Lychee berries are fruit trees that grow in the tropics. They have a spreading crown, reaching 15 meters in height. The berries are red. The pulp is white. The bone is brown, large. When dried, the skin hardens and turns brown. The consistency of the pulp is jelly-like. By taste, lychee berries are compared with cherries, white grapes, plums. They are considered beneficial for health.
Beneficial features
Exotic tropical fruits, which have not become widespread in Russia, are often credited with imaginary beneficial properties. It is often written on the Internet that lychee berries:
- improve memory;
- normalize potency;
- treat heart disease;
- remove stones from the kidneys;
- contribute to the formation of the skeleton in children;
- treat tuberculosis and other pathologies of the respiratory system;
- treat gastritis and peptic ulcer;
- eliminate anemia;
- relieve stress.
There is no doubt that lychee berries are good for health. But they are useful exactly to the same extent as other fruits. Possible health benefits of taking lychee berries regularly include:
- stimulation of bowel function and normalization of stool - due to organic acids and insoluble dietary fiber;
- source of vitamins and microelements;
- cleanses the intestines, lowers cholesterol and blood sugar, normalizes the composition of the intestinal microflora (due to fiber);
- improves digestion and stimulates the secretion of digestive juices, increases appetite (due to organic acids).
However, it would be an exaggeration to say that these berries cure some kind of disease. This is an ordinary fruit that does not contain potent biologically active substances.
Harm
The pits of lychee berries are toxic. Cases of the development of non-inflammatory acute encephalopathy (brain damage) while taking this product have been published.
The pits of lychee berries are known to lower blood sugar levels. Perhaps, fans of traditional medicine will object, they say, lowering the concentration of glucose in the blood plasma is a benefit, not a harm. But in fact, this is not the case, because only diabetics need to lower their glucose levels, while in a healthy person, it decreases by itself after a while after eating.
But even with diabetes, it is impossible to treat with lychee bones for a number of reasons:
- inability to control the dose;
- risk of hypoglycemia;
- no data on interaction with other hypoglycemic agents;
- the presence of toxins in the bones.
In addition, lychee berry pits are not available for lifelong continuous treatment. This fruit is not common in Russia. Many residents of the country will not be able to find it at all in supermarkets or markets. On the Internet, it is sold at inflated prices (up to several thousand rubles per kilogram), which is explained by fictitious healing properties.
Benefits for weight loss
There is an opinion that with the help of lychee berries you can lose weight. It is not true. There are no fat-burning substances in the composition of the fruit. Its calorie content is far from the lowest - 70 kcal per 100 g. For fruits, this is a lot.
However, relative to other food groups, the nutritional value of lychee berries is low. Therefore, it is quite possible to include them in a low-calorie diet for weight loss. In this case, with some stretch, it will be possible to say that the product really contributes to weight loss.
How to eat?
Lychee berries are best eaten by mouth. The fact is that if you eat them ass, then the product will soon come out, because food usually moves down the gastrointestinal tract, not up.
Seriously, lychee berries are consumed like any other fruit. The skin can be peeled off. The bone must be spit out. Sometimes the lychee berries are dried. The resulting product is called lychee nuts.
Contraindications
There are no contraindications for lychee berries, with the exception of those that are characteristic of any other fruit. They contain organic acids. This means that it is not safe to consume lychee berries on an empty stomach in case of gastritis, gastric ulcer, enterocolitis or other conditions associated with inflammation or violation of the integrity of the mucous membrane of the structures of the digestive tract.
In general, lychee berries are safe unless you intend to eat them with the pits. Their properties are described above. Bones are contraindicated for all people without exception, especially those who are on a low-calorie diet (they have a higher risk of developing hypoglycemic conditions).
Lychee is a sweet and fragrant tropical fruit that is usually available from May to June. Few people know about this fruit. Meanwhile, this exotic fruit contains an impressive set of vitamins, fiber and antioxidants. It contains more vitamin C than oranges or lemons, and as much potassium and dietary fiber as apples. All this may indicate that lychee can bring a lot of benefits to our body, although it has nothing to do with the usual fruits and vegetables.
How and where does lychee grow
China is considered the birthplace of the lychee fruit, but today it grows in many southeastern Asian countries and belongs to the Sapindus family.
Lychee fruits are evergreen trees that grow in the tropics and subtropics. Their life expectancy is at least a thousand years. In height, such trees reach up to 30 meters (although 15 meters is considered the standard).
