Plant atlas Short
Dragon Fruit Grows on a Night-Blooming Cactus
Dragon Fruit · แก้วมังกร · Hylocereus undatus
Dragon Fruit — แก้วมังกร (kaeo-mang-kon) — Hylocereus undatus.
It's a night-blooming cactus fruit, and in a 107-adult trial its oligosaccharides increased beneficial gut bacteria. The edible part is the fruit — the flesh and the tiny black seeds, eaten together. Vitamin C is what your body uses to build collagen. Magnesium is the mineral your muscles and nerves rely on to fire normally. Fiber, most of it in those black seeds, adds the bulk that keeps digestion moving. Iron is the mineral hemoglobin uses to carry oxygen through your blood. In Thai kitchens, Wun Kaeo Mangkon sets the fruit into a cold jelly with coconut milk, while Sakhu Kaeo Mangkon warms it in a sago pudding with salted coconut cream. The vitamin C in the flesh helps your body absorb iron from plants in the same bite. The plant is a climbing cactus, so it needs a sturdy post to drape over. Follow Longevity Biome for a new Thai plant every day.
Woon Gaew Mang Gon — วุ้นแก้วมังกร (woon-gaew-mang-gon)
Sa Koo Piak Gaew Mang Gon — สาคูเปียกแก้วมังกร (sa-koo-piak-gaew-mang-gon)
Source: Pansai N et al. (2023). Dragon-fruit oligosaccharides on gut microbiome: RCT (n=107). Food Res Int 167:112657. DOI:10.1016/j.foodres.2023.112657
Educational content, not medical advice! Consult your doctor before changing diet or medication.
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Food and nutrients
Rich in: vitamin C, magnesium, fiber, iron
Research context
Dragon fruit oligosaccharides increased beneficial gut bacteria in a 107-adult trial — Food Research International, 2023 (RCT)