What are the pros and cons of consuming lychees?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am a 26-year-old girl, and I love lychees! They are my favorite fruit. I have been eating many of them lately since they are in season. Do I worry about weight gain from all the lychees I have consumed? I know fruit is generally healthy, but lychees are pretty sweet and have natural sugars. On the other hand, they are also a good source of dietary fiber, aiding in weight loss. How do the pros and cons regarding their impact on weight balance out for lychees? Should I limit my lychee intake to avoid putting on extra pounds? Or can I keep enjoying them freely as part of a balanced diet?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Whole litchi fruits have been used not only as a food source but also for medicinal purposes. As a traditional Chinese medicine, litchi has been used for centuries to treat stomach ulcers, diabetes, cough, diarrhea, and dyspepsia and kill intestinal worms. Lychees contain high sugar content and a glycemic index of 50. Fruits with a glycemic index lower than 55 get digested slowly, allowing a slow release of sugar into the blood. However, eating lychee right after a meal or before bed at night might spike your blood sugar levels. How many lychees should I eat in a day? Lychees are pretty small and contain a lot of water, so you can eat quite a few without adding up many calories or sugar. Eating about 10 lychees, or 100 grams, will give you 66 calories and 15 grams of sugar. Lychees contain several healthy minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, such as potassium, copper, vitamin C, epicatechin, and rutin. These may help protect against heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. So you can enjoy this fruit in limit and workout.

I hope this information will help you.

Thanks.