As a tropical plant, lychee is frost tolerant and prefers moderately moist fertile soils. It can easily grow in a hot, dry climate, but at high humidity it simply does not bear fruit.
The bark of the tree is smooth and grey. The lychee tree has a wide, spreading crown with large, complex, dense, shiny leaves, consisting of 4–8 elongated narrow leaves with wavy edges. They are dark green above and grayish green below.
True, one of the most beautiful plants grows slowly, gradually. It begins to bear fruit only for 4–6 years, and reaches a good yield for 20 years.
The tree blooms without petals, only with yellowish or greenish panicle inflorescences, 70 centimeters long. From each such panicle, a bunch of 3–15 fruits is formed. The fruits ripen 140 days after flowering.
For the first time they learned about such a fruit in South China as early as the 2nd century BC (documentary sources testify to this). And only then a plant from the vast Sapind family (includes 150 genera and 2 thousand species) spread to Japan, America (mainly in the southern regions), Vietnam, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Australia and Africa.
Europeans learned about such a fruit thanks to the Spanish writer Gonzalez de Menoz, who described it in the middle of the 17th century.
Today, this fruit is known by many names - Chinese plum, fox, liji, Chinese lychee, laixi, "dragon's eye" (this is how the fruit is called in China because of the combination of a dark stone and white pulp).
In external form, the lidji is very similar to an egg, which has an oval appearance. There are round varieties. A heart-shaped fruit is considered a symbol of love. At the same time, the dense skin is pimply. Its color varies from bright red to brick red. Under the outer skin of the lychee (it separates easily), there is a jelly-like pulp of pure white or cream color. In the middle of the fruit is a large brown seed-bone.
The weight of one fruit reaches up to 15-20 grams, and the diameter of the fruit does not exceed 3-3.5 centimeters. The fruits are harvested by cutting whole seedlings in May-June, and the total yield of one adult tree is about 140 kg per year.
What does lychee taste like
Lychee or Chinese plum is oval or round in shape, about the size of a large plum. The appearance of this exotic fruit is not at all appetizing due to the rough skin with small tubercles. But under this, at first glance, rough skin, there is a very fragrant, tender, juicy and appetizing pulp. Its taste is at the same time similar to the taste of currants, raspberries, grapes and rose petal jam. To others, it tastes like a mixture of grapes, honey, kiwi and sweet and sour strawberries, or pineapple and strawberries.
There are fruits (it all depends on the variety) with a pronounced acidity of the pulp, there are sweeter ones. So it is difficult to describe the taste of "dragon's eye" in more detail. We all have different taste buds. But one thing can be said that it is a very tasty fruit, juicy and perfectly refreshing.
Lychee fruit composition
At first glance, a small lychee fruit contains the maximum amount of useful nutrients that are extremely important for the human body. A fairly rich composition of Chinese plums includes:
- Water (up to 80 g);
- Protein fractions (approximately 1 g);
- Fats (very few of them - only 0.3 g);
- Carbohydrates (represented by mono- and disaccharides and amount to no more than 17 g);
- Dietary fiber (or fiber);
- Vitamins from group B (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic and folic acids, pyridoxine);
- Ascorbic acid (vitamin C);
- Alpha tocopherol (or vitamin E);
- Vitamin H (or biotin);
- Phylloquinone (known as vitamin K);
- Macronutrients represented by magnesium, potassium, calcium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine and phosphorus;
- Microelements contain iron, manganese, iodine, fluorine, zinc, copper.
With all the richness of nutrients, the total calorie content of lychee per 100 grams of its pulp is from 65 to 76 kilocalories (it all depends on the place of growth). 
Lychee fruit beneficial properties
Lychee is a healthy fruit rich in several nutrients. It has high antioxidant activity as it contains several compounds with antioxidant properties, including flavonoids.
Due to its high water content, it provides a lot of energy to the body.
100 grams of vitamin C pulp can provide almost 119 percent of the daily requirement for this vitamin for an adult. Vitamin C is needed by the immune system, protects against cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and helps to cope with many diseases.
The most important nutrients that are present in lychee are:
Rutin - protects against chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart and vascular diseases;
Quercetin - protects against cancer, restores damaged cells as a result of oxidative processes;
Kaempferol - has anti-inflammatory properties, is necessary for the heart;
Epicatechin - antioxidant, improves heart health, protects against diabetes and cancer;
Proanthocyanidin - found in lychee seeds, has a greater antiviral effect than vitamin C, protects against Coxsackie virus and herpes simplex.
