The health benefits are mainly attributed to the antioxidants, vitamins, and mineralsthat the dragon fruit contains, and many of those healthy qualities are explained below.

Immune System Health: One of the most beneficial aspects of dragon fruit is its ability to give a serious boost to your body’s defense system. The high levels of vitamin-C that can be found in dragon fruit are one of the strongest assets to your body’s immune system, and they stimulate the activity of other antioxidants in the body as well. They actively seek out and eliminate free radicals, the dangerous byproducts of cell metabolism, which have been directly linked to potentially fatal conditions like cancer and heart disease. The more vitamin-C, the better!

Cardiovascular Health: Dragon fruit is quite the exotic fruit with a number of unique properties, one being that they contain no cholesterol and almost no unhealthy cholesterol-producing fats. By reducing the amount of cholesterol in the blood, the chances of developing plaque in the arteries and veins are small, thereby reducing the likelihood that you’ll suffer from atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes. By using dragon fruit as a source of many other nutrients, you are not negatively impacting your body in any way, hence the fruit’s reputation as a “superfood” is true. Some fat is beneficial, and the seeds of dragon fruit do contain this positive type of fat, which can lead to HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol). HDL cholesterol actively decreases the amount of LDL cholesterol by inhibiting the receptors that it binds to on the walls of arteries.

Vitamin Content: Dragon Fruit is also packed with other beneficial vitamins besides vitamin-C, including the B vitamin group. The B1, B2, and B3 vitamin content of dragon fruit benefit everything from blood pressure, skin health, and cholesterol levels to thyroid function and carbohydrate metabolism. Even a single cup of dragon fruit contains a significant amount of beneficial vitamins.

Digestion: Dragon fruits have a significant fiber content, which means that they can help your body bulk up its bowel movements, facilitating smooth passage through the digestive tract, stimulating peristaltic motion, and induce a release of digestive juices. By regulating bowel function with dietary fiber, you reduce your chances of conditions like constipation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and even more serious diseases like colorectal cancer.

Cancer Prevention: Along with the antioxidant protections of vitamin C to boost the immune system, dragon fruits contain other sources of natural antioxidants. Carotene is another component of dragon fruits, and carotene has been linked to a number of anti-carcinogenic qualities, as well as reducing the size of tumors. Basically, dragon fruits boost your immune system from every direction, so if you feel like you’re frequently getting sick or feeling under the weather, or even if you are at a high risk of developing cancer, dragon fruit might be the answer for you.

Antibacterial and Anti-fungal: A final boost to the immune system from dragon fruit is its antifungal and antibacterial quality. This can help increase the white blood cell count in the body which defends against toxins, and it also inhibits the entrance or growth of fungal or bacterial infections in the organ systems. You will also find that it stimulates cell regeneration and speeds up healing, so wounds and bruises will heal at an increased rate.

Body Metabolism: One of the essential parts of our diet is the intake of protein. Proteins are what make our body run smoothly, because they are the intrinsic parts of everything from our teeth, hair, and bones, to our organs, blood vessels, and tissue. Many of the proteins we gain from fruits, vegetables, and meat are metabolized by enzymes in our body and turned into usable proteins that can speed up cell repair, enhance strength, speed up the metabolism, and help us lose weight and increase muscle mass. An appropriate dose of protein in our diet helps countless aspects of health, and dragon fruit is an unusually good source of protein.

Archeological records show that people have been steeping green tea leaves for over 5,000 years! Globally, tea ranks second only to water in overall beverage popularity. Green tea has benefits beyond its ability to quench thirst and decades of research suggest it offers a variety of healing, health-boosting properties. Here are just a few of the many health benefits of green tea.

1. Nutritional Support for Health Challenges

While not a stand-alone cure by any means, studies have shown green tea has the potential to fight many forms of cancer. One lab study done at the McGill University in Montreal found that the antioxidants in green tea could successfully shrink prostate tumors in mice. Another meta-analysis of data found that high green tea consumption could lower lung cancer risk by up to 18%.

Chinese studies have even shown a link between green tea consumption and lowered chances of stomach, pancreatic, esophageal, prostate and colorectal cancer. This is definitely an exciting to start for more research to come.

