7 Secrets about the Benefits of Lychee

It's All About the Benefits of Lychee

Lychee is a wonderful fruit with plenty of health benefits, including its ability to aid in weight loss, protect the skin, boost the immune system, prevent cancer, improve digestion, build strong bones, lower blood pressure, defend the body against viruses, improve circulation, and optimize metabolic activities.

What Is Lychee?

Lychee, which has the scientific name Litchi chinensis is in the soapberry family, but is the only member of its genus, meaning that it is quite unique in the world. It is a fruit tree that can grow in tropical and subtropical climates and is native to China. It smells very much like a flower and is often used to flavor cocktails and dishes because of its unique scent, which is lost if not consumed fresh. The fruit is primarily eaten as a dessert in Asian nations and is growing popular in other parts of the world too.

The fruit has been cultivated for more than 4,000 years in China and was once considered a great delicacy of the Imperial Court. It is now cultivated in many nations around the world, but the main production still resides in Southeast Asia, China, India, and Southern Africa.

Lychee is soft and pulpy, white or pink in color, and the size is usually about 2 inches in height and width. They are highly eminent in countries around the world because of their health and medicinal benefits of Lychee, which are due to the wealth of nutrients and organic compounds present in them. However, far more nutrients are present in dried lychee than in fresh benefits of Lychee, so if you want to consume this for your overall health, forgo the sweet smell and allow the fruit to dry.

Nutritional Value of Lychee

Lychee is packed with health benefits, but they come from the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in the fruit, including vitamin C, vitamin B6, niacin, riboflavin, folate, copper, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and manganese. Furthermore, lychee is a great source of dietary fiber, protein, and a good source of proanthocyanidins and polyphenolic compounds.

Health Benefits of Lychee

Along with helping you enhance your appearance, lychee also helps in aiding digestive issues, blood circulation, cancer prevention and much more. Let’s explore the benefits of Lychee in detail.

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Aids in Digestion

The significant amount of dietary fiber in lychee, as in most fruits and vegetables, helps add bulk to your stool and increases your digestive health benefits of Lychee. This helps bowel movements move through the digestive tract smoothly, and fiber also stimulates peristaltic motion of the smooth small intestine muscles, increasing the speed of food passing. It also stimulates gastric and digestive juices, so the absorption of nutrients is efficient. This can reduce constipation and other gastrointestinal disorders.

Boosts Immunity

Perhaps the most significant nutrient in lychee is vitamin C, and this fruit has more than 100% of the daily requirement of ascorbic acid in a single serving. This means that your immune system gets a major boost, as vitamin C is a major antioxidant compound and is known to stimulate the activity of white blood cells, which are the main defensive line of your body’s immune system.

Prevents Cancer

The polyphenolic compounds and proanthocyanidins found in lychee are actually even more powerful than vitamin C in neutralizing free radicals and protecting the body from various diseases and afflictions. Free radicals are the harmful byproducts of cellular metabolism that can cause cancer, heart disease, cognitive disorders, and premature aging, among many other undesirable conditions. Lychee is a rich source of these organic compounds, so it can be consumed as an effective preventative measure of various cancers.

Antiviral

The proanthocyanidins in lychee have been studied extensively, and they have also demonstrated antiviral capabilities. Litchitannin A2, a compound found in lychee, has been closely connected to preventing the spread or outbreak of viruses, including herpes simplex virus and coxsackievirus.

Controls Blood Pressure

Lychee has a wealth of potassium, meaning that it can help your body maintain a fluid balance; it is also low in sodium, which helps too. Fluid balance is an integral part not only of metabolic functions but also in hypertension. Potassium is considered to be a vasodilator, meaning that it reduces the constriction of blood vessels and arteries, thereby lowering the stress on the cardiovascular system. Potassium levels are almost three times higher in dried lychee rather than in fresh lychee!

Anti-influenza

This powerful phenolic compound found in lychee has been connected to a number of important health benefits of Lychee, including anti-influenza activity, an improvement in blood circulation, reduction in weight, and the protection of your skin from harmful UV rays when exposed to the sun. It also demonstrates considerable antioxidant capabilities, just like ascorbic acid, and other proanthocyanidins in lychee.

Improves Blood Circulation

Copper is another essential mineral found in considerable quantities in lychee, and although iron is most commonly associated with red blood cells, copper is also an integral part of RBC formation. Therefore, the copper content in lychee can boost blood circulation and increase oxygenation of the organs and cells.