Lychee is a good source of substances that are essential for the production and circulation of blood. Iron carries oxygen throughout the body, supplying cells with it. Folic acid is an essential part of hemoglobin.
Magnesium plays an important role in the formation of blood clots. Without normal blood clotting, even the smallest cut could bleed for a long time.
Copper is involved in the metabolism of iron and the formation of red blood cells. Vitamin C is needed for the absorption of iron. Without it, no matter how much iron-rich foods you eat, it will not be absorbed.
All these substances and elements are present in lychee.
Fiber and B vitamins improve metabolic processes. Without dietary fiber, there is no normal digestion. In addition, this fruit contains a large amount of water, which also has a beneficial effect on the intestinal tract. Regular bowel movements help prevent many diseases, especially colon cancer.
Antioxidants also have an effect on the condition of the skin, preventing premature aging and the appearance of wrinkles.
No wonder lychee in traditional Chinese medicine is not just a food, but also a medicine. This fruit contains a healthy mix of nutrients with many benefits for our body and health.
Lychee fruit benefits for the body
Despite the small amount of refreshing pulp, its use can bring significant benefits to the human body. For example, this useful list might include:
In cosmetology, a variety of products for dry and sensitive skin are widely used (moisturizing occurs, irritation is removed and the skin is healed due to the presence of mineral salts and antioxidants), created on the basis of Chinese plum extract. True, it is virtually impossible to obtain such an extract at home.
This fruit has found application in the so-called anti-aging cosmetics, designed to prevent withering and aging of the skin, to cope with the harmful effects of the environment.
How to choose a lychee
Lychee fruits are supplied to the territory of the Russian Federation from Vietnam. Therefore, when choosing, you should pay attention to:
- Skin color (it should be red, not particularly soft and without any spots; dark skin indicates stale and “old” product);
- To the information in the quality certificate (after all, the fruit is foreign, exotic, and therefore the buyer should know as much information as possible about it).
From the quality certificate you can find out what kind of lychee they sell. The most common are China, Desi, Muzaffarpur, Huayi, Bayla, Baitangen, Sweet Osmantu. It is worth noting that some of them do not have a red peel. It may be light brown.
And one more small nuance - fresh fruits are not very transportable and are stored for no more than three days.
How to eat lychee
As you know, this fruit has a sweet and sour tasty pulp. Of course, where the fruit does not grow, dishes and drinks are not prepared from it, but they try to eat it fresh, separating the skin (before that, it should be washed well).
But in other countries in cooking, fruits are used in various ways:
- It is dried (this way it is stored for about a month without losing its taste, and in appearance it resembles a nut, which is why it is often called a “lychee nut”);
- Lychee can be canned;
- The pulp is added to refreshing juices and cocktails;
- They make wine from it, very light in taste;
- They are added to fish, chicken and meat dishes (especially appreciated with pates and fried meat) or make sauces (cooks claim their perfect combination);
- Good fruit marinades;
- Of course, they are used to prepare dessert dishes (including ice cream);
- Used for filling puddings and pies;
- The fruit is always a good addition to salads.
Read
Litchi is a small fruit known for its amazing taste and aroma and can grow in tropical climates. A reddish exotic fruit with a dense skin has a large supply of nutrients that can bring many benefits to the body.
What is lychee
The lychee plant is common in Southeast Asia and other areas with a tropical climate. The fruits are berries covered with a dense reddish shell, having a sweet and sour taste. The product, which has the second name "Chinese plum", is widely used by culinary specialists to create jams, compotes, sweet sauces at home, and is used in folk medicine.
How Lychee Grows
The lychee tree can grow in China, Japan, other countries of Asia, America, Africa in a tropical climate. An adult plant reaches a height of 15-20 m. The yield is 80-140 kg of fruit per year. The Chinese strawberry tree begins to bear fruit in about 20 years. It takes a four-year period to form a stable trunk. The fruits are united in clusters, on which from 3 to 15 berries grow.
At home, you can plant the fruit with a stone, providing good drainage and soil moisture. However, experts believe that it is better to use cuttings. For successful cultivation, not only the earth, but also the air must be moistened. If you want a tropical fruit to grow at home, mist and water it liberally. You will need to additionally highlight the plant in winter.
