LONGAN
“Dimocarpus” can eventually help in improving sleep duration and quality
Dimocarpus Longan, better known as longan fruit, is a white-fleshed exotic fruit that belongs to the soapberry family. It is known for its similarities with lychee fruit. Longan is a tasty addition to puddings, sorbets, smoothies, salads, and jellies. All you need to do is peel away its outer shell for consuming longan. Longan tastes like grapes and looks like an eyeball when you take the shell off. The black seed and white flesh resemble a pupil. Hence, it is also called dragon eye fruit.
Consuming longan seeds is not recommended. Hence, remember to remove the seeds before eating longan. Longan is native to Southeast Asia and widely cultivated in Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, and China. They can be processed to obtain essential oil or extracts. It is also noteworthy that longan fruit plays a salient role in traditional Chinese medicine.
Longan and lychee are tropical summer fruits. You can even call them close relatives in a fruit family. Once peeled, both fruits appear as white flesh surrounding a large seed outside. However, longan fruit is smaller than lychee. It has much smoother, harder, and darker skin. Therefore, you should peel it off before consumption. Lychees have pinkish outer skin with a rough texture due to small bumps.
Longan fruit has a musky flavour, while lychee has a floral taste. Unlike fresh lychees, it is pretty challenging to find fresh longans. You will often find them frozen, canned, or dried in grocery stores. In other words, fresh varieties of this fruit are not very easily available.
uperfood is a buzzword across online and traditional media. Unfortunately, there is no accepted medical definition for this term. However, superfoods are foods with a rich nutrient profile. Eating superfoods improves many aspects of health. The longan fruit supplies high levels of desirable nutrients. It does so without adding any excess calories to your diet. Therefore, they qualify as superfoods.
Here are the health benefits of longan fruit.
1. Improves Memory
Longan fruit is nootropic in nature. It means that the fruit extract enhances cognitive
function and memory. In traditional Chinese medicine, longan fruit tonic is for anxiety-
induced treatment.
A study shows that consuming longan fruit may be beneficial to the brain. It is because
longan acts on the part of the brain structure that helps process memories. Thus, it
helps reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
2. Boosts Skin Health
Thanks to the rich levels of vitamin C, longan fruits effectively reverse the signs of
ageing. It improves pigmentation, blemishes, fine lines, and wrinkles. In addition, this
fruit helps in the formation of collagen. As a result, it facilitates the formation of new skin
cells. Thereby, it keeps the skin healthy.
A study supports the claim that vitamin C in longan reduces the oxidative damage of the
skin. Therefore, longan is good for skin health. For example, it minimises the cracking
and peeling of the skin. It also reduces dryness in the skin and helps retain a youthful
glow.
3. Improves Sleep Quality
In today’s fast-paced lifestyle, most individuals suffer from insomnia or sleeplessness.
Longan may be the remedy you’re looking for due to its anxiolytic activity. The fruit
extract can lower stress or anxiety. It does so by reducing the levels of a stress
hormone called cortisol. As a result, it can eventually help in improving sleep duration
and quality.
A study also shows that longan fruit contributes to sleep rate and time.
4. Boosts Immunity
Longan fruit exhibits potent anti-microbial properties. As a result, this helps the immune
system in fighting infections. In addition, it is rich in vitamin C., a well-known antioxidant
that can reduce free radicals’ harmful action.
Studies support the claim that consuming longan fruit can help aid in the immune
system’s defence mechanism by producing sufficient white blood cells. Furthermore, tea
and herbal infusions made with longan effectively prevent respiratory anomalies, sore
throat, common cold, and fever.
5. Anti-inflammatory
A study suggests that all parts of the longan fruit contain anti-inflammatory properties.
They contain ellagic acid, epicatechin, and gallic acid. As a result, it reduces the release
of inflammatory substances in the body. The mesocarp or the longan pulp is enough to
receive its anti-inflammatory benefits.
6. Boosts Libido
Longan fruit serves as a traditional supplement to increase sex drive in both men and
women. In addition, it is a traditional aphrodisiac. Fruit juice has been popular in China
for over 400 years to cure sexual inadequacies. It plays a positive role in increasing
stamina and thus improves libido. Research proves longan’s role in treating erectile
dysfunction and improving sexual health.
7. Prevents Anaemia
Inadequate production of healthy red blood cells can lead to anaemia. Eating longans
can provide you with iron. It can consequently manage iron deficiency and the risk of
anaemia. In addition, the trace amounts of iron in longan may stimulate red blood cell
production and improve circulation.
8. Protects Against Chronic Diseases
Your body releases free radicals mainly as a result of stress. They tend to cause cellular
damage in tissues and organs. The antioxidants in longan can fight some of these
harmful free radicals. Thereby, they prevent abnormal cell death or damage. This
quality overall reduces the risk of developing chronic diseases.
9. Energy Booster
If you’re looking to replace caffeine, then longan fruit may be the ideal choice. This juicy
fruit can give a surge of instant energy. In addition, since longan fruit has a good
amount of fruit sugars, it works brilliantly as an energy booster.
Longan, (Dimocarpus longan), also spelled lungan, tropical fruit tree of
the soapberry family (Sapindaceae), native to Asia and introduced into other warm
regions of the world. The edible white-fleshed fruits are somewhat similar to the
related lychee and are commonly sold fresh, dried, or canned in syrup. The juicy flesh
has a mildly sweet and musky flavour.
The longan tree grows to 9–12 metres (30–40 feet) in height and
bears compound leaves with oblong glossy leaflets. The flowers are small and yellowish
white and can be staminate (male), pistillate (female), or bisexual. The almost spherical
yellowish brown fruits are commonly borne in hanging clusters. The thin leathery skin
covers white transluscent pulp that surrounds a single dark seed.
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