Words of Caution: Since lychees are a very good source of sugars, diabetics should be careful when eating lychees since it can unbalance their blood sugar levels. Also, lychees are considered a “hot” food, meaning that they can sometimes unbalance the body’s nutrient levels. Excessive consumption of lychees can result in irritated membranes, bleeding nose, fever, or a sore throat. However, in normal quantities, there are no inherent health risks.

Source: Yahoo Answer

How to Become Better With Benefits of Grapefruit

The 13 Secret about Benefits of Grapefruit

The health benefits of grapefruits are many and nearly unmatched by any other fruit. A glass of chilled grapefruit juice, especially in summer, helps to boost levels of vitamin C in your body, which makes grapefruits the most nutritious fruit amongst various citrus fruits. Grapefruits are packed with the benefits derived from various nutrients and vitamins, including potassium and lycopene. Along with these, they also contain calcium, sugar, and phosphorous. In terms of culinary value, these fruits are considered a wonderful appetizer and are regularly included for breakfast as a refreshing and energizing start to the day.

What Are Grapefruits?

Grapefruits are fruits that are high in fiber and low in calories, and they contain bioflavonoid and other plant chemicals that protect against serious diseases like cancer, heart disease, and the formation of tumors. Grapefruits increase the body’s metabolic rate, lower insulin levels, and give you a feeling of fullness. They assist the human body in fighting various conditions like fatigue, fever, malaria, diabetes, constipation, indigestion, urinary problems, excess acidity, and many more.

There are plenty of health benefits of grapefruits have, which are also known to be powerful drug/poison eliminators. These benefits of grapefruits work as a natural antiseptic for external wounds and also function as a liver tonic. They contain a high amount of water, which helps in changing the complexion of the skin and increasing the body’s metabolic rate. The pulp and fiber of grapefruits have a healthy bulking action to our food intake, which aids in bowel movements and reduces chances of colon cancer. Benefits of grapefruits also help to quench thirst and thus, reduce the burning sensation that arises during fever. The Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that the intake benefits of grapefruits reduces the risk of developing prostate cancer.

Health Benefits of Grapefruits

The health benefits of grapefruits are as follows:

Suppress Appetite

Benefits of grapefruits works as an excellent appetite suppressant as compared to many other foods. It is said that smell of the grapefruit reduces the feeling of hunger, which is the reason why people often include grapefruits in their weight loss programs. The high amounts of fiber in these fruits can also satisfy hunger and help people avoid overeating, and stimulate cholecystokinin to be released, a hormone that regulates digestive juices and acts as a hunger suppressant.

Treat Influenza

Benefits of grapefruits is a valuable remedy for influenza since it helps to minimize acidity in the system. The bitter properties arising from an essence called ‘naringin’ in grapefruits tone up the system and the digestive process. Naringin is also considered a flavonoid, which is a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants have antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory qualities, making them one of the most important lines of defense in the immune system, protecting against influenza as well as many other serious conditions.

Treat Malaria

The juice or grapefruit itself contains valuable and natural ‘quinine’, which is advantageous for the treatment of malaria. Quinine is an alkaloid with a long history of treating malaria, as well as lupus, arthritis, and nocturnal leg cramps. It is not an easy component to find in many foods, so grapefruits are a beneficial and rare example. The quinine can be easily extracted from the fruits by boiling a quarter benefits of grapefruits and straining the pulp.

Cure Fever

The pulp or the juice of grapefruit helps patients recover quickly from fever, and it reduces the burning sensation that occurs when the body reaches a high temperature. It is also known as a way to boost the immune system against cold and other common illnesses. Grapefruit juice, when combined with water, can quench thirst very quickly and can keep you hydrated for longer. Most of these benefits come from the high content of vitamin C in grapefruits, which acts as a general immune system defense system and can help the body in fighting against fever.

Reduce Fatigue

Grapefruits are beneficial in the treatment of fatigue as they can help you dispel your tiredness caused by routine or boring work. Drinking grapefruit juice can be a refreshing and delicious way to quickly boost your energy levels. Nootkatone is a very rare and important compound found within grapefruits and is probably its most valuable component in terms of extracting as an aromatic substance. Nootkatone improves energy metabolism in the body through AMPK activation. This results in higher endurance and boosted energy, increased weight loss, and a reduction in the chances of developing diabetes.

Treat Indigestion

Grapefruit is useful for indigestion. It is very light as compared to other foods and thus, acts immediately on indigestion by easing the heat and irritation caused in the stomach. It improves the flow of digestive juices, which eases the movement of the bowels and keeps your excretory system regulated. This is due to the presence of fiber and vegetative pulp in grapefruits that adds bulk to the bowels and regulates your excretory schedule, and grapefruit extract is also often used in modern medicine for these same reasons.

