Lychee is a juicy fruit belonging to the soapberry family. The fruit grows on an evergreen tree, with pinnate leaves. It is a drupe, externally covered by a pink-red rough textured rind, easily removable. Lychee contains sweet layered white flesh, enveloping a brown colored seed. The taste somewhat resembles that of grapes and is also quite juicy. Apart from its sweet and tangy flavor, Lychee has significant health and nutritional benefits.
Benefits of Lychee and health
Lychee fruit juice is actually nutritious liquid that helps the body to keep hydrated. No chance of dehydration will be developed when you consume this fruit.
The Lychee fruit protects the body from potential heart attacks. It helps to clear out blood clots and also keeps the cells healthy. 50% less chance of heart attack is seen in body that ate Lychee fruit several times a week than people who don’t eat Lychee fruit.
This fruit also helps to maintain digestive health as it contains dietary fibers. It is rich in fibers which works well to prevent the problems of constipation and also keeps the stomach clear of harmful toxins. It has also the capacity to cleanse the colon.
The Lychee fruit also acts a natural diuretic. Eating the Lychee several times a week will help to relieve the pain caused due to kidney stones.
Lychee fruits contain fatty acids which are necessary in order to absorb fat-soluble vitamins like beta carotene. Thus, it helps in the digestion of other healthy foods.
Lychee is an excellent source of Vitamin C. It contains 71.5 mg / 100 g which fulfills 119% of the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance). With a high amount of Vitamin C, an antioxidants it increases immune system function. It increases immunity to protect against common diseases like cough, cold and flu. Vitamin C also increases immune system function to protect from infections.
Nutritional analysis of Lychee
190 gm of Lychee contains:
Calories: 46
Protein: 1.58 gm
Carbohydrate: 31.41 g
Dietary fiber: 2.5 g
Water: 155.34 g
Calcium: 10 mg
Iron: 0.59 mg
Folate: 27 mcg
Sugars: 28.94 gm
Mineral prominent in the fruit Lychee is potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium. Even with a low degree, Lychee substance also contains iron, Zinc, copper, atrium, selenium, and other minerals. Another health benefit of the Lychee fruit is that it is a great source of vitamin C, a vitamin that the body does not produce naturally.
Health tips for Lychee
Lychees are a great source of skin-friendly nutrients like thiamin, niacin, and copper. Thiamin assists the body in metabolizing fats and protein for healthy skin.Niacin boosts the hydration levels in the skin while copper, in small quantities, helps to speed up the healing of damaged skin.Litchis help to nourish the skin oils which reduce the growth of acne. It also refines the skin and leads to less spot on the skin.Lychee, being a good source of Vitamin C, niacin and thiamin, can be beneficial for your hair’s health.Oligonol is a low molecular weight polyphenol found abundantly in litchi fruit. Oligonol has several anti-oxidant and anti-influenza virus actions. It also helps to improve blood circulation, reduces weight and protects the skin from harmful UVA rays. Oligonol decreases deep fat, raises sideline blood circulation, decreases post exercise exhaustion, raises stamina as well as reduces facial lines and brown spots.
Recommendation
Individual lychees are low in calories, but eating a handful can quickly boost your caloric intake.Litchis have good amount of sugars in it so you can include litchies in salad and chaats. But try not to consume on daily basis.