📊 Full nutrition facts — per 100g
| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily value | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 66 kcal | 3% | |
| Carbohydrates | 16.5g | 6% | |
| Dietary fibre | 1.3g | 5% | |
| Sugars | 15.2g | — | |
| GI (Glycaemic Index) | ~50 — Low | — | |
| Protein | 0.8g | 2% | |
| Vitamin C | 71.5mg | 79% | |
| Copper | 0.15mg | 8% | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.10mg | 6% | |
| Potassium | 171mg | 4% | |
| Oligonol | present | — | |
| Niacin B3 | 0.60mg | 4% |
Based on Australian NRV. Source: FSANZ Australian Food Composition Database.
📈 Glycaemic index (GI)
💊 Key vitamins & minerals
✅ Health benefits
Lychees provide 71.5mg of vitamin C per 100g — 79% of the daily requirement, making them one of the richest common fruit sources after guava and kiwi. Ten lychees (approximately 100g flesh) provides nearly the full daily vitamin C requirement in a serving. Vitamin C at this concentration provides robust immune support, collagen synthesis, enhanced iron absorption from plant sources and comprehensive antioxidant protection.
Lychees are one of the richest known sources of oligonol — a low-molecular-weight polyphenol derived from lychee fruit polyphenols during processing. Multiple randomised clinical trials have found oligonol supplementation reduces visceral fat accumulation, improves insulin resistance, reduces inflammatory markers (CRP) and improves exercise-induced fatigue recovery. While oligonol is found primarily in concentrated lychee extracts rather than fresh fruit, fresh lychees contain the polyphenol precursors that oligonol is derived from.
Lychees contain epicatechin, catechin and rutin — polyphenols with documented cardiovascular protective effects including LDL oxidation reduction, platelet aggregation inhibition and arterial inflammation reduction. The combination of vitamin C with these polyphenols provides synergistic antioxidant protection. Regular fruit polyphenol intake is consistently associated with reduced cardiovascular disease risk in large population studies.
Lychees are 82% water and provide meaningful potassium (171mg/100g) — the key electrolyte for fluid regulation within cells and blood pressure management. As a naturally sweet, hydrating fruit, lychees serve as an excellent post-exercise snack, particularly in tropical and hot conditions. Their natural sugars provide rapid energy replenishment alongside hydration.
⚠️ Who should limit or avoid
A serious public health finding deserves clear communication: consuming large numbers of lychees on an empty stomach — particularly unripe lychees — has been linked to outbreaks of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) in children in the Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, India. Investigation identified the culprit as hypoglycin A and MCPG — toxins present in unripe lychee that inhibit gluconeogenesis (the liver's glucose production), causing life-threatening hypoglycaemia, particularly in malnourished children. This risk is negligible for well-nourished adults eating ripe lychees in normal quantities. Caution: do not give children large quantities of unripe or green lychees on an empty stomach.
Lychees contain 15.2g of sugar per 100g — high for a fruit. Despite a GI of ~50, people with diabetes should count lychees as a moderate-carbohydrate food. Ten fresh lychees (100g flesh) provide approximately 16g of carbohydrate. Fresh lychees are fine in appropriate portions; canned lychees in syrup have a significantly higher sugar and GI impact.
Lychee allergy is uncommon but documented, and oral allergy syndrome can occur in people with latex allergy (latex-fruit syndrome). Cross-reactivity with other Sapindaceae family fruits (rambutan, longan, ackee) is possible. Start with a small amount if you have known fruit allergies.
🛒 How to select & buy lychee
Fresh ripe lychees have a bright pink to crimson shell (pericarp) with a characteristic rough, bumpy texture. The shell naturally browns after harvest as it dries — this is a normal process that does NOT indicate spoilage of the flesh inside. However, heavily browned, dried or cracked shells at purchase indicate age and the flesh inside may be shrunken or fermented. Choose bright pink-red shells when you have the option.
A fresh lychee yields very slightly to gentle pressure. Completely rock-hard lychees may be underripe. Mushy lychees are overripe — the flesh will be watery and fermented. The shell should feel slightly yielding but not soft. The best lychees have a small amount of give, indicating the flesh is full and juicy inside. Check several in a punnet — quality can vary.
The flesh-to-seed ratio is the key eating quality metric. Large lychees with visibly small seeds indicated by a slightly indented base are the best value for eating. Australian varieties including Kwai May Pink, Salathiel and Fay Zee Siu are prized for their small seeds and exceptional sweetness. Imported or commercial varieties often have larger seeds. Ask your Asian grocer which variety they stock.
🧊 Storage tips & shelf life
Lychees deteriorate rapidly at room temperature in warm Australian conditions — the shell browns and the flesh ferments quickly. Only leave at room temperature if eating within a day or two. In tropical Queensland conditions, refrigerate immediately on purchase.
Best storage: leave lychees in their shell until ready to eat. The shell continues to brown but the flesh inside remains good for 1–2 weeks. Once peeled and de-seeded, lychees keep 5 days in an airtight container submerged in their own juice. The shell browning is not an indication of flesh quality — do not judge by external colour.
Lychees freeze very well — peel, remove seed, freeze on a tray then bag. Frozen lychees are excellent in smoothies, cocktails and desserts. The texture softens slightly on thawing but the flavour remains excellent. Buying bulk during peak Queensland season (December–January) and freezing is the most economical approach for year-round use.
📖 About lychee — complete guide
Lychee (Litchi chinensis) is native to the Guangdong and Fujian provinces of southern China, where cultivation records date back to at least 2,000 BCE. The fruit was considered a delicacy of imperial courts — Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty (8th century CE) reportedly arranged for fast horse relay systems to deliver fresh lychees from Guangdong to his beloved consort Yang Guifei in the capital Chang'an (modern Xi'an), approximately 2,000km away. The fruit's short harvest season and extraordinary perishability made it a supreme luxury available only to royalty in pre-refrigeration times. Lychee's spread from China to Southeast Asia and then globally followed trade routes — arriving in India by the 17th century, reaching Europe and the Americas in the 18th century, and arriving in Queensland with Chinese immigrants in the 19th century.
The public health story of lychees and childhood encephalitis in Bihar, India represents one of the most significant applied nutritional epidemiology findings of the past two decades. Outbreaks of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) affecting children in the Muzaffarpur lychee-growing district had mystified researchers for decades. Investigation published in the Lancet Global Health (2017) by US CDC epidemiologists identified the cause: hypoglycin A and methylenecyclopropylglycine (MCPG) — amino acids found particularly in unripe lychees — which inhibit gluconeogenesis (the liver's ability to produce glucose). In malnourished children who had not eaten a substantial evening meal, eating large quantities of lychees provided a false caloric signal while simultaneously blocking glucose production, causing nocturnal hypoglycaemia and encephalopathy. The mortality rate was high and the solution surprisingly simple: ensure children eat a full meal before bed and do not eat large quantities of unripe lychees. This research has no practical implications for well-nourished adults eating ripe lychees in normal amounts.