Promote Sleep

A glass of grapefruit juice, if consumed before going to bed, can promote healthy sleep and alleviate the irritating symptoms and repercussions of insomnia. This is due to the presence of tryptophan in grapefruits, the chemical we often associate with becoming sleepy after big meals. The levels of tryptophan in grapefruit juice enable us to nod off peacefully.

Control Diabetes

Diabetics can eat grapefruits as they can reduce the level of starch in the body. Intake of grapefruits can help them regulate the flow of sugar in their body, effectively handling the disease. Recent studies have shown this beneficial relationship between diabetes and grapefruits due to the flavonoid content of grapefruits, along with a number of other health benefits.

Reduce Acidity

Fresh grapefruit juice creates an alkaline condition in the intestines for proper digestion. The citric acid of the fruit is contained in the human body and thus it increases the efficiency of the alkalinity reaction after digestion. The juice extracted from the grapefruit is beneficial in preventing acid formation and many other diseases that arise due to the presence of excess acidity in the body.

Eliminate Constipation

A glass full of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice in the morning is a great remedy to control constipation. The juice stimulates the colon and other parts of the body relating to the digestive system. This is due to the stimulating effect of fiber on the secretion and stimulation of gastric juices that ease the constriction of the digestive tract and induce a bowel movement.

Remove Flatulence

10 to 20 drops of grapefruit juice, taken before all three meals of the day, can work as an appropriate pro-biotic and digestive enzyme and will relieve excess flatulence and stomach discomfort. Further research needs to be done on the exact mechanism behind this phenomenon, but again, people believe it relates to flavonoid content in citrus fruits like grapefruits.

Treat Urinary Disorders

Grapefruit juice is quite rich in potassium and vitamin C, so it is one of the best treatments for issues related to urination often caused by liver, kidney or heart problems. Furthermore, its high potassium content works as a vasodilator, meaning that blood vessels and arteries relax, reducing blood pressure and lessening the risk of heart attack and stroke. Also, increased levels of potassium have been associated with higher cognitive function because of increased blood and oxygen flow to the brain!

Other Benefits

Grapefruits are natural sources of medicine that help the body fight off various diseases. They are better than artificial pharmaceuticals to relieve your most basic health conditions. They enable the human body to regulate cholesterol, which means that they minimize the risk of cardiovascular diseases caused by high cholesterol. The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry shows that consumption of grapefruit can reduce LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), as well as hazardous triglycerides.

Source: Yahoo Answer

How to Turn Fruit Benefits into Success

9 brilliant ways to use fruit benefits

Passion fruit benefits is an intriguing and mysterious fruit that has a surprising number of health and medicinal benefits for those fruit lovers who add it to their diet. Some of these benefits include passion fruit’s ability to prevent cancerous growth, stimulate digestion, boost immune function, improve eyesight, increase skin health, regulate fluid balance in the body, lower blood pressure, boost circulation, and improve bone mineral density. Furthermore, it reduces signs of premature aging, lessens inflammation, improves sleeping habits, and eliminates asthma.

What is Passion Fruit?

Passion fruit benefits looks a little strange growing on its creeper vine, which can wrap itself around almost any surface and cling on, seeking the sunlight. However, don’t let appearances fool you, this fruit benefits is widely celebrated and eaten around the world, and has been for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. There are more than 500 varieties, and their appearance varies widely. In terms of color, they are usually yellow or dark purple, and look somewhat like a grapefruit. The interior is filled with a firm, juicy meat and an abundance of seeds. The fruit benefits is regularly squeezed for the highly beneficial juice, and you often see it added to other juices to improve the flavor and add an exotic taste.

You can find passion fruits grown in nearly any warm climate in the world, provided they are frost-free throughout the year. This includes the South Pacific, Central America, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and various subtropical locations throughout the world. These individual cultures utilize it in their cuisine, because the need for exportation is relatively slim, considering that it is grown in so many different places and varieties around the world. It is a popular breakfast food, juice, snack, and flavor additive to salsa, salad, and desserts.

Nutritional Value of Passion Fruit

That long list of health benefits commonly attributed to passion fruit benefits is due to the nutrient, mineral, and vitamin content of the fruit, which includes antioxidants, flavonoids, vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, fiber, and protein. The percentages of many of the vitamins and minerals are shockingly high, and passion fruit benefits is a great addition to the diet that can result in a number of amazing health benefits. Let’s explore some of those benefits in greater detail below.

