The Health Benefits of Lychee

Lychees are small, tropical fruits that are known for having a sweet and flowery taste. Much like other fruits, you’ll need to remove the inedible pink skin and dark seeds before eating its white flesh.

While there hasn’t been a lot of research on the fruit, registered dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD, LD, shares what we know about the potential benefits of lychee.

What is lychee?

The lychee fruit, which is native to China, contains certain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that can promote good health. It’s also known as litchi or lychee nuts — and resembles a large, spiky strawberry.

One cup (or 190 grams) of lychee has approximately:

• 125 calories
• 31.4 grams of carbohydrates
• 2.47 grams of fiber
• 28.9 grams of sugar
• 1.58 grams of protein

It also provides these nutrients:

• Vitamin C
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Zinc
• Copper
• Selenium

Potential lychee benefits

Zumpano explains some of the potential benefits of lychee.

It’s high in antioxidants

“Lychees contain various plant antioxidants, including epicatechin, which is also found in green tea,” shares Zumpano. “In fact, lychee has been reported to contain higher levels of polyphenols than several other common fruits.”

Epicatechin may help with your heart health. And lychee also contains rutin, a flavonoid that may protect against diabetes and heart disease. But more research is needed to fully understand how these antioxidants found in lychee can specifically benefit your health.

It’s a good source of vitamin C

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that you need to get from the food you eat. It can help boost your immune system, heal wounds and improve your skin.

While you may turn to citrus fruits to help get your daily boost of vitamin C, consider mixing things up by adding lychee to your smoothie or eating the fresh fruit as an afternoon snack.

It may help manage diabetes

Preliminary research shows that lychee seeds and lychee seed extract may help decrease how quickly blood sugar rises.

“In recent years, various phytochemical components, such as quercetin, have been identified in the lychee seed,” says Zumpano. “This may mean that lychee seeds are a relatively safe and inexpensive complementary treatment for diabetes and diabetes complications.”

But Zumpano stresses more research is needed — especially as lychee seeds can be slightly toxic if eaten raw.

Are there side effects of eating lychees?

While lychee is safe for most people to eat, Zumpano points out that some may have an allergic reaction to the fruit.

Key takeaways

There aren’t many human studies that are focused on the health benefits of lychee. But the tropical fruit is full of antioxidants and vitamins like vitamin C.

You can typically find fresh or canned lychee at your local grocery store or specialty markets.

“Be sure you choose canned fruit in its own juice and not in a syrup, which can add a significant amount of added sugar,” cautions Zumpano.

Try using lychee in smoothies, cocktails or sorbets. You can even add the fruit to a stir-fry, soup or salad.

“Lychee is a great fruit to try,” says Zumpano. “So, experiment with it in your meals and have fun. It’s a reminder that good nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated or boring.”