Lychee

See also : Oligonol
Lychee, translated from Chinese as 'gift for a joyful life', surely lives up to its name. The lychee fruit contains vitamins and minerals that promote a healthy diet, it is sweet and delicious and it has been enjoyed joyfully by natives of southeast Asia for centuries. The health benefits of thee fruit has been tried, proven and touted in countries such as China, India and Indonesia, so much so that lychee made its way into ancient Chinese legend. It is believed that the Emperor of the Tang Dynast would dispatch royal guards some 600 miles to pick lychee in an effort to woo his favorite concubine, to entice her with the sweet, fragrant flesh of the lychee fruit. Today, the lychee fruit in China as a result of such legend, is now a symbol of romance and love.

Anyone who eats the lychee fruit immediately falls in love with it. But if the fact that lychee is so delicious doesn't not convince you to try it, maybe hearing some of the health benefits of lychee will make you give this tropical fruit a second look.

Special Precautions of Lychee

• over-consumption "may cause hypoglycemia leading to fever, seizure and unconsciousness."
• Western doctors believe that lychees can only be dangerous in excess if the subject is allergic to lychees, which may cause "fall in blood pressure, gastrointestinal upset, respiratory distress, skin edema, dizziness and unconsciousness."
• Both Eastern and Western medical professionals agree that diabetics are at an increased risk when over-eating lychees due to their high sugar levels, and should avoid eating more than six or seven lychees at a time.
• Lychees are considered a "hot" food in Chinese culture, a classification that depends on the energetic qualities of the food, such as whether it is raw or cooked, what color it is and if it is spicy or bland. Eating too many "hot" foods is said to throw off the balance of the human body -- personal accounts and folklore attest to the belief that too many lychees can cause bloody nose, sore throat and sores in the mouth.

Benefits and uses of Lychee are

• great source of vitamin C, a vitamin that the body does not produce naturally. Vitamin C helps the body to fight heart disease and cancer, Vitamin C is good for our bones, skin and tissue, and therefore is a very important vitamin to our overall good health. Through the high content Vitamin C content of the lychee fruit, the fruit benefits those suffering from colds, fevers and sore throats. Lychee also helps the body to digest food properly for the best nutrition and an added boost of health.
• contains phosphorous, calcium, magnesium and protein. Though the lychee fruit is native to Asia, the popularity and reputation of the fruit as a healthful fruit has contributed to the commercial growth of lychee trees in California and Florida. Lychee can be found in Asian supermarkets in cans or dried or they are found in jellies, jams, marmalades or sauces in Asian cuisine.
• Oligonol: Oligonol is a substance extracted from lychee fruit. Known to offer antioxidant effects, oligonol is touted as a natural remedy for a number of health problems.
  • Inflammation : Preliminary research suggests that oligonol may help reduce inflammation, an aging-related biological process linked to the development of many diseases.In a small study published in Nutrition Research and Practice, researchers assigned 19 healthy young men to four weeks of treatment with either a placebo or a dietary supplement containing oligonol. By the study's end, those treated with oligonol showed a significantly greater decrease in several markers of inflammation (compared to members of the placebo group). In addition, oligonol appeared to help reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
  • Obesity : Several animal-based studies indicate that oligonol may offer anti-obesity effects. In a 2009 study published in Phytotherapy Research, for instance, tests on rats revealed that oligonol intake may help stimulate the breakdown of fat.
  • Diabetes : Oligonol may help protect against certain diabetes-related complications, according to animal-based research. A 2010 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that oligonol helped reduce kidney damage in diabetic mice, while a 2011 study from the same journal determined that oligonol helped shield diabetic mice from liver damage.
  • Influenza : Oligonol may help fight off the flu, suggests a 2010 study published in Phytomedicine. In a laboratory experiment, scientists discovered that oligonol may help inhibit the growth and spread of the influenza virus.
  • Cancer : Oligonol may possess anti-cancer properties, according to a preliminary study published in Phytotherapy Research in 2009. In tests on mice, the study's authors demonstrated that oligonol may help stop melanoma from spreading to other organs.
  • In addition, oligonol is said to promote weight loss and slow the aging process.