Lychee is a sweet, tasty red fruit that has been cultivated in China and Vietnam as far back as 2,000 years ago, according to a September 2017 review in Nutrients.
Fresh lychee can be found canned or fresh in some Asian markets and is often enjoyed in bubble tea and various desserts.
Lychee is roughly 1 inch long and 1 inch wide. To get at the fruit, you peel off a leather-like and spiky, inedible skin. The fruit surrounds a rather large seed in the middle. A few days after the fruit ripens, it turns dark and dehydrates, resembling a raisin.
Lychee seed poisoning is deadly on an empty stomach since your glucose levels are already low. Eating kernels or unripe fruits lowers the glucose levels further. Lychee seeds’ signs of poisoning include loss of consciousness, convulsion, and brain swelling. To be on the safe side, never eat unripe lychee.
It’s an Excellent Source of Vitamin C
About 10 lychees have 79 percent of your DV for vitamin C. This vitamin is a water-soluble vitamin thats essential — meaning your body doesnt make it and you need to get it through food, such as lychee.
As well as being a water-soluble vitamin, vitamin C is a potent antioxidant, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Its also needed for wound healing, helps support the immune system and aids the body in absorbing iron from plants.
Maintaining adequate vitamin C levels can be helpful for the prevention and recovery from infections such as pneumonia and the COVID-19 virus, per a November 2021 review in the Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association.
It’s High in Antioxidants
Antioxidants are found in all fruits and vegetables, but lychee fruit is particularly high in these free-radical fighting molecules. A diet high in antioxidants helps to protect your cells from free radical damage thats linked to heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other diseases, per the Mayo Clinic.
Lychee fruit has six different potent antioxidants, per a February 2013 study in Food Chemistry:
- Gallic acid: A phenolic compound found in many fruits and medicinal plants that is potentially beneficial for stomach, heart and neurological disorders, per a March 2019 review in the Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences.
- Chlorogenic acid: A polyphenol most commonly found in coffee with properties that are linked to lower rates of diabetes, cancer and inflammation, according to an October 2017 review in the European Journal of Nutrition.
- Catechin: A highly active polyphenol often associated with tea. This antioxidant is often associated with its benefits of treating and preventing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), per a March 2017 article in Molecules.
- Caffeic acid: An antioxidant found in a large variety of plants. This polyphenol is associated with lower rates of cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease and inflammation, per an April 2020 article in Bioactive Compounds in Health and Disease.
- Epicatechin: This plant compound is highly concentrated in plants such as apples, blackberries, cherries, and raspberries. Epicatechins are associated with gut health, reduced oxidation of LDL cholesterol and blood vessel dilation, according to UC Davis Nutrition.
- Rutin: Apples, asparagus, citrus fruits, green tea and figs are some of the foods high in rutin. This plant compound is known for its antioxidant and neuroprotective effects, per a November 2015 article in the International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology.
How to grow Lychee plant from seeds – how to grow lychee from seed
FAQ
What are the benefits of eating lychee seeds?
What fruit seeds should you not eat?
What happens when you swallow a litchi pip?
What happens if you swallow a big seed?
Can you eat lychee seeds?
You can either eat the flesh and spit out the seed, or use a knife to peel the flesh away from the seed. Lychee fruit can be eaten plain or added to salads, desserts or sprinkled on yogurt. Lychee seeds aren’t edible, but the sweet fruit is. Find out the health benefits of lychee, risks, nutrition facts and how to shop for and enjoy it.
Are lychees good for weight loss?
As part of a healthy meal plan, lychees are a low-calorie nutrient rich tropical fruit that can fit into a healthy and varied dietary pattern for weight loss. Research suggests it is possible that higher fiber intakes could help promote weight loss by increasing feelings of fullness(satiety) during a meal and/or extending satiety after a meal. Like many fruits and vegetables, lychees contain fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. One-half cup of lychee contains 70 milligrams of vitamin C, close to the daily recommended amount in the US of 75 milligrams for women. For comparison, a medium apple contains about 8mg. Lychees are a healthy choice to satisfy a sweet tooth. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, it is recommended that teenage and adult women eat at least 1.5 cups of fruit per day, and men eat at least 2 cups of fruit daily.
Are lychee seeds toxic?
Lychee seeds have potent toxic compounds known as hypoglycin A, and its analog methylene cyclopropyl-glycine (MCPG), per the September 2017 Nutrients review. Eating lychee seeds could cause hypoglycemic encephalopathy, otherwise known as a coma induced by extremely low blood sugar.
Can lychee make you sick?
Naturally occurring toxins in the lychee fruit have been linked to toxicity that leads to fever, convulsions and seizures. Ackee — the national fruit of Jamaica — contains the same poison as the lychee when unripe and can cause severe illness. Can litchi make you drunk?