Lychee is an exotic fruit from the soapberry family. Lychee has a skin of red or pale orange and has a rough and bumpy skin. Lychee is a juicy fruit which has a white flesh covering its large seed that is inedible.

Lychee comes from medium-sized ever green trees that grow slowly. The evergreen trees grow as large as 40 to 50 feet in height and are often found in the southern provinces of Kwangtung and Fukien.

Lychee fruits are available from the months of May to October. It should be kept at a room temperature for two to three days and up to five weeks when refrigerated.

It is best to choose lychees without any cuts or molds in their skins.

Health benefits of lychees

Lychees have many health benefits. In fact, many nutritionists compare lychees to table grapes because of its health benefits.

This fruit contains 66 calories per 100 grams and has no cholesterol or saturated fats. It contains many considerable amounts of vitamins, dietary fiber as well as antioxidants.

Some researches indicate that lychee has oligonol which is a low molecular weight polyphenol and has both anti-influenza and anti-oxidant actions. This berry also aid in the improvement of blood flows in organs and in weight loss. It can also help safeguard the skin from the harsh UV rays.

Lychees can also be compared to citrus fruits since lychees also provide vitamin C which helps fight off infectious agents.

Aside from vitamin C, lychee also contains B-complex vitamins which include niacin, thiamin and folates that are known to aid the human body in metabolizing fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

Lychees also contain plenty of minerals such as copper and potassium. Potassium helps in controlling the blood pressure and heart rate. Copper, on the other hand, is needed to produce red blood cells.