Health Benefits of Passion Fruit

Boosts Immunity

Since ancient times, passion fruit benefits has been cultivated and enjoyed because of the boost to the immune system that it seemed to provide. Although this was unknown to most people until modern times, this immune strengthening property was due to the presence of vitamin C, carotene, and cryptoxanthin. In fact, a single service of passion fruit benefits has more than 100% of the total required intake of vitamin C for a healthy diet. All of these vitamins act as antioxidants, which scavenge free radicals from the body and neutralize them before they can harm the organ systems and result in conditions like cancer, heart disease, or premature aging. Furthermore, vitamin C stimulates the activity of white blood cells and the rest of the immune defense system, thereby protecting you from common illnesses and serious diseases at the same time.

Prevents Cancer

In a related note to the immune system health, passion fruit benefits is also a powerful source of anti-carcinogenic activity in the body. Antioxidants in passion fruit benefits primarily eliminate free radicals, which are known for mutating the DNA of healthy cells into cancerous ones. Passion fruit benefits also contains vitamin A, various flavonoids, and phenolic compounds, all of which have been linked to anti-cancer properties, particularly in terms of oral and lung cancers.

Rich in Vitamin A

Aside from its cancer-protective qualities, vitamin A is also linked to health and medicinal benefits in eye health, including the prevention of macular degeneration, cataracts, and night blindness. Furthermore, if you are concerned about the appearance of your skin, not only is the high antioxidant content of passion fruit benefits helpful in reducing wrinkles, but vitamin A specifically functions to boost the health and richness of the skin, and promotes the proper functioning of membranes throughout the body, including the skin, to keep it hydrated and glowing!

Aids Digestion

Passion fruits are a very strong source of fiber, and a single serving provides the human body with approximately 98% of its daily requirement. Fiber is an essential component of a healthy diet, since it is the substance that facilitates healthy digestion of food and the regulation of bowel movements. Passion fruit benefits is a good source of soluble fiber, both in the pulp and in the rind, which acts as a bulk laxative, moving food through the digestive tract and reducing exposure time of the colon to any toxins. It can reduce signs of constipation by regulating bowel movements, scrubs the blood vessels clean of excess cholesterol, and even prevent gastrointestinal conditions like colorectal cancer!

Reduces Blood Pressure

If you eat one serving of passion fruit each day, you can satisfy 1/4 of your potassium needs immediately. Potassium is a vital mineral in the human body for a number of reasons, one of which is its role as a vasodilator. It relaxes the tension of blood vessels and promotes increased blood flow. This reduces the strain on the heart and increases overall cardiovascular health. Furthermore, potassium is necessary to maintain the proper fluid balance of the body’s cells. Movement between membranes is often only allowed through potassium-regulated channels, so proper amounts of this mineral are of extreme importance. So make sure you pop a passion fruit into your lunch once in a while to keep your heart healthy and your cells functioning!

Improves Circulation

When combined with the vasodilating properties of potassium, the high iron and copper content of passion fruit benefits can really make an impact. Iron and copper are both essential components of red blood cell production, so once the RBC count increases and the vessels are dilated, then healthy, oxygenated blood can flow freely to necessary areas of the body, stimulating the metabolic activity in all the organ systems and boosting productivity and efficiency. Healthy blood flow is essential for proper functioning!

Improves Bone Health
 

Since passion fruit is such a rich source of minerals like iron, copper, magnesium, and phosphorus, it is a very important fruit for increasing mineral bone density and bone strength. Some of these minerals are integral parts in creating additional bone matter, strengthening existing bone matter, and speeding up repair. This can be a means of eliminating, preventing, or alleviating the symptoms of osteoporosis and the associated pain and inflammation that occurs when bones deteriorate with age and activity.

Treats Insomnia

One often overlooked compound in passion fruit is medicinal alkaloids, including Harman, which functions as a sedative. This compound of passion fruit has been connected to a reduction in restlessness, insomnia, sleeplessness, and nervous anxiety which can keep you from getting a good night’s sleep. So, instead of a glass of warm milk, next time try reaching for a slice of passion fruit and head back to your pillow!

Smoothens Respiratory Conditions

Recent studies have shown that a combination of various extracts from the purple passion fruit peel creates a novel mixture of bioflavonoid, which have an expectorant, sedative, and soothing effect on the respiratory system. It has been positively connected to a reduction in asthma attacks, wheezing, and whooping cough. Next time someone in your family starts hacking and coughing, slice off some passion fruit peel and see if that calms them down.

A Few Words of Warning: There are no inherent risks of eating passion fruit, and its wealth of nutrients and health benefits take care of most bodily concerns. However, most of the calories of this fruit do come from sugars, so people with diabetes should be careful to not eat it excessively, or at least be aware of your blood sugar levels. Other than that, enjoy passion fruit and start feeling better in countless ways in no time!