What does a lychee look like
In the photo and pictures, the lychee berry resembles strawberries collected in clusters. The fruits are egg-shaped, the skin is bright pink, covered with small pimply formations. The shell is very dense, but it is easy to clean. The fruit in Asian countries is often called the "dragon's eye" because of the translucent pulp and large dark bone. The fruits are harvested along with the branches, as those plucked individually deteriorate very quickly.
Lychee to taste
When you taste lychee, you will realize that it resembles a mixture of grapes, honey and kiwi with a sweet and sour taste of strawberries. According to this quality, Chinese strawberries are very sweet, but juicy and fresh. Some fruits have a pronounced sourness. The real taste can be felt by eating only fresh fruits, but dried and canned ones are not without appeal. Exotic product will appeal to children and adults. You can eat a lot at a time, while the pulp of the fruit will not cause a feeling of heaviness inside the abdomen or stomach.
Useful properties of litchi
What is a lychee fruit - the benefits and harms are determined by the substances that are contained in the fruit:
- vitamins (C, H, K, E, group B);
- pure water;
- proteins;
- pectin;
- complex carbohydrates;
- sugar (the amount depends on the region where the tree grows);
- fats.
The benefit of lychee lies in a rich mineral cocktail, which is represented by a combination of:
- potassium;
- gland;
- zinc;
- sulfur;
- magnesium;
- sodium;
- calcium;
- phosphorus;
- iodine;
- copper;
- manganese;
- fluorine.
All the components contained in the fetus have a beneficial effect on the state of the body. The beneficial effect is expressed in the support of the nervous, cardiovascular, digestive and other systems of the human body. The pulp is distinguished by the presence of a small amount of calories: about 70 kcal per 100 g of product. Vitamins support the immune system and the overall tone of the body in good condition. Daily consumption of the fruit, fresh, dried or canned, is of exceptional benefit in certain diseases.
lychee fruit
In oriental medicine, lychee is widely used due to the benefits that the fruit can bring to people:
- The exotic fruit contains potassium, which has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, removing excess cholesterol.
- The fruit is considered an effective aphrodisiac, has a tonic effect.
- The high water content determines the ability of the fruit to quench thirst.
- It is recommended to use the fruit if you want to lose extra pounds, since it normalizes the activity of the gastrointestinal tract, intestinal microflora, and helps fight chronic constipation. In addition, the berry dulls the feeling of hunger, gives a feeling of satiety, which is useful for weight loss.
- The complex of vitamins in the composition of the berry successfully fights beriberi.
- Tropical fruit is good for people who suffer from anemia because it contains a lot of iron.
- The fruit has found wide application in the prevention of cancer. Oncology is treated with it using a combination with lemongrass.
- The medicinal properties of litchi are useful in diabetes and hypoglycemia.
- It should be used for stomach ulcers, gastritis, diseases of the liver, kidneys and pancreas.
- The high content of vitamin C is good for the immune system.
lychee tea
In Chinese folk medicine, the lychee drink is used, which is a tea brewed on the basis of the dried peel of the fruit of the plant. Drinking is used to treat and prevent neurosis, relieve fatigue, and get rid of depression. Decoctions of flowers and seeds are also known. The first remedy will help to cope with a sore throat. The infusion has a diuretic effect. The drug from the seeds is able to relieve pain in neuralgia.
Black tea with lychee is common in stores. The drink can be consumed cold and hot with sugar and milk or cream. The liquid will help restore the tone of the body, give vigor. Drinking tea with the addition of Asian strawberry peel, you replenish your reserves of vitamin C, which improves immunity and successfully fights free radicals.
Looking at the lychee fruit, you will not immediately understand that these bumpy-spiky cones can generally be eaten. The fruit looks unusual and not quite appetizing. In fact, it is not just edible, but very tasty and healthy. The taste of lychee will certainly surprise you, as it does not resemble any fruit or berry familiar to our area, but has notes of many of them. Interestingly, in the homeland of the plant, lychee fruits are considered an aphrodisiac. No wonder they are called the fruits of love. In ancient times, lychee was used to make love potions that enhance sexual desire.
What does a lychee look like?
