Lychee - beneficial properties and contraindications

Lychee is a very small fruit, the size of a walnut, but with its exquisite taste it gives a lot of pleasure. In addition, it contains many nutrients and vitamins.

Acquaintance with a tropical guest

This fruit grows on a lychee tree, which belongs to the sapinda family. This family is very large - more than 150 genera, 2,000 species, and almost all plants can live only in the tropical zone.

Ancient Chinese citizens were able to appreciate the lychee, as evidenced by the mention of it in documents drawn up in the II century BC. Over time, the plant came to other countries with a warm climate, where it took root, becoming a favorite treat of local residents.

According to historical sources, in European countries, lychee appeared only in the XVII century. Over time, various names appeared in the plant, and above all - “Chinese plum”, “dragon's eye”.

The small ripened fruits have a dark red tuberous peel dotted with thorns. You can’t eat it. Inside are:

1. The pulp is white and transparent, resembling a jelly-like mass, which is very juicy, refreshing and sweet with a small proportion of acidity.
2. Big bone, it is inedible.

They eat fruit raw, most conveniently with a spoon, but also used for salads, with fish and meat dishes, in refreshing drinks, including alcohol, as the main ingredient in dessert dishes and fruit delights.

How to choose a delicious fruit?

Only ripe lychees will be able to fully reveal their aroma. The color and condition of the peel help determine their maturity:

1. The ripe fruit has a dark peel, a red tint or there is still a bright pink.
2. Green color means that the fruit is still immature, which means it will not be able to convey all the taste qualities of the fruit.
3. Dry - means that, unfortunately, this is an over-ripened product in which all the sweetness is irretrievably lost, as well as all useful substances.

These fruits can be stored for a long time and are not afraid of long movements. However, the true taste can be appreciated fresh, freshly ripped from the branch of the fruit. But who can’t taste such a fruit, should not be upset - in the ice cream, dried and canned form, the lychee is also very aromatic and tasty, and at the same time almost all useful properties can be preserved in it. It is not recommended to store frozen fruits for a long time, because over time they begin to gradually lose not only taste, but also healing qualities.

How to eat?

Before consuming, it is necessary to wash the lychee thoroughly, and already after the water procedure proceed with cleaning. Use a knife to pry the peel. If the fruit is ripe, then the peel is removed very easily. It is more convenient to break the fruit into two parts to get rid of the inedible bone. Then the pulp can be eaten raw or used to prepare any dish.

You should know that if the stone is difficult to separate, it means that the fruit is of poor quality, that is, the fruits were harvested completely unripe, and ripened during storage and transportation to other countries. It will take time to remove the bone and not lose part of the flesh.

Pantry of valuable substances

The nutritional value of the fetus is as follows:

1. All trace elements contained in lychee help the body fully absorb vitamins.
2. Fats - are present in small quantities.Nevertheless, the fruit is an excellent source of energy, which is especially necessary for people engaged in heavy physical work.
3. Plant fiber. Their main merit is that they reduce the risk of bowel cancer by more than 30 percent.
4. Squirrels. They release energy, which is necessary for many processes taking place in the body, and also protect the skin, hair, and nails.
5. Sugar. The amount of sugar in the fruit can range from 6 to 15 percent. This difference is due to the fact that lychees grow in different areas and have many varieties.

Vitamins

1. Groups B - prevent the emergence of nervous diseases, relieve fatigue, remove inflammatory processes, make the skin shiny and healthy, participate in metabolic processes.
2. D - helps to absorb calcium from the intestines and is of great importance for bone metabolism.
3. C - surpasses other vitamins in lychee. If there is no shortage in the body, teeth will start to fall out, the immune system will not be able to fight against a viral infection, and the person will become lethargic.
4. E - contributes to the normal functioning of the sex glands, the activity occurring in the metabolic process of muscles, prevents the appearance of wrinkles.
5. K - takes care of blood coagulability so that internal hemorrhages do not occur, protects the liver.

Minerals

1. Calcium - maintains bone tissue and teeth at the proper level, promotes the functioning of nerve fibers, plays an important role in blood coagulation.
2. Potassium - in his lychee most of all, which means eating a fruit will have a normal metabolism, pathological changes in the heart will be blocked.
3. Phosphorus - has the ability to influence cell division, the transfer of hereditary properties, is actively involved in metabolic processes.
4. Magnesium is indispensable in the formation of bone tissue, because lychee is useful for children during the growth period.

Lychee - fruit for weight loss and for love

In 10 pieces, which is approximately 40 gr., Contains only 66 kcal, because lychee is classified as a product that reduces weight, as they have a very high water content. On the hottest days, lychee perfectly quenches thirst.

Lychee is a popular product, especially in China and India, it is classified there as the most powerful aphrodisiac, they believe that this fruit is the fruit of love.

Beneficial features

This tropical guest has healing abilities:

1. It has a positive effect on the circulatory system, dilating blood vessels, reducing the increased amount of bad cholesterol accumulated in the blood.
2. Helps to normalize the digestive tract, fights well with constipation.
3. Promotes mental work, increasing productivity.
4. Improves liver and kidney function.
5. Stimulates the work of the heart muscle.
6. Lowers blood sugar levels. If you have a disease such as diabetes, you can, by eating about 10 fruits a day, bring your sugar levels back to normal. But to consult with your doctor in advance is extremely necessary.
7. The fruit will be useful to those people who have gastritis or an ulcer, anemia or pathology of the pancreas or liver. Fruit is recommended for patients with asthma, bronchitis or tuberculosis.

Chinese doctors say that if you eat lychee with lemongrass or other medicinal plants, you can prevent the oncological process, as well as developing many other dangerous diseases in the initial stage, at an early stage. Nature has endowed the lychee with a valuable quality by laying such a substance as oligonol in it. This antioxidant is quite strong, as it is additionally an antiviral agent, which significantly reduces the possibility of cancer. Thanks to oliganol, lychee removes the painful inflammatory process from the tonsils.

Lychee in cosmetology

Do not forget about lychee and cosmetologists.They use the pulp, as it gives the skin youth and health, nourishes and moisturizes it, makes it supple and elastic, removes inflammatory processes and age spots. Kneading the gruel, it is used in tonic lotions, added to masks, especially if the skin is rough and dry. It is enough just to stretch the pulp and apply on the face and neck for 15 to 20 minutes.

For hands, elbows and feet, you can make a protective paste. For this, the components are required:

• a teaspoon of lychee pulp;
• slightly beaten yolk;
• a few spoons of kaolin.

All ingredients are placed in one container, mixed, and then the paste is applied to problem skin.

The skin of lychee is also not in vain. A decoction is made from it, and when it is infused, it is used as a tool that does not allow excess fluid to accumulate in the tissues, simultaneously increasing the tone of the body.

Fact! Many countries in Asia, the southern states of America grow lychees in large areas, making good money on their sale. For example, Thailand has so mastered the cultivation of this fruit that the share of its exports brings the country a good income. And the area on which lychee trees grow is increasing every year.

Harm and contraindications for lychee

Children are allowed to eat no more than 100 grams per day, more is not recommended, otherwise skin problems may occur, acne may occur. In adults, from excessive consumption, the mucous membrane in the oral cavity becomes inflamed.

Limit the use of fruit should people with gout. Some varieties contain an increased amount of sugar, so with regular use, lychee can gain weight over time. If the lychee appears on the table in a canned form, it must be borne in mind that they contain a high content of carbohydrates, unlike fresh ones, and this can also lead to overweight.

Video: what are lychees useful for