1. 23. Health Benefits of Longan By Allah Dad khan
2. LONGAN Closely allied to the lychee, the longan has been
referred to as the 'little brother of the lychee'. Longan is
slightly smaller than lychee, and with a dull brown skin which is
smoother than that of the lychee. The fruit taste is similar, and
the value of longan on the market is due to the fact that its
season follows that of the lychee, extending the period when this
type of fruit is available. According to the esteemed scholar,
Prof. G. Weidman Groff, the longan is less important to the Chinese
as an edible fruit, more widely used than the lychee in Oriental
medicine. The fruit grows in drooping clusters. Fruit is globose,
1/2 to 1 inch in diameter, with thin, brittle, yellow-brown to
light reddish-brown rind. The flesh is whitish, translucent,
somewhat musky, sweet, but not as sweet as that of the lychee and
with less "bouquet". The seed is round, jet-black, shining, with a
circular white spot at the base, giving it the aspect of an
eye.
3. Great source of vitamin C Just one half cup provides 80% of
your daily vitamin C requirements. Iron absorption depends on
vitamin C and combining longan fruit with meat increases your iron
levels. Vitamin C also plays a vital role in immunity.
4. Antioxidants Antioxidants are our first line of defense
against free radicals. These substances cause damage and generate
inflammation throughout the body. Longan fruit is rich in
antioxidants and can protect against heart disease, chronic
inflammation and may even help prevent some cancers.
5. Better skin Traditional Chinese medicine has known the
beauty benefits of the longan fruit for thousands of years. This
magic fruit adds luster, shine and suppleness to the skin.
6. Heart health Chinese herbalists tout the direct nourishing
effect of longan on the heart. Add this fruit to improve your
cardiovascular system
7. Prevents Tissue Damage Consuming longan fruit protects your
tissues from damage because of its vitamin C content. Vitamin C
acts as a potent antioxidant, which means that it prevents toxic
free radicals from oxidizing your cell membranes, lipids and DNA.
Otherwise, free radicals would accumulate in your system, harming
your tissues and increasing your risk of arthritis and cancer.
Consuming 100 grams of longan fruit boosts your vitamin C intake by
84 milligrams. This provides 93 percent of the daily vitamin C
requirement for men and more than the entire requirement for women,
established by the Institute of Medicine
8. Healthy Brain Function The copper in longan fruits promotes
proper brain function. You need copper to produce norepinephrine, a
chemical that your brain cells use to communicate. Copper also
helps maintain healthy myelin -- a sheath that surrounds your
nerves and proves essential to efficient nerve function -- and
allows your brain to metabolize other brain communication
molecules, including dopamine. A 100-gram serving of longan fruit
supplies 169 micrograms of copper, or 19 percent of your daily
intake recommendation, established by the Institute of
Medicine
9. Healthy Metabolism Longan fruit's riboflavin content
supports your metabolism. The riboflavin abundant in longans makes
up a component of flavin adenine dinucleotide, a chemical important
for energy production. It also helps activate coenzymes needed to
metabolize fats, carbohydrates and proteins. A serving of longans
boasts 0.14 milligram of riboflavin -- 11 percent of the daily
intake of riboflavin recommended for men and 13 percent for women,
set by the Institute of Medicine. Longan fruits provide small
amounts of niacin and thiamine, as well, which also support your
metabolism.
10. Prevent Eye Problems Riboflavin is an important vitamin
that's part of the B complex. Men need 1.3 milligrams of this
vitamin each day, while women should have 1.1 milligrams. According
to an "Archives of Ophthalmology" study published in 2005, not
consuming adequate riboflavin could increase your risk of eye
disorders, particularly cataracts. Raw longans contain 0.14
milligram of riboflavin in each 3.5- ounce serving, but dried
longans have 0.5 milligram per serving. Eating 3.5 ounces of dried
longans supplies 38 percent of the daily riboflavin requirement for
men and 45 percent of the RDA for women.
11. Fill Up on Iron Vegans and strict vegetarians are more
likely to become deficient in iron than those who eat meat. That's
because the iron supplied by plant foods is not absorbed as easily
as iron from animal-based products. Pregnant women, endurance
athletes and teen girls may also need more iron than other groups.
Dried longans can help increase your iron intake, with each
3.5-ounce serving containing around 5 milligrams, or about 62
percent of a man's daily requirement and nearly 28 percent of a
woman's.
12. Strengthen Your Bones A study published in 2013 in
"Maturitas" reported that postmenopausal women who had lower levels
of minerals such as copper were significantly more likely to
develop osteoporosis as they age. Adults should consume about 900
micrograms of copper each day, and 3.5 ounces of fresh longans
supplies over 19 percent of this recommendation. Dried longans are
an even better source. A 3.5-ounce serving of dried longans has 807
micrograms of the mineral, almost 90 percent of the RDA.
13. Boost Your Vitamin C People with diets rich in vitamin C
may be less likely to develop high blood pressure, heart disease,
age- related macular degeneration and certain types of cancer. Raw
longan is an excellent source of vitamin C: 84 milligrams in
approximately 3.5 ounces. This amount supplies 93 percent of a
man's recommended daily intake of vitamin C, which is 90
milligrams, and over 100 percent of a woman's 75- milligram daily
requirement
