Litchis on an empty stomach can be harmful
Litchi is one of the most popular summer fruits in the country. Since the fruit is available in the market for a very short period, it is consumed in large quantities within a limited amount of time.
As it is high in liquid content, lychee fills the lack of water in summer. Besides, it has two different antioxidants - ‘epicatechin’ and ‘rutin’. These components work to prevent heat. Litchi is highly beneficial to the health as it contains various vitamins and minerals.
The fibre and water in this fruit keeps the stomach filled for a long time and as it does not contain fat, it doesn’t make you gain weight. Meanwhile, different elements of litchi help reduce wrinkles, signs of aging and help make the skin clearer.
Warnings
Those who suffer from digestive problems after eating litchis or are prohibited from consuming it because of any particular disease should eat litchi only after consulting physicians or nutritionists.
Diabetes patients should not eat more than five to six litchis a day. They cannot eat any other sweet fruit like mangoes, apples, oranges, jackfruit, bananas, etc. on the same day either. That might induce a glucose spike.
Consuming excessive litchi can cause a fall in the blood pressure. This might result in shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea or fatigue.
Abstain from eating litchis on an empty stomach. Basically, you should consume litchis after half an hour of eating any other food. The reason is that the hypoglycin in litchies obstructs the formation of glucose in the body. If this process continues on an empty stomach, the glucose level may suddenly experience a sharp plunge.
However, there’s not much hypoglycin in ripe litchis. The unripe lychee contains this element in much higher quantity. Sometimes, children consume too many litchis without thinking. This poses death risk especially for those children who have low immunity. Under no circumstances children should be fed litchi on an empty stomach.
Special attention on two matters
Never eat litchi on an empty stomach.
If there’s no other problem, a healthy person can eat about 10 to 12 lychees a day while diabetes patients can eat up to five.
* Hasina Akhter Lipi, clinical nutritionist at LABAID and Park View Hospital and Diagnostic Limited, Chattogram Heart Foundation, Chattogram.