Not only does the lychee fruit have a delicious taste, but it also contains many vitamins and antioxidants that help prevent cancer, support cardiovascular health, slow down presbyopia, and promote smooth skin and shiny hair.
Benefits of Lychee
According to international botanists, this beautiful fruit belongs to a non-resinous plant family. Its international name is lychee. This tropical fruit is native to the plains of China and Southeast Asia.
The lychee fruit, also known as lychee, belongs to the Sapindaceae family, which is related to plums, apricots, peaches, and nectarines.
The lychee tree has over 200 varieties and is widely cultivated in Vietnam, southern China, Taiwan, some tropical regions of Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and other countries.
Lychee is a tropical plant very characteristic of the Northern Delta region of Vietnam. This seasonal fruit bears fruit abundantly in the summer. It typically grows on medium branches within green canopies, clustered together and shaped like circles or ovals. In Western countries, lychee is an exotic and rare fruit.
According to descriptions by botanists in Western countries, lychee tastes similar to longan and rambutan. The outer skin of the lychee is covered with a slightly rough, beautiful pink-red layer. Inside, there is a sweet white pulp. In India, lychee is cultivated in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, and North India, with Muzaffarpur producing about 75% of India’s total lychee.
Lychee contains many nutrients and vitamins that help combat various diseases.
Lychee is a well-balanced fruit, with 100 grams of lychee (about 10 lychee fruits) containing 64 calories; total fat content around 1mg; vitamins and minerals up to 120%.
In 100 grams of lychee, it also contains 1% vitamin C; 5% or 0.31mg iron; 17g carbohydrates; 0.80g protein. Other minerals and metals in lychee include copper, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and calcium.
This is a healthy food with no cholesterol (0mg/0%) and impressive dietary fiber content (1.3g/3.5%).
This flavanol-rich fruit also has excellent antioxidant properties and improves metabolic activity. When consumed daily in appropriate doses, it brings miraculous benefits for health and beauty.
Health Benefits of Lychee
Lychee means “gift for royalty.” Naturally, the taste of lychee lives up to its name. The benefits of lychee have been proven in countries like China and India and recorded in ancient Chinese texts. Lychee is rich in nutrients and vitamins that help combat numerous diseases and is also a wonderful remedy for skin care, aiding in growth and enhancing overall health.
1. Cancer Prevention
Lychee has anti-cancer properties. This fruit contains flavonoids that help combat deadly diseases such as cancer. It also contains flavones, quercetin, and kaempferol, which are extremely powerful compounds that reduce the growth of cancer cells. Lychee has impressive characteristics that help prevent breast cancer.
2. Heart Disease Prevention
Lychee helps stabilize blood pressure and heart rhythm, thus helping to combat stroke and cardiovascular disease. A cup of lychee juice each day aids in normalizing heart rates. Lychee also contains the second-highest amount of polyphenols among fruits, which helps improve cardiovascular health. The antioxidants present in lychee enhance the immune system, slow the progression of retinal degeneration, and prevent heart-related diseases.
3. Digestive Support
Lychee promotes a healthy digestive system, cleanses the stomach, enhances appetite, and alleviates heartburn and stomach discomfort. Lychee also helps boost energy levels in the body and contributes to the health of your entire family. Lychee seeds contain astringent compounds used to treat digestive diseases and help the body expel intestinal worms. Lychee also contains soluble fiber that helps control intestinal issues and keeps the stomach free from toxins while aiding in colon cleansing.
Lychee promotes a healthy digestive system, cleanses the stomach, enhances appetite.
4. Bone Health
Lychee is a rich source of phosphorus and magnesium that support strong bones, along with transmitting minerals like copper and manganese that help improve bone brittleness. Additionally, zinc and copper enhance the effectiveness of vitamin D, increasing calcium absorption, which means maintaining bone health.
5. Vitamin C
Lychee is an excellent source of vitamin C, a vitamin that our body cannot synthesize on its own. Consuming foods rich in vitamin C helps enhance the body’s resistance to infectious agents and eliminate harmful free radicals that cause inflammation. Lychee is also beneficial for those suffering from fever, colds, or sore throat. It supports digestion to maximize nutrient absorption for the body. Vitamin C is good for the skin, bones, and muscle tissues, making it an extremely important vitamin for our body.
