5 Reasons Why Eating Dragon Fruit Can Also Be Harmful For Your Health

Dragon fruit which is also known as pitaya fruit or pitahaya fruit is a delicious fruit found and popular among the regions of Central America, South America, and Asia. This exotic fruit is light sweet in taste and when it comes to texture it is between that of kiwi and of apple. Being an excellent source of various nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, dietary fibers, phytonutrients, and polyphenols, etc. dragon fruit provides a number of health and beauty benefits. Although dragon fruit is good for us, it is advisable to consume them in moderation. This is because too much of everything is bad and the same is true for dragon fruit. In this article, we will know about the major side effects of eating too many dragon fruits.

# Too Much Dietary Fiber Is Bad For Stomach

Eating dragon fruit on a regular and moderate basis is very beneficial for our stomach and aids in keeping our digestive system healthy. This benefit of dragon fruit is primarily due to the presence of dietary fibers in them. The dietary fibers present in the dragon fruit acts as a natural laxative which means it improves our bowel movement and ensures smooth elimination of stool from our system. This provides relief from constipation and also provides relief from other digestive problems like abdominal pain, irritable bowel syndrome, flatulence and bloating, etc.

Even though dietary fibers are great for our digestive health and provide numerous benefits, it is a wise idea to eat dragon fruit in moderation. This is because excess intake of dietary fibers is found to be bad for our health and give rise to problems such poor absorption of nutrients by the intestines, intestinal gas, intestinal blockage, stomach pain, and flatulence, etc.

# Too Many Antioxidants Are Bad

Dragon fruit is an excellent source of many antioxidants like vitamin C and other antioxidantal compounds like phytonutrients, polyphenols, and carotenoids, etc. that provides a number of benefits.

These antioxidants and the relevant compounds present in the dragon fruit combats with the free radicals of our body, stabilize them and prevents them from causing oxidative damage to our cells and tissues, and thus reduces the risk of various cancers. They also help in the proper elimination of toxins from our system and thus helps in reducing the burden of toxins removal from our vital organs like liver and kidneys and allows them to focus on other functions they need to perform.

# May Develop Allergic Reactions In Some Individuals

Dragon fruit is an excellent source of many nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, polyphenols, and dietary fibers, etc. and the presence of these compounds make them very beneficial for us. This fruit provides a number of health and beauty benefits which we can enjoy just by adding dragon fruit to your diet. However, no all of us can enjoy these benefits in an equal manner. This is because some individuals might be allergic to dragon fruit and they should avoid dragon fruit as much as possible. If you are allergic to dragon fruit then it makes no sense to consume it as it may give rise to allergic reactions such as swollen lips and tongue, itchy throat, burning sensation in the throat, etc.

# Eating Dragon Fruit During Pregnancy And Nursing Period

Pregnancy is an important event in the life of every woman and at this stage, it is very important for her to ensure that she is enjoying a balanced diet full of nutrition. This is because at the pregnancy stage what a mother eats and drinks not only determines her health but also the health and wellness of the baby developing in her womb.

Dragon fruit is an excellent source of various nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, dietary fibers, phytonutrients, and polyphenols, etc.. and the presence of these compounds make them very beneficial for the pregnancy stage.

# May Interfere With Functioning Of Diabetes Medications

Eating dragon fruit on a regular and moderate basis is found to be very beneficial for diabetic patients and for the individuals who are at the risk of developing diabetes. This benefit of dragon fruit is primarily because of the presence of dietary fibers in them. The dietary fibers present in the dragon fruit reduces the rate at which sugar gets absorbed into the bloodstream. This prevents a sudden spike in the blood sugar level and thus helps in managing diabetes.

Eating 100 grams of dragon fruit provides around 8 grams of sugar which is a combination of both the glucose and fructose. This exotic fruit is considered as a medium sugar fruit, but the carbohydrate present in the dragon fruit gets broken down easily in the form of usable energy and counterbalance any negative effect of the sugar.