Source: yahoo answer

Never Waste Produce Again!

You’re Guide to the Shelf Life of Produce

Produce is very finicky and can expire far before you want to eat it, and when it does, you feel terrible for wasting food and contributing to landfill accumulation. For times like those, we have made this list of common produce items and how long they stay fresh and delicious in hopes that you’ll never have to throw produce away again. 

Apples

Whole apples generally last two to four weeks unrefrigerated and one to two months refrigerated. If apples are placed in an area 30 – 40° F with high humidity (which is rare in most households), then they will last for about six months. Estimations of shelf life and quality are made by assessing the firmness and soluble dry matter content — the total dry matter content can be affected by growing conditions and cultivation techniques and a higher content means a higher flavor concentration.

Apricots

Raw apricots can be stored for one to three weeks until ripe in the pantry or unrefrigerated. Once ripe, apricots can be stored for four to five days in the refrigerator. 

Bananas

 

Bananas last for two to five days on the counter, unrefrigerated until ripe, but they can be refrigerated (not recommended) for five to seven days or until ripe. If bananas are refrigerated, their skin will turn black, but that does not mean the fruit is rotten. Peel and place bananas in a plastic bag or container to extend the shelf life of them to two or three months. 

Blueberries

Blueberries should ideally be placed in a shallow container, covered, and refrigerated. If refrigerated, blueberries last for one to two weeks. Do not bulk wash blueberries — this speeds up decomposition — only wash a small amount of blueberries prior to being consumed.

Broccoli

 

Similar to Brussels sprouts, unwashed, refrigerated broccoli lasts for three to five days. Only wash and cut broccoli before eating it.

Brussels sprouts

 

Unwashed, whole Brussels sprouts last three to five days in the fridge. Prior to consumption, thoroughly wash each head, peeling off the outer leaves.

Carrots

 

Fresh, raw, peeled carrots and baby carrots need to be wrapped in plastic or aluminum foil and refrigerated. They last two to three weeks in this condition.

Dinosaur Kale (or regular kale)

 

Refrigerated and unwashed kale lasts for five to seven days. Wash only a specific portion at a time to avoid premature spoiling.

Eggplant

If refrigerated, eggplant lasts five to seven days. 

Figs

  

Fresh figs only last for one to two days in the refrigerator.

Grapes

Grapes need to be refrigerated in a perforated bag or slotted container. They will stay fresh if refrigerated in this manner for five to seven days. Grapes should not be washed in bulk and only the amount that is going to be eaten should be washed to prevent spoiling. 

Heirloom Tomatoes

Fresh, whole tomatoes can be placed in the pantry or on the kitchen counter (the latter is preferable) for one to five days or until ripe. Alternatively, they can be put in the refrigerator for two to three days if they are ripe. The best way to get the most flavor out of tomatoes is to allow them to ripen at room temperature and then refrigerate them if need be.

Iceberg/Romaine Lettuce

Iceberg and romaine lettuce are both good for about a week if refrigerated and unwashed. Wash them when ready to use.

Jicama

Fresh, raw jicama should be stored in the refrigerator — it lasts for a week to two weeks, depending on its ripeness.

Kiwis

Kiwis can be stored on the counter for two to three day until they ripen, and after they ripen, they can be refrigerated whole for five to seven days.

 

Lemons

At room temperature in the pantry or on the kitchen counter, lemons can be stored for about a week. In the refrigerator, the yellow citrus can stay fresh anywhere from two to three weeks.

Melons (Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Honeydew)

  

Cantaloupe and honeydew should be stored at room temperature until it ripens (two to four days) and then refrigerated for seven to 10 days. Watermelon stays fresh for seven to 10 days unrefrigerated and for two weeks if refrigerated. Honeydew should be ripened at room temperature for two to four days and then placed in the refrigerator and eaten within five to seven days.

Nectarines and Peaches

Whole nectarines and peaches should be stored on the counter or in the pantry in a relatively cool space until ripe which usually takes two to three days (one to three days for peaches). After they have ripened, they should be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within three to five days.

Oranges

Let oranges ripen for up to a week at room temperature. Then, refrigerate them and eat within two to three weeks.

Potatoes

Potatoes normally last one to two weeks stored at room temperature and in a bag that allows for circulation. To further extend the shelf life of potatoes, store in a cool (45-55° F) dark area; under those storage conditions, potatoes will last about two to three months. It is best to not store potatoes near onions because together they set off a chemical reaction that quickly spoils both of them.

We, here at One Green Planet, hope that this list will be useful to you. Happy cooking and eating!

Source: yahoo answer