6. Oligonol
Oligonol is a low molecular weight polyphenol abundant in lychee. Oligonol has antioxidant and anti-influenza virus properties. It also helps improve blood circulation, aids weight loss, and protects the skin from harmful UVA rays. Oligonol reduces visceral fat, enhances blood circulation alongside reducing post-exercise fatigue, improves endurance, and decreases wrinkles and freckles on the face.
7. Vitamin B
Lychee is a source of B vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and folate. These vitamins help the body metabolize carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. It also contains high levels of beta carotene that help boost the immune system and improve liver function as well as other organs in the body.
8. Weight Loss
Lychee is low in calories, contains no saturated fat or cholesterol, and is high in fiber, making it essential for those looking to lose weight.
9. Improved Blood Circulation
Lychee has a high mineral content, with copper being arguably the most important. Copper plays a crucial role in forming new red blood cells. Red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen throughout the body.
Additionally, lychee contains a significant amount of magnesium that helps prevent blood clot formation, thereby markedly improving blood circulation and helping to prevent many dangerous diseases for the body.
Lychee is a source of B vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and folate.
Benefits of Lychee for Skin
10. Skin Improvement
Lychee helps nourish the skin, reducing acne development. The fruit also promotes smoother skin.
Lychee is an excellent source of vitamin C and other essential nutrients for your skin.
11. Anti-Aging
Your skin begins to age as you grow older. In today’s context, environmental pollution, UV rays, and dust accelerate skin aging more than naturally occurs. Free radicals are responsible for skin aging. As mentioned earlier, lychee is rich in vitamin C, which helps combat free radicals. It also contains oligonol, which has anti-aging properties and reduces skin pigmentation. Therefore, consuming lychee or using it as a face mask is very effective in helping reduce signs of aging, such as wrinkles and freckles.
12. Fighting Free Radicals
Lychee contains a high level of antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin B compounds, and flavonoids. These antioxidants protect the body from stress caused by pollution and UV rays. Free radicals are generated from oxidized molecules, reversing cellular functions and potentially leading to cancer cells. Antioxidants help neutralize these free radicals, thus protecting skin cells from damage. In this way, lychee can protect us from skin cancer and infections.
13. Nutrients Nourishing the Skin
Lychee is rich in skin-friendly nutrients such as thiamine, niacin, and copper. Thiamine supports the body’s metabolism of fats and proteins, helping maintain healthy skin. Niacin promotes hydration levels in the skin, while copper, even in small amounts, accelerates the recovery of damaged skin. All these benefits make lychee a superfruit for beautiful skin.
Lychee is rich in skin-friendly nutrients like thiamine, niacin, and copper.
Benefits of Lychee for Hair
14. Maintaining Healthy Hair
We all desire a healthy head of hair with long, shiny locks. A balanced diet is vital for healthy hair, as it helps supply oxygen and nutrients to nourish hair follicles. Lychee, with its nutrients including vitamin C, niacin, and thiamine, is beneficial for your hair health.
The vitamin C in lychee helps improve circulation, providing sufficient blood to nourish hair follicles.
Some Remedies from Lychee
According to former Colonel and general practitioner Bui Hong Minh (former president of the Ba Dinh Traditional Medicine Association in Hanoi): “You can absolutely use lychee to take care of your health and beautify your skin, as long as you adhere to the recommended dosage.”
Here are some easy-to-apply dishes and remedies using lychee:
- Neurasthenia, body weakness, erectile dysfunction in men: Fresh lychee, peeled, 500g to 1kg soaked in 1 liter of alcohol for 7-10 days. Then drink in the evening, 25-30g per time, very effective for physical recovery. Alternatively, you can consume 10 dried lychee fruits in the evening for 1-2 months.
- Diarrhea due to spleen deficiency: 7 lychee fruits and 5 jujube fruits. Boil and drink multiple times a day.
- Swollen and painful gums: Green lychee, add a little salt or burn the seeds, grind them finely, and rub onto the gums.
