Dragon fruit, also known as pitaya or pitahaya, is a tropical fruit that is gaining popularity around the world for its unique look and taste. The fruit comes from several night-blooming cacti species and is covered in scaly skin with soft flesh inside. There are tiny black seeds throughout the flesh. This leads many people to wonder: can you eat and digest the dragon fruit seeds?
Can you swallow dragon fruit seeds whole?
Yes, you can safely swallow dragon fruit seeds whole without ill effects. The seeds are small, harmless, and digestible. Many people eat the flesh and seeds together without removing the seeds first.
Dragon fruit seeds are tiny, measuring 1-3 mm long on average. They are soft, thin, and oval-shaped. The seed coat is black or brown. Inside is the white seed kernel or embryo.
Some sources claim swallowing the seeds whole is the best way to consume them. The seeds provide fiber, protein, and micronutrients. Chewing the seeds releases these nutrients and makes them more bioavailable for absorption.
You would have to eat a very large amount of dragon fruit for the seeds to cause an issue. Overall, the seeds are perfectly safe to consume when eating the fruit.
Do dragon fruit seeds provide any nutrients?
Yes, dragon fruit seeds are highly nutritious and provide fiber, protein, fat, carbs, and micronutrients.
A 100 gram serving of dried dragon fruit seeds contains:
- Fiber: 25-50% of the RDI
- Protein: 20-25% of the RDI
- Fat: 25-50% of the RDI
- Carbs: 10-20% of the RDI
- Phosphorus: 15-25% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 15-25% of the RDI
- Iron: 10-15% of the RDI
Additionally, the seeds provide small amounts of B vitamins, antioxidants like flavonoids, and other minerals like calcium, potassium, and zinc.
Eating the seeds may also have digestive benefits. The fiber can act as a prebiotic to feed healthy gut bacteria. Some of the carbohydrates may be digested by gut bacteria as well.
Do dragon fruit seeds cause any digestive issues?
For most people, dragon fruit seeds do not cause any digestive problems. The seeds are small, soft, and easy to pass through the digestive tract undigested.
The flesh and seeds provide a good amount of fiber. For some people, eating a lot of the seeds may have a laxative effect. But this is not harmful.
In rare cases, someone may experience an obstruction if they somehow consume a very large quantity of seeds. The seeds could potentially clump together and cause a blockage. But this risk is extremely low.
As long as you are eating the seeds normally by consuming the flesh of the dragon fruit, they will safely pass through your system.
Do you need to chew dragon fruit seeds?
It is not strictly necessary to chew dragon fruit seeds, but chewing them may provide some benefits.
Chewing helps break down the tough seed coat so your body can more easily extract and absorb the nutrients inside the seeds.
The seeds have a mild, neutral taste and are barely noticeable when chewing the fruit flesh. You can chew and swallow them along with the flesh without issue.
However, if you prefer to avoid the texture of chewing the seeds, you can still swallow the seeds whole. Your stomach acids will help break down the seeds.
Can you grind dragon fruit seeds?
Yes, you can grind dragon fruit seeds into powder to consume or use in recipes.
To grind the seeds:
- Remove the flesh from the seeds
- Dry the seeds completely
- Use a spice grinder, small food processor, coffee grinder, or mortar and pestle to grind into a fine powder
You can add the powder to smoothies, other drinks, yogurt, oatmeal, or baking. It provides extra nutrition, fiber, protein, and antioxidants.
Some people take dragon fruit seed powder as a supplement too. Start with 1 teaspoon per day and work up to 1-2 tablespoons max.
You can also grind the seeds and use them to make dragon fruit seed oil. This unique oil has culinary, cosmetic, and medicinal uses.
Are dragon fruit seeds toxic?
No, dragon fruit seeds are not toxic or poisonous at all. All parts of the dragon fruit are safe to eat, including the nutrient-rich seeds.
There are no known allergies or toxicity associated with dragon fruit seeds. Eating the seeds raw or grinded into powder is perfectly safe.
In fact, dragon fruit seeds may offer some health and medicinal benefits thanks to their antioxidant content. They have been used traditionally for centuries in folk medicine.
As with most foods, eat dragon fruit seeds in moderation as part of a overall healthy diet. But there are no specific health risks linked to the seeds.
Can you eat other parts of dragon fruit?