Lychee is a fruit that can hardly be confused with anything else. A number of characteristic external features make it recognizable among hundreds of exotic fruits. First of all, it is his skin. It has a pinkish-brown, reddish-orange color (depending on the variety and ripeness of the fruit). The skin is dense and bumpy, which is why the lychee looks like a bump. If you press on the fruit, you can feel that there is soft pulp under the skin. At the same time, the skin itself remains dense. The size of the fruit varies from 2.5 to 4 centimeters in length, and the weight can reach 20 - 25 grams.
Lychee fruits are called "dragon eyes" because of their appearance. Under the dense pinkish skin is a layer of white jelly-like pulp. Inside it is one large bone of a dark brown color. The pulp is tightly connected to the bone, it is not easy to separate it. Looking at the photo of the fruits in the section, you can understand why they got such a name. Litchi really looks like the eye of a mystical creature.
In addition to "dragon eyes", lychee has several other common names. The fruit is known as Chinese plum, lychee, fox. If the last two options can be explained by the specifics of the translation, then the name “Chinese plum” was given to the fruit because of its small size and the prevalence of trees in China.
Features of tree growth
Chinese lychees grow on tall trees (up to 30 m in height) belonging to the Sapindov family. The crown of the tree is formed by dense paired leaves. During flowering, the tree is covered with "candles", reminiscent of the inflorescences of the well-known chestnut tree. By the way, these trees are distant relatives.
After the inflorescences fade, fruits form in their place. They are located on the branches in clusters of 3 to 10 pieces. At first, the fruits are green, and when ripe they turn red. When fruit ripens, the lychee tree looks especially beautiful. We invite you to look at a photo of a lychee tree strewn with ripe fruits.
The fact that the birthplace of the plant is China can be guessed from its name alone. But in addition to China, litchi grows in Thailand, India, Israel, South Africa, the Philippines, where a subtropical climate prevails. Here giant trees are bred on an industrial scale for their fruits, which are exported all over the world.
Important! Only a mild subtropical climate with warm summers and cool winters is suitable for plant growth and fruiting. The contrast of temperatures in the summer and winter seasons is needed for abundant flowering and ovary formation.Planting can be done using cuttings and seeds. It is easy to germinate a lychee stone at home by deepening it into the ground and watering it regularly. But the plant, , will develop more slowly and, even with good care, will be able to bear fruit no earlier than 10 years from planting, while trees grown from cuttings bear fruit by the 4th year of growth. Lychee has been growing for several decades. It becomes the most productive by the 20th year of growth.
fruit taste
When trying to describe what the lychee fruit looks like, many compare it to grapes. According to the consistency, the pulp of the Chinese plum is dense and juicy, like that of grapes. It has a rich sweet taste and is slightly tart. But the aroma of lychee is completely different, vaguely reminiscent of rose jam. Someone thinks that the exotic lychee fruit tastes like a mixture of strawberries and kiwi, someone manages to track notes of apple, pineapple or raspberry in it.
Whatever the taste of lychee looks like, it is definitely pleasant and appeals to almost everyone who has tried an exotic fruit. The main thing is to choose ripe and fresh fruits when buying.
Composition and useful properties
The health benefits of lychee are hard to overestimate. With regular use of the fruit, the general state of health improves, mood rises, the body tolerates stress better, and is less likely to suffer from diseases. When the fruit is included in the diet, it is possible to normalize blood sugar levels.
Interestingly, lychee has a beneficial effect on male potency and female libido. Lychee has been known since ancient times to be a powerful aphrodisiac. Fruits improve blood circulation, add energy, increase body tone.
One hundred grams of fruit pulp can fill the daily need for vitamin C. Its systematic use protects against cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Exot contains nicotinic acid and is therefore actively used in Chinese folk medicine for atherosclerosis to lower blood cholesterol.
The pulp of the fruit contains pure water, which, in combination with vitamins and minerals, has a general strengthening effect on the human body. Eating lychee, in the absence of individual intolerance and other contraindications, is useful for both adults and children.
