Lychees are very sweet and give people the impression that they are high in calories. Lychees are sweet because they contain 15.23 grams of sugar per 100 grams, higher than bananas.


It's not that high in energy, though. Litchi has about 71 kcal per 100 grams. A medium-sized lychee has about 10 kcal of energy. We eat nine lychees for the equivalent of one piece of toast.


GI refers to the glycemic index of some foods. Simply put, the higher the GI, the faster the blood sugar levels in the body rise after eating. Litchi, though sweet, is not a high-GI food. It has a GI index of only 57, making it a mid-GI food.


Litchi so sweet, how GI index is not high? This is because it contains about two-thirds of the sugar, the fast-rising glucose and sucrose, and another third, the slow-rising fructose. In addition, it contains hypoglycine A and α-methylcyclopropylglycine, which have hypoglycemic effects.


If we eat a large amount of litchi at a time, a large amount of fructose will accumulate in the blood vessels, resulting in a "short supply" of invertase, unable to timely convert fructose into glucose.


At the same time, fructose stimulates the body to produce large amounts of insulin, which causes the liver to lower blood sugar levels, resulting in insufficient glucose supply in the blood.


In addition, when a large amount of litchi is consumed, the intake of other foods is reduced, further reducing the glucose supply, thus causing hypoglycemic symptoms. Sometimes they even have nausea, sweating, and fatigue, which can cause convulsions or coma.


Here are some benefits of eating litchi.


1. Enhance immunity


The rich sugars in the flesh of litchi include glucose, fructose, and other substances that can strengthen human immunity, enhance the body's defense ability against viruses, and reduce the probability of getting sick.


2. Relieve constipation


Litchi is rich in water and sugar, its dietary fiber content is very high. This dietary fiber into the intestines, will enhance the ability of gastrointestinal peristalsis, help the body to remove waste, to relieve constipation effect.


3. Replenish your energy


Litchi pulp is rich in glucose and sucrose. The total sugar content of litchi is more than 70%, ranking first among various fruits, with the role of supplementing energy and increasing nutrition.


Studies have proved that litchi has a nourishing effect on brain tissue and can significantly improve insomnia, forgetfulness, exhaustion, and other symptoms.


4. Relieve fatigue


Eating litchi can relieve fatigue. Especially for the manual labor of people, appropriate supplement litchi can be a good supplement for the glycogen in the muscle. Litchi is very obvious in restoring physical strength and relieving fatigue.


How to choose litchi:


1. Pinch the shell


Gently press the outer shell of the lychee. If it is soft, it indicates that the lychee has been stored for too long and may not be very fresh. It is better to buy lychee with a firm outer shell.


2. Look at the color


Fresh litchi skin color bright, dark red, transparent flesh, no impurities. If the peel is dark, the fruit is not fresh and may have gone bad.