If you enjoy eating fruits, especially in the summer, we can assure you that you love lychees or litchi. Vitamin B-complex and the antioxidant Vitamin C are rich in lychee. Your heart will be in good condition thanks to the polyphenols (plant-based antioxidants) and phytonutrient flavonoids in lychees.
Litchis include nutrients that help the body make blood. Fibre, Vitamin B-complex, fat, protein, and carbohydrates—all of which are essential for our metabolism—are high in litchi.
So, if you eat a cupful of litchis every day, let's say ten of them, you'll be able to stock up on vitamin C, potassium, copper, and vitamin B2 (riboflavin). Just as beneficial in terms of Vitamin C content as eating an orange on its whole. There is more. Additionally, litchis contain immune-boosting, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antiviral, anti-diabetic, and anti-oxidant properties.
Litchis are high in sugar content and can reduce blood sugar levels as well. Therefore, one should see a doctor before consuming litchi or using litchi extracts as a cure for diabetes.
However, you may have frequently heard that eating specific kinds of litchis at particular times of the day might pose serious health risks. The risks of eating litchis during certain hours and which varieties you should avoid are explained below.
A strange illness that killed several innocent children
In Muzaffarpur, Bihar—the land of litchi—122 youngsters lost their lives to fever and convulsions in 2014. In Muzaffarpur, more than three times as many people were admitted to hospitals between May and July. Children with an immediate history of a high fever, seizures, and convulsions followed by a coma-like state would be taken to hospitals in the morning.
Testing revealed that the majority of the hospitalized kids had low blood glucose levels (less than 70 mg/dL), and quantities of the unripe litchi toxin hypoglycin A and methylene-cyclo-propyl-glycine (MCPG) were found in the kids' urine samples.
Common culprit? Unripened Litchis that were eaten on an empty stomach!
Investigation revealed that there was no pandemic being caused by any pathogen, but rather that all of the sick kids had eaten litchis before bed, was completely drained from doing so, had skipped dinner, and throughout the night had become so sick that they needed to be taken to the hospital as soon as possible.
Unripe litchi contains the amino acid Hypoglycin A, which causes severe vomiting. Methylene-cyclo-propyl-glycine (MCPG), on the other hand, causes a sharp drop in blood sugar, nausea, and a delirious, unconscious, and lethargic state, which can sometimes result in coma and even death.
In addition to the necessary medication, doctors offered the kids sugar to treat their low blood sugar levels, according to the Lancet Global Health journal.
So, are litchis dangerous or safe to eat?
Litchis are healthy and safe to consume. Only one thing needs to be kept in mind: Never consume unripened (tiny, green-colored) litchis on an empty stomach. The majority of the victims were malnourished and had consumed raw litchis. Consuming ripe litchis in moderation won't harm you if you have a balanced nutritious status in terms of your health.