vitamins
- vitamin C - supports immunity, increases the body's resistance to viruses and bacteria, improves the absorption of iron in the body;
- B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B4) - necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous system and the flow of metabolic processes, help the body fight stress;
- vitamin K - needed for normal blood clotting, reduces the likelihood of developing osteoporosis, strengthens bones;
- vitamin E - protects cells from the damaging effects of free radicals, prevents early aging of the body, increases visual acuity, improves skin condition;
- vitamin PP (nicotinic acid) - necessary for the conversion of carbohydrates and fats into energy, body growth, maintaining a normal level of cholesterol in the blood;
- vitamin P (rutin) - improves immunity and helps the body fight viruses and bacterial infections, has anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory properties;
Minerals
- potassium - necessary for muscle strength, heart and vascular health, maintaining normal blood pressure, brain activity, helps to eliminate poisons and toxins from the body;
- phosphorus - necessary for growth, without it the formation of strong teeth and bones is impossible, it is involved in the transport of ATP, the formation of DNA and RNA, regulates the production of hormones, and ensures the normal course of the digestion process;
- magnesium - is needed for the normal functioning of the nervous, muscular system, brain, regulates the production of enzymes in the body;
- calcium - ensures the health of the teeth and the strength of the bone apparatus, the excitability of the nervous system and muscle contractility, activates some enzymes and hormones in the body;
- sodium - participates in enzymatic processes, promotes digestion, conducts glucose, anions, carbon dioxide through cell membranes, prevents sun and heat stroke, improves kidney function, prevents dehydration;
- zinc - improves metabolism, helps reduce fatigue, removes toxins and heavy metals, prevents cell aging, has a positive effect on the condition of the skin and hair;
- selenium - prolongs youth, prevents the formation of tumors, improves the functioning of the cardiovascular system and the thyroid gland;
- manganese - is necessary for the normal functioning of the brain, the functioning of the nervous system and the thyroid gland, controls blood sugar levels, participates in metabolic processes and in the formation of connective tissues.
Nutrients
- Proanthocyanidin - helps to reduce harmful cholesterol, prevents the development of type 2 diabetes, promotes weight loss, prevents oncological diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and other internal organs of a person.
- Quercetin is used in alternative medicine as an antioxidant.
- Epicatechin - This powerful flavanol maintains vascular elasticity and improves blood circulation, reducing the risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes and cancer.
- Kaempferol - reduces inflammation, is necessary for the cardiovascular system.
Is it possible for pregnant women to lychee?
Like any fruit in the diet, lychee should not be the only one. If the expectant mother is not allergic to substances found in lychee and other contraindications, then the optimal number of fruits should not exceed 10 berries. This is enough to saturate the body with essential vitamins and minerals.
Since the fruit has diuretic properties, eating lychee during pregnancy helps reduce swelling, especially in the hands and feet. Its sour taste can reduce bouts of nausea with toxicosis.
Lychee while breastfeeding
Not many people know that the nicotinic acid contained in an exotic fruit has lactogenic properties. This happens due to an increase in prolactin, the hormone responsible for lactation. Therefore, the fruit can be useful in case of insufficient production of breast milk. It is best to eat it 30-40 minutes before feeding the baby. It is important to remember that you should not exceed the daily intake.
Is it possible for children to have litchi?
Starting from the age of three, you can gradually introduce the child to lychee, limiting yourself to small portions at first. Previously, it is not recommended to give exotic to babies due to the high risk of allergies and eating disorders.
Contraindications and harm
Speaking about the beneficial properties and contraindications, it should be noted that lychee improves the digestion process and speeds up the metabolism, but if the product is used improperly, it can be harmful.
First of all, people suffering from gastritis, especially the erosive form of the disease, need to stop eating Chinese plums. This is the case when the health benefits and harms may not be comparable. The pulp of the fruit contains substances that irritate the gastric mucosa, which, in the presence of inflammation, is fraught with a deterioration in health.
Also, the fruit can be harmful if consumed in combination with meat and starchy foods. In this combination, lychee is difficult to digest, leading to bloating, intestinal cramps, heartburn, nausea, and heaviness.
We must not forget that allergic reactions to exotic fruits are possible, especially in people prone to allergies. “Acquaintance” with the product should begin with small portions. First, you should eat one berry and observe the reaction of the body. If neither skin manifestations nor digestive problems appear, you can next time increase the serving to 2-3 fruits. By the same principle, it is worth introducing an exotic fruit into the diet of children.
Important! So that the fruits of the lychee do not harm, but bring only benefits to the body, they must be consumed in limited quantities. The daily maximum for adults is 150 - 200 g, for children - 100 g of lychee. The beneficial properties of the product, when consumed in moderation, will manifest themselves more strongly than when overeating.As for the use of lychee during pregnancy, the product is not classified as prohibited, but experts warn that it can cause allergies. Even if the expectant mother really wants to eat lychee, you should limit yourself to the minimum amount of the product. When including fruits in the diet of pregnant women, it is important to pay special attention to their choice.
