Written By: Shraddha Rupavate | Updated : May 15, 2015 3:17 PM IST
Summer is a great time to enjoy delicious seasonal fruits, one of them being lychee. Scientifically called Litchi chinensis Sonn, Lychee is an exotic fruit, native to China, which is now produced in several parts of the world. Its bright red external appearance like strawberries and internal translucent, soft, fleshy mass makes it irresistibly delicious. Apart from its unique taste, here are some key nutritional benefits you should consider about the fruit.
1. Anti-cancer properties: Well, all fruits containing flavonoids and antioxidants are protective against cancer. But the chemoprotective effects of lychees are commendable. A study in mice showed that litchi fruit pericarp (LPF) could actually inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells and tumor formation. This powerful anticancer property of lychees is attributed to the significant amount of polypheonols it offers.
2. Regulates blood pressure: Potassium is a mineral that is required in sufficient amounts for controlling blood pressure. In fact, the American Heart Association (AHA) highly recommends people with hypertension to consume natural potassium rich foods like lychees. One cup of lychess can give you about 325 mg of potassium, which amounts for 9% of your daily recommended intake of potassium. Besides, it has very low amount of sodium, making it an ideal fruit to control blood pressure.
3. Prevents heart disease: Among all the antioxidant rich foods that are known to humans, lychees rank 2nd in the amount of antioxidants after strawberries. Antioxidants are free radical scavengers that help reduce oxidative stress and damage incurred by those radicals. They also contain flavanols that improve vascular function and prevent heart disease. Oligonol (R) is another compound present in lychees which is also associated with improved heart health. Lychees also contain high amount of vitamin C that is known to have protective effect on the heart. A study shows that people who eat lychees have 50% reduced risk of heart attack.
4. Low in calories: If you're on a weight loss regime, add lychees to your diet. One cup of lychees will give you just 125 calories and also you reduce sweet cravings. They are low in fat and also contain a decent amount of fibre (2.5 gm of dietary fibre in 1 cup) that may further help you lose weight.
5. Rich in B vitamins: Lychee is a hub of vitamins. It contains vitamin C, and K and E. It also has low levels of riboflavin and niacin. Following vitamin C, vitamin B6 is the key vitamin you can get from lychees. You can easily obtain 10% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin B6 by eating handful of lychees. Vitamin B6 helps in several body processes like breaking down food, producing red blood cells (RBCs) and protecting against inflammatory diseases.
6. Natural pain killer: Being rich in flavanols, lychees act as a natural painkiller by suppressing inflammation and preventing resultant tissue damage.
7. Boosts immunity: One cup of lychess contain 136 mg of vitamin C. This amount is exceedingly high and quantifies to 226% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C. One of the main benefits of vitamin C is strengthening immunity. So if you have lychees regularly you are naturally less likely to fall sick due to common cold and flu.
8. Keeps your skin glowing: If you're suffering from acne problem and spots, then don't miss out lychees this summer. Summer is the season when you're likely to have pimple outbreaks due to unwanted trapping of oil and dirt. Other than external things that you keep applying on your face to make it look pretty, you should also nourish your skin from within. Lychees will nourish your skin and fine tune your skin tone by minimizing acne blemishes and spots. Plus, the antioxidants will keep doing their job of reducing wrinkles and making you look young and beautiful.
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