Pitaya, also known as Dragon fruit, is a pretty stellar superfood. On the outside, it has a bright pink hue covered with green scales (always a crowd-pleaser when it shows up at a party). On the inside, it tastes like a blend of kiwi and pear (yum!).
Sure, we love acai. But our Playa Pitaya base is an exclusive item made for all of our Playa Bowls locations—that means you can’t get it anywhere else. Playa Pitaya has a premium taste that was created just for you because this tropical orb is pure gold for your health.
Indigenous to the regions of Mexico and South America, the pitaya is not only low in calories but also really good for you. Let’s dig into the 5 benefits of pitaya.
It’s loaded with essential vitamins and minerals
One of the top benefits of pitaya is that it contains several essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs. Like–
- 18% of the recommended amount of magnesium in a day, which supports energy, muscle, and nerve function
- 8% of the recommended amount of iron in a day, which your body needs to develop, grow, and carry the oxygen from your lungs to other places
- Calcium, absolutely essential for healthy bones and teeth
Plus, pitaya is packed with vitamins A and C.
It’s rich in antioxidants
Vitamin C, Carotenoids, Lycopene, betacyanin, flavonoids, and phenolic acid are all types of antioxidants found in the perfectly pink pitaya. But what do they do?
The antioxidants found in pitaya protect the cells in your body from what’s known as free radicals. These free radicals are unstable molecules that lead to cell damage and end up leading to disease. But with antioxidants, like the ones found in pitaya you reduce your risk of chronic disease.
Basically, you’re diving into a bowl of protection for your body with every bite.
It’ll boost your immune system
All those vitamins and antioxidants in pitaya make it a powerhouse for your body. The more you eat the more your immune system will thank you for it. And a stronger immune system will help your body fight infection by protecting the white blood cells in your body from any potential harm. These white blood cells are essential for your health because they are in charge of attacking and destroying substances that might harm your body.
And during the colder, winter months this can be especially helpful because you’re typically less active than during the summer months.
It keeps hunger away
Because it’s extremely low in fat and high in fiber, another benefit of pitaya is that it will keep you fuller for longer. That means you can feel better about what you eat because you’ll find yourself satisfied. It’s a great option when you have an action-packed day ahead of you.
It leads to a healthy tummy
You’ve likely heard of probiotics (the stuff that’s commonly found in kombucha drinks). Well, pitaya has tons of prebiotics that feed probiotics. And these probiotics lead to a better balance of bacteria in your gut, which helps break down foods easier and kills viruses. As a bonus, it can even result in a flatter stomach.
These benefits are reasons why we think the Playa Pitaya is totally rad (we even love our Pink Pitaya Smoothie). And our Playa Pitaya base is made without pineapple, banana and coconut milk free, which makes it much more allergy friendly.
So, the next time you drop into your local Pineappleland order one of our exclusive Playa Pitaya menu items and feel like a superstar.