Calorie content and nutritional value
Fruit is 79% water. It perfectly quenches thirst, which increases its popularity among tourists in hot countries.
But still, you need to eat exotic fruits in moderation due to the high sugar content in the juicy pulp of lychee. This should be taken into account by those who follow the figure or seek to lose weight.
Lychee calorie content per 100 g - from 65 kcal (276 kJ) to 76 kcal (318 kJ):
- carbohydrates - 16.52 g
- fats - 0.43 g
- proteins - 0.82 g
- water - 81.74 g
- disaccharides - 15.22 g
- dietary fiber - 1.5 g
In the growing countries, the crop is harvested from July to September. To try the most delicious and healthy fruits, it is better to go to China during this period. During the harvest, local markets are strewn with red fruits, and you will have to pay mere pennies for the fruit.
In our supermarkets, lychee appears in the last months of winter. As for the exotic, their price is not so high. A kilogram of lychee will cost about 260 rubles.
When buying a lychee in a store, you should focus on the following criteria:
- appearance of the skin: its color should be rich pink or reddish, without breaking the integrity and traces of rot;
- the presence of a “tail”: it is better if the fruit has a petiole, even if it is very short, because it is stored longer with it;
- a dull sound when shaking: if you shake a ripe fruit, you can hear a characteristic ringing;
- Aroma: Ripe fruits have an interesting floral aroma, while spoiled ones can smell like mold or rot.
As a rule, for export, fruits are plucked from trees that are not fully ripe. They ripen in boxes during transportation to the country of sale. It is clear that such cultivation and subsequent storage does not allow the fruits to become as tasty as lychee ripened under the sun. The benefits of eating prematurely plucked fruit are also less.
How to eat lychee
Looking at an outlandish fruit, many do not understand how to eat it correctly, and which parts of the fruit are edible. Lychee preserves the maximum of useful properties if the fruit is consumed fresh. Before cleaning the lychee, it does not hurt to wash it under running water. Then the skin is pry off with a fingernail or the tip of a knife and removed like a film. The peel is not used for food. The exposed flesh can be eaten immediately, but the fruit should be bitten carefully, as there is a hard bone inside. You can cut the fruit into pieces, thus cutting out the seed, or gnaw the pulp with your teeth and spit out the bone.
It is best to use the fruit as a dessert after the main meal, as there is a possibility of irritation of the gastric mucosa when eating the fruit on an empty stomach.
Litchi in cooking
Fruit salads are prepared from fresh lychees, combining them with pineapples, oranges, bananas, coconut pulp and other fruits or berries. This is a product that has a subtle pleasant aftertaste, so it successfully complements the taste of other fruits.
The pulp of the fruit is used to make cakes and pastries, added to pies, muffins and buns, and jelly is made from it. The pulp is used to make a sauce that goes well with meat, chicken and fish, giving the flavor bouquet of the dish sweet and sour notes. Chinese plum can be preserved in its own juice or in sugar syrup. In this form, it can be stored for 2-3 years. It can also be frozen to increase shelf life.
Interestingly, very tasty Chinese wine is prepared from lychee. It is aged in oak barrels, after which the drink acquires a beautiful golden color. The fruit gives the drink its rich sweet taste and memorable aroma.
Lychee is also used to make smoothies, alcoholic cocktails. One of them is easy to do yourself. To do this, you need to peel exotic fruits and squeeze juice out of them. Per liter of juice you need to take:
- 100 ml of vodka;
- half a lime;
- ice cubes.
The juice is mixed with vodka, lime slices and ice are added.
Lychee is an interesting fruit, the wonderful taste and beneficial properties of which made it popular far beyond its homeland - China. But in order for an exotic product not to harm the body, it is important to take into account contraindications to its use and not abuse it. As they say, everything is good in moderation!
Few people doubt how great the benefits of lychee berries are, but everything is good only in moderation. The temptation to eat plenty of berries is great, but such “experiments” end in eating disorders and poisoning, and the aversion to berries that has arisen cannot always be overcome, although lychee is a unique and quite affordable product.