Yes, all parts of the dragon fruit are edible, not just the flesh and seeds. The peel and stems can be consumed as well.
Dragon fruit peel
The peel or skin is the scaly, colorful outer layer. It is safe to eat either raw or cooked.
Eating the peel provides extra fiber, antioxidants, and nutrients like vitamin C. Some people include it when making juice, jam, or smoothies. You can also pickle or make candied peel.
Dragon fruit stems
The stems attach the fruit to the cactus. They are essentially like crunchy, bland, green beans.
The stems can be eaten raw or cooked. Try dipping raw stems in hummus or sautéing them. They work well in stir fries or sautés.
Eating all edible parts of dragon fruit helps reduce food waste. But be sure to wash the peel and stems before eating if they have dirt on them.
Can you eat dragon fruit seeds raw?
Yes, dragon fruit seeds can be eaten raw right out of the fresh fruit. There is no need to cook the seeds first.
The seeds have a neutral flavor and are safe to swallow whole or chew along with the juicy, sweet flesh.
Eating the seeds raw retains all of their nutrients and provides a good crunchy texture contrast in the soft flesh.
You can also consume raw dragon fruit seeds by:
- Sprinkling dry seeds onto dishes for crunch
- Blending fresh seeds into smoothies
- Using dried, ground seeds in raw desserts and energy bites
Cooking dragon fruit seeds may damage some of their nutrients, like vitamin C and antioxidants. But lightly roasted seeds still retain healthy fats and protein.
Can you cook or bake with dragon fruit seeds?
Yes, dragon fruit seeds can be used in cooking and baking in either whole or ground form.
Try adding a sprinkle of whole seeds to oatmeal, salads, yogurt or cottage cheese for extra crunch and nutrition.
Ground dragon fruit seed powder works well in many baked goods like muffins, breads, and cookies. Substitute up to 1/4 of the flour with seed powder.
The oil extracted from the seeds can be used for low-heat cooking too. It has a mild, nutty flavor.
Some options for using dragon fruit seeds in recipes include:
- Protein bars or balls
- Granola
- Pancakes
- Muffins
- Quick breads
- Cookies
- Roasted chickpeas or nuts
- Oil for stir frying or sautéing
Do you need to remove dragon fruit seeds?
No, there is no need to remove or spit out the seeds when eating dragon fruit. The tiny seeds are soft, harmless, and digestible.
In many cases, it would be difficult to remove all the tiny seeds anyway. They are embedded throughout the juicy flesh.
It is perfectly fine from a health and safety standpoint to consume the entire flesh and seeds together.
Some people prefer to spit out larger seeds from fruits like cherries or grapes. But dragon fruit seeds are much smaller and easier to eat whole.
Removing the seeds would also mean missing out on their added nutrition and fiber. The seeds provide protein, healthy fats, minerals, and antioxidants.
As long as you are not chewing up and eating spoonfuls of dry seeds on their own, they will safely pass through your digestive system when eaten in normal amounts within the fruit flesh.
Do you digest dragon fruit seeds?
Most dragon fruit seeds pass through your digestive system intact and undigested. But some digestion and nutrient absorption still occurs.
The outer seed coat is made of cellulose and resistant to digestion. However, your stomach acid and gut enzymes will break down the inside of the seed over time.
Chewing the seeds also helps break the seed coat to make the nutrients more bioavailable. The fiber and carbohydrates in the seeds get fermented by your gut bacteria as well.
Even though you may see intact seeds in your stool, your body will pull out and use some protein, fat, carbs, vitamins, and minerals from the seeds as they pass through.
Conclusion
Dragon fruit seeds are not only safe to swallow whole, but also offer beneficial nutrients. The seeds provide fiber, protein, healthy fats, iron, magnesium, and antioxidants.
Chewing the seeds helps your body digest and absorb more of their nutrients. But even if swallowed whole, your stomach acids will break down parts of the seeds over time.
You can also grind dragon fruit seeds into nutritious powder to add to baked goods, smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal, and other recipes.
While most of the seed passes through undigested, your body can still utilize many of the seeds’ nutrients. There are no health risks or toxic effects associated with eating dragon fruit seeds.
So the next time you enjoy some refreshing dragon fruit, don’t worry about spitting out the seeds. Consume them along with the flesh to get the most nutrition and fiber this exotic superfruit has to offer.