2. Promotes Heart Health

Potentially due to its ability to lower blood cholesterol, green tea has been shown to aid the body in its ability to burn off harmful forms of fat, preventing them from laying stagnant in the blood stream. Large-scale studies done on green tea have associated it with long-term heart disease prevention. A Japanese trial found that drinking at least four cups of green tea daily could lower the severity of heart disease in men.

3. Antioxidants

Green tea is loaded with antioxidants. These free-radical fighting substances increase the body’s ability to ward off disease and slow down the degenerative processes of aging. Green tea contains antioxidants called catechins and polyphenols, forms of antioxidants known to stop the response associated with damaged DNA, high cholesterol, and even cancer. These antioxidants act as dilators on our blood vessels, improving their elasticity and reducing the chance of clogging. What is more, green tea undergoes very little processing, allowing the natural antioxidants to remain intact and concentrated.

4. Weight-Loss Aid and Metabolism Booster

Green tea extract has been shown to be effective in both the prevention and reduction of weight gain. One study found that green tea’s fat oxidation properties aided participants in weight loss over a period of three months. A Japanese study found that participants using green tea extracts were most easily able to lose weight, lower blood pressure levels and get rid of harmful LDL cholesterol. Clinical studies suggest that green tea’s polyphenols create a fat-burning effect in the body, as well as increase metabolism. But, and this is a big but, some research has shown that green tea extract may offer too much of a good thing to the point it can negatively affect liver health. Although we can’t talk about the benefits of green tea without mentioning green tea extract and weight loss, we also can’t mention that without the caveat against green tea extract.

5. Supports Digestion

Green tea is a well-known digestive stimulant. It reduces intestinal gas and may even offer support for digestive disorders such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, the two types of IBD.

6. Encourages Normal Blood Sugar

Green tea has been used in traditional medicine to keep blood sugar levels stabilized. This may be due to the fact that it regulates glucose in the body.

7. Support for Arthritis

Studies show that green tea counteracts the response typically associated with diseases like arthritis. It does this by slowing the inflammation response as well as the breakdown of cartilage in arthritic individuals.

8. Boosts the Immune System

Green tea may act as an overall immune booster. Chemicals in green tea have been used to promote good health in so many ways. Some studies on laboratory animals even show promising evidence that green tea can slow the aging process and even keep us alive longer!

Coconuts – including coconut water and coconut milk – have recently risen in popularity due to a variety of health benefits. While coconut’s popularity in the U.S. is fairly new, many island populations around the world have been using the coconut in cooking, skin and hair care, and as a tool for maintaining healthy body weight and immune systems for years. Because research has allowed for a better understanding of the benefits of coconut, many health conscious people are now incorporating it into their diets.

Coconut Milk and Heart Disease

The medium-chain saturated fatty acids found in coconut milk can improve heart health, according to a recent study. The study showed that Polynesian Islanders who consumed more coconut milk, oil and water, had healthier blood lipid profile levels, which is a key indicator of heart disease. The medium-chain fatty acids found in coconut milk may also kill the three major types of bacteria that cause plaque in the arteries. While a healthy overall diet is important for heart health, incorporating coconut milk into your diet can also have positive results.

Coconut Milk and Weight Loss

Coconut milk contains MCFAs (medium-chain fatty acids), which are different from their long-chain counterparts that are often found in meats and dairy products. The difference between these two fatty acids is that MCFA’s, found in coconut milk, are metabolized by the liver, while the long-chain acids remain in the body as fatty deposits. According to an American Diabetes study published in 2009 incorporating MCFAs into the diet through foods such as coconut milk, can help to fight obesity and prevent insulin resistance. Despite this, it is still important to note that coconut milk is high in fat – meaning it is best used in moderation.

Coconut Milk and Immune Health

Coconut milk contains many beneficial compounds, such as lauric acid, antimicrobial lipids and capric acid, which have antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. The body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which help fight the viruses and bacteria that cause herpes and influenza.

Coconuts Milk and Healthy Skin and Hair

Coconut milk is highly nutritious when consumed, and can also s improve the condition of your skin and hair when used topically. The fatty acids in coconut milk are a natural antiseptic and may help treat dandruff, skin infections, wounds and dry, itchy skin. Additionally, the high fatty acid content in coconut milk works as a natural moisturizer for healthy skin, and has shown to have anti-aging benefits, too.