity system is highly recommended during pregnancy.
- Rich of Beta-Carotene
One of the health benefits of beta-carotene is as pro-vitamin A, it is good to maintain vision and promote eye health. During pregnancy, beta-carotene could act as potent antioxidant as well to optimize the development of fetus.
- Prevents Gestational Diabetes
There are three major types of diabetes and gestational diabetes is one type that occurs only during pregnancy. To help preventing this kind of diabetes, consuming fruit like dragon fruit may be super helpful.
- Carbohydrate for Energy Booster
During pregnancy, mothers need all the extra energy just to do some common daily activities. Carbohydrate found in dragon fruit may be helpful to provide the energy they need.
- Rich of Calcium
Calcium is essential during pregnancy. Calcium is not only essential to the development of fetus inside the womb but also for the mothers. If calcium is not enough, the body will use the calcium stock in the bones that later may affect it strength.
- Promotes Bone Development
As mentioned above, one of the health benefits of calcium is to promote bone development, especially for the fetus. Not only that, calcium is also essential for the mothers. Morning sickness during pregnancy may prevent mothers to drink milk but the juicy and tasty dragon fruit is excellent source of calcium when mothers cannot get it from milk or other dairy products.
- Prevents Birth Defect
Folic acid, antioxidants, essential vitamins, calcium and many nutrients found in dragon fruit are excellent to optimize the development fetus inside the womb. It means, you could reduce the risk of baby born with birth defect.
- Haemoglobin Booster
Haemoglobin is essential during pregnancy because it is not only prominent to distribute oxygen but also nutrients. Haemoglobin found in Red Blood Cells and dragon fruit contains some essential minerals like manganese and iron that promotes the optimal production of red blood cells.
- Source of Healthy Fat
Fat is the source of energy that is why diet during pregnancy is not recommended, unless you are suffering from the early symptom of obesity. The problem is obesity occurs when you consume unhealthy fats in excessive amount. However, consuming dragon fruit is not going to make you fat because it contains healthy fat only which is good for metabolism.
Cautions of Dragon Fruit for Pregnant Women
So far, all kinds of fruits that are rich of vitamins, minerals and fiber are excellent for pregnant women including dragon fruit. However, still there are some cautions you should aware when you plan to add dragon fruit to your daily diet.
- Dragon fruit is safe fruit for women during pregnancy, if only you consume the fresh ones. The stale one must have been contaminated with germ, worm or bacteria that may put the fetus in danger.
- Though you are not eating the peel but to avoid contamination is better to wash it first with running water before you cut it to enjoy the tasty and juicy flesh inside.
- You should aware that dragon fruit is also rich with beta-carotene and vitamin A. Too much vitamin A in your metabolism could be really toxic. So, maintain your diet management well.
The first time you try to eat dragon fruit (especially the one with deep purple flesh), you will be a bit surprise or probably a bit horror to find your waste in red colour. Well, you don’t need to worry, it is normal when you are eating dragon fruit. Though some people prefer to avoid the colour one and instead enjoy the one with white flesh instead.