Do you like to eat lychees? Do you prefer them warm or cold from the fridge? Lychee season has begun here in Vietnam.
Did you know, not only are lychees delicious but they have some health benefits as well.
Nutritional Value Of Lychee
Lychee is packed with health benefits, but they come from the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in the fruit, including vitamin C, vitamin B6, niacin, riboflavin, folate, copper, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, and manganese. Furthermore, lychee is a great source of dietary fiber, protein, and a good source of proanthocyanidins and polyphenolic compounds.
Health Benefits Of Lychee
Digestion: There is a lot of dietary fiber in lychee fruit.
Immune System: Lychee has more than 100% of the daily requirement of ascorbic acid in a single serving.
Cancer Prevention: The polyphenolic compounds and proanthocyanidins found in lychee are actually even more powerful than vitamin C in neutralizing free radicals and protecting the body from various diseases and afflictions.
Antiviral Capacity: Litchitannin A2, a compound found in lychee, has been closely connected to preventing the spread or outbreak of viruses, including herpes simplex virus and coxsackie virus.
Blood Pressure: Lychee has a wealth of potassium, meaning that it can help your body maintain a fluid balance; it is also low in sodium, which helps too. Fluid balance is an integral part not only in metabolic functions but also in hypertension. So when the FOMO strikes eat a bunch of Lychees. Potassium levels are almost three times higher in dried lychee rather than in fresh lychee! Man, I have to bring a food dehydrator back to Vietnam with me when I go home to Canada.
Oligonol: has been connected to a number of important health benefits, including anti-influenza activity, an improvement in circulation, a reduction in weight, and the protection of your skin from harmful UV rays when exposed to the sun. Never use sunscreen. Protect your skin from the inside out.
Blood Circulation: Copper is another essential mineral found in considerable quantities in lychee, and although iron is most commonly associated with red blood cells, copper is also an integral part of Red Blood Cell formation. The copper content in lychee can boost blood circulation and increase oxygenation of the organs and cells.
One warning. Some people have trouble eating "hot food". I have seen people have breakouts in a rash or become very flush and itchy so 1 bunch should be enough, don't overdo it until you have tried them a few times and are sure you body is okay with eating a lot of them.
Although sometimes it can be difficult for the lychees to make it all the way home from the market, sometimes they do and you may want to try making some of the delicious lychee recipes found in this great cooking website, lychees online.com
Sources:
http://foodfacts.mercola.com/lychee.html
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/01/18/lychee-health-benefits.aspx
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/fruit/lychee.html
http://wiki-fitness.com/lychee-fruit-health-benefits/
http://www.lycheesonline.com/recipes.cfm
I hope you will give lychees a try if you haven't already. If you have then you likely know what I'm talking about, they are hard to stop eating once you start.
I hope you'll come and try eating them in Vietnam!
Peace and happiness from Vietnam.