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| lychees |
There was a spooky house in our town which had lots of gorukalika trees. We were a bunch of crazy kids who used to climb on the walls and do all kinds of gymnastics to pluck the fruits much to the annoyance of our parents. Okay! I knew about gorukalika an Indian fruit and not about lychee. One of my friends introduced me to this lychee and after that, the whole family got hooked up to this fruit.
Health Benefits of Lychee
This is a lovely fruit with a delicious taste. It belongs to the soapberry family. It originated in Southern China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. This lychee has a high content of vitamin C. Saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol are present in very less amounts. Lychee contains oligonol which has antioxidant properties. It helps to prevent and treat conditions such as diabetes, inflammation, influenza, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. Oligonol helps in weight loss and enhances skin health.
The good thing about lychee is its vitamin C content. It contains 72mg of vitamin C per 100 grams of fruit. Vitamin C offers protection against immune system deficiencies, cardiovascular diseases, prenatal health problems, eye diseases, and wrinkling of the skin. High levels of vitamin C in the blood may be an ideal nutrition marker for overall health.
Talking more about vitamin C which is the star content of lychee, it is very effective against stress, colds, and stroke, reduces inflammation, and improves macular degeneration. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that prevents free radical build-up in the body and thus reduces the risk of arthritis.
A Chinese study found that the flavonoids found in lychee pulp inhibit the multiplication of cancer cells, especially breast cancer. It is very good for digestive health. Lychee has high water content which helps to flush out toxins from the system and helps beat bloating of the stomach.
Lychee is a very good source of thiamine, folate, and niacin. It is a rich source of potassium, copper, fiber, and carbohydrates. Each and every substance has lots of nutritional benefits. I am very sure that after reading you might want to taste this spectacular fruit. Well, it will be available in supermarkets or in Asian markets. Nutritionally speaking it would be wise if you eat the fruit as fresh as possible.
Photo of fresh lychee fruit by kongsky
Photo courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net