- Sore throat, toothache: Use the flowers, bark, and roots of lychee to make a mouthwash.
- Appearance of swollen boils on the body: Fresh or dried lychee pulp crushed with dried plum for application.
- Rapid heartbeat, palpitations, rapid breathing during exertion: Soak dried lychee pulp or boil dried lychee for drinking.
- Women with menstrual pain or postnatal abdominal pain: Burn 20g of lychee seeds, and 40g of angelica, grind into fine powder, take 6-8g mixed with diluted salt water or rice water, twice daily.
- Chronic stomach pain: Dried lychee seeds, ground finely, stored in a sealed container for later use. Take 6g three times a day, mixing with diluted white liquor or warm water when consuming.
- Cure hiccups: 7 lychee fruits, 6g of fresh ginger, and 4g of brown sugar, boiled for drinking.
Incorrect Lychee Eating Habits That Can Harm Health
Eating on an Empty Stomach
Lychee is a fruit with a high glycemic index. Eating lychee when hungry will excessively stimulate insulin secretion, causing blood sugar levels to drop significantly, leading to weakness and cold sweats.
Therefore, you should eat lychee when full, preferably after meals as a dessert. At this point, the body has accumulated enough water and salt from food, so there is no fear of nausea or overheating.
Eating Too Many Lychees at Once
Ingesting too many lychees at once will raise your blood sugar levels and increase blood fat. Especially for diabetic individuals, consuming too many lychees can cause fluctuations in blood sugar. You should eat only 5-6 fruits at a time.
Eating Unripe Lychee
Eating unripe lychee is not only sour but also bad for blood sugar levels. It affects the sugar regeneration process, inhibits glucose metabolism, and causes abnormalities in blood sugar levels.
Lychee is a healthy fruit, but we need to know how to eat it correctly to maximize its nutritional benefits.
Ingesting too many lychees at once will raise your blood sugar levels.
What to Note When Eating Lychee?
May Not Be Diabetic-Friendly
Lychee contains a high sugar content and has a glycemic index of 50. Typically, fruits with a glycemic index below 55 are digested slowly, allowing sugar to be released into the blood gradually. However, eating lychee right after meals or before going to bed can raise your blood sugar levels. Therefore, diabetic patients should consume lychee in moderation.
Risk of Allergies
Although not common, some individuals may be allergic to lychee. This reaction can occur 15-20 minutes after consuming the fruit when your immune system interprets lychee proteins as invaders.
Studies show that individuals allergic to lychee may develop skin rashes after exposure. Common symptoms of allergic reactions include redness, itching, shortness of breath, and swollen lips.
Hormonal Imbalance
Lychee tends to disrupt your hormonal balance. Therefore, consuming it in excessive amounts can lead to symptoms such as sore throat and fever. You may eat 8-10 lychees a day or drink a small glass of chopped lychee daily.
Not Suitable for Pregnant Women
Lychee can have adverse health effects for pregnant women with diabetes. Due to its glycemic index, expectant mothers should be cautious when incorporating this tropical fruit into their diet.
How to Choose Delicious Lychee and Store It for Longevity
The lychee season typically starts in June and ends in October. Lychee usually ripens on the tree and will not continue to ripen after harvest. When buying lychee, you should choose bright, vibrant red or dark red fruits with firm skin and no bruises. Avoid fruits that are cracked, leaking, or have a fermented smell.
When buying lychee, choose bright, vibrant red or dark red fruits with firm skin and no bruises.
The thick skin of lychee helps it stay fresh at room temperature for up to 5 days and in the refrigerator for up to 5 weeks. To maintain the color of lychee and prevent dehydration, wrap it in paper towels, place it in a plastic bag, and store it in the refrigerator.
Besides using lychee as a fruit, you can mix it into salads or add it to ice cream, custard, or yogurt to enhance the flavor and nutrition of dishes. Dried lychee can be used as a snack or added to yogurt, cakes, or desserts. Lychee juice can also be used to make cocktails, creating delicious and nutritious drinks this summer.
Note: “Even good food should not be consumed excessively”, so only eat lychee in moderation and listen to your body to adjust accordingly.