Lychee - health benefits and harms
The berry has a pleasant tart aroma and a pronounced sour-sweet taste. The bumpy dense peel hides juicy, tender, watery pulp underneath, which “melts” in the mouth and perfectly quenches thirst. The high content of minerals and vitamins convinces people by their own example how useful lychee is when they regularly add berries to food or prepare an independent dish from them. The fruits are capable of:
- cleanse the vessels of cholesterol plaques, restore blood circulation (in case of cardiovascular pathologies);
- normalize blood sugar levels (for diabetes);
- provide the body with a daily set of vitamins: A, B, C, PP, K, E and minerals: magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, fluorine, etc. (with exhaustion, weakened immunity, postoperative conditions);
- restore metabolism (with obesity, hormonal disorders);
- get rid of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (with constipation, diarrhea, and stomach, gastritis, reflux);
- cleanse the body of toxic and poisonous substances in a short time (with food poisoning, alcohol intoxication, congestion in the intestines).
Nothing is known about the harmful properties of exotic fruits, but they are not recommended for people who have an allergic reaction to lychee in the form of skin irritation or inflammation of the mucous membranes of the mouth. You can check the sensitivity to the product by eating 1-2 fruits and waiting a few hours. If this did not negatively affect physical well-being, lychee can be safely added to the daily menu.
Lychee bone - benefit and harm
In fresh, dried, frozen form, lychee fruit is used, while the benefit of the bone lies in the concentration of nutrients that enter the human body in the form of a powder. Oblong seeds are dried and finely crushed. The seed powder has analgesic properties and helps with:
- intestinal diseases;
- orchitis;
- neuralgia;
- violations of metabolic processes in the body.
However, the use of seeds in excess amounts threatens with serious poisoning. Medical experts are inclined to believe that they contain, in addition to useful, and toxic substances. Before using the seed powder for medicinal purposes, you need to consult a specialist. He will clarify in which cases litchi is beneficial, and in which it is harmful.
Lychee fruit - beneficial properties of the peel
Looking at the unsightly dry shell of berries, people are “puzzling over” how the lychee peel is useful if it quickly deteriorates from plucked fruits and does not have such a pleasant taste as the pulp. The peel is tough in appearance, but has a fragile shell that is damaged by finger pressure. It is rich in coarse fiber and contains diuretic components. On the basis of the peel, decoctions are prepared to help get rid of excess fluid.
What vitamins are in lychee?
The berries are a storehouse of nutrients. The number of kcal per 100 g of the product is 76. The water content in the pulp is 81%. In lychee fruits, vitamins are found in combination with a set of minerals. It:
- vitamin C (improves the condition of the skin, nails and hair, normalizes metabolic processes in the body);
- vitamin B (regulates the activity of the nervous system, restores cell metabolism);
- vitamin PP (participates in lipid metabolism);
- vitamin E (it is called the "vitamin of beauty" - it promotes rejuvenation, improves the condition of the skin and hair; fights free radicals, preventing them from affecting fatty acids).
The list is complemented by minerals:
- zinc;
- manganese;
- zinc.
The benefits of lychee for women
The use of fruits by women gives a stunning effect: in a few months, small wrinkles on the skin disappear, it becomes toned and elastic, cellulite disappears. Brittle, lifeless hair regains its former strength, stops falling out. Symptoms of diseases of the genitourinary sphere disappear: cystitis, urethritis, endometritis, candidiasis. Lychee berries are also used for weight loss (they normalize and regulate water-salt metabolism).
Lychee for weight loss
Excessive consumption of fatty, salty, spicy, rich foods; erratic eating leads to problems of the gastrointestinal tract, to obesity. You can emerge victorious from this situation by starting to eat at the same time, using as many vegetables and fruits as possible for cooking. Reasoning about the usefulness of the lychee berry, it is easy to understand its advantages:
- Contains a large amount of coarse fiber and pectin - creates a quick feeling of fullness, suppresses appetite.
- Restores metabolism.
- In combination with physical exercises, it accelerates the process of burning fat cells.
- Up to 250 g of berries are recommended for daily use for adults. This amount of fruit is enough to achieve a gradual disposal of excess fat.
- The berry contains a sufficient amount of fructose to convert it into glucose, on which the work of the brain depends.
Lychee damage
Like other exotic fruits, litchi has contraindications, ignoring which leads to dangerous health consequences:
- The berry should not be consumed by people with kidney failure, severe liver disease.
- Lychee is not recommended for children under 3 years of age.
- The fruits are forbidden to people who are allergic to substances contained in the pulp and peel of the fruit.
- With great care, lychee can be added to the menu for pregnant women - the activation of metabolic processes in rare cases provokes miscarriages.
