Lychee fruit facts

Originally from China, lychee fruit is a sub tropical plant that belongs to the Sapindaceae family and it is known by several other names such as lichi, lichee or leechee. Regardless of the name used, there are several health benefits derived from the fruit. However, before looking into this, it is ideal to look at some of the basic facts about lychee fruit.

Facts about Lychee Fruit

• For starters, it starts flowering and giving fruits during the rainy season which is September to October.
• You know that it is ready for harvest when it starts changing color and typically this is from green to a reddish color.
• It is small and oval in shape. It has a thin stalk that is red in color and at the horde, it is rounded. When cut open, it has a lot of water and the meat of the fruit is white in color.

Health Benefits

Lychee fruit is known to contain several nutrients and key among these is vitamin C. It is estimated that the levels of vitamin C in the fruit is 71.5 mg for every 100 pulp grams. This means that if you consume 100grams of this fruit, you receive 100% of the necessary vitamins needed in a day. Vitamin C is known to have the necessary antioxidants that are needed to prevent cases of free radicals and it is also known to slow down the aging process. To cap it all, Vitamin C is also known to keep diseases such as cancer at bay.

Some of the minerals available in the lychee fruit include potassium which is 175 mg, calcium which is 5mg, and magnesium which is 10mg and phosphorous which is 31mg. When this is taken in low degrees, you also get to enjoy minerals such as copper, natrium, iron and zinc among others. The fat content in the lychee fruit is low and this makes it ideal for weight loss. Those people who consume lychee fruit on a daily basis also stand to enjoy a clearer and better skin tone.