Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsLychee NutritionPlant Compounds in LycheeLychee Health BenefitsWho Should Avoid It?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Lychee Nutrition
Plant Compounds in Lychee
Lychee Health Benefits
Who Should Avoid It?
Lychee(litchi chinensis)are small, fleshy tropical fruits with tough red or white outer skins and are widely consumed in Southeast Asia. Lychee (also calledlitchiorlichee) is native to southern China but also cultivated in other tropical or subtropical climates such as India, Mexico, Hawaii, and Florida.
Lychee is typically eaten raw and has a sweet taste, often described as a cross between a strawberry and a pear or a grape.Lychee is rich invitamin C, which helps boost the immune system, skin health, and more.
This article looks at the nutritional content of lychee, the fruit’s potential health benefits, and who should avoid eating it.
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While the flesh of the lychee is edible, the rind and seeds are not. The seeds can be toxic if consumed. Though often eaten fresh, lychee can also be consumed as dried, canned, spiced, or pickled.
Benefits of Eating Rambutan
Lychee contains manyvitamins and mineralsand is especially rich invitamin C, with 119% of the recommended daily allowance, or about 71.5 milligrams (mg), in a raw 100 gram (g) serving. Lychee also is a good source of vitamin B2 (riboflavin),iron,potassium,calcium, andcopper.
A 100 g serving of lychee contains:
Other Plant Compounds in Lychee
Lychees are rich inpolyphenols, plant compounds known for theirantioxidant propertiesand health benefits, includingdecreasing inflammationand improvingblood pressure,cholesterol, andinsulinlevels.
The fruit also containsanthocyanin, a polyphenol that gives food color and possesses antioxidant and antimicrobial components that can improve health and protect against diseases.
Oligonol
Oligonolis a polyphenol derived from lychee fruit extract that is valued for its anti-obesityand antidiabetic properties, including controlling weight gain,lowering triglycerides, and alleviating diabetic muscle loss.
Possible Health Benefits of Lychee
Lychee contains nutrients known to have health-boosting properties, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions.
Antioxidant Properties
Antioxidants help clearfree radicals(unstable molecules that can damage cells) from the body. Free radicals are chemicals from bodily processes, such as turning food into energy or exposure to pollution, cigarette smoke, and sunlight.
When free radicals are at high levels, they can causeoxidative stressin the body, damaging cells and leading to diseases.Lychee is also high in vitamin C, a known powerful antioxidant. Lychee contains other antioxidants, includingpolyphenols,anthocyanins, andselenium.
Immune System Support
Lychee is high in vitamin C, a powerful immune-boosting vitamin that enhances the function of immune system cells, such aswhite blood cells, that fight infection. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant that clears free radicals, which prevent the immune system from working well.
The fruit also contains B vitamins that supportgut microbiomehealth, an important immune system component, and antibody production. The fruit also contains copper, iron, and selenium minerals, all of which support immune cell barrier function and activity.
Digestive Health
A 100 g serving of raw lychee contains 1.3 g offiber.Fiber is important because it helps move food through the digestive system, promoting regular bowel movements and preventing constipation.Fiber also regulates hunger and blood sugar.
Heart Health
The fiber in lychee may also help reduce the following heart-health risk factors:
Skin Health
Getting adequate vitamin C in the diet has been shown to improve:
Who Should Avoid Lychee
There are 15.2 g of sugar in a 100 g serving of raw lychee.Consult a healthcare provider regarding the safety of eating lychee if you have the following:DiabetesPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)Heart diseaseFood allergies
There are 15.2 g of sugar in a 100 g serving of raw lychee.Consult a healthcare provider regarding the safety of eating lychee if you have the following:
Hypoglycemic encephalopathy cancome on suddenlyand cause mental confusion, coma, and death, even after blood sugar levels have been stabilized.
Eating lychee, especially unripe fruit, has been linked to death from hypoglycemic encephalopathy in children in Southeast Asia, especially those who were undernourished or ate the fruit after fasting.
Summary
Lychee is a tropical fruit popular in Southeast Asia that has various healthy nutrients. Lychee is especially notable for its high vitamin C content. Nutrients in lychee have antioxidant properties and can help protect against heart disease, support the immune system, and promote heart, digestive, and skin health.
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