Lychee is a sweet, refreshing fruit popular in summer desserts and drinks. However, due to its high sugar content, this fruit poses health risks if not consumed properly.

Mai Thi Thuy, a bachelor of nutrition from the Department of Nutrition at Xuyen A General Hospital, TP HCM, states that the natural sugars in lychees are primarily fructose, glucose, and a small amount of sucrose. These are simple sugars that are absorbed very quickly into the body. Therefore, consuming too many lychees in a short period, especially on an empty stomach, can disrupt metabolic processes.

The mechanism behind "lychee intoxication"

Many people experience nausea and dizziness after eating a lot of lychees, referring to it as "lychee intoxication". From a medical perspective, this is actually a sudden reactive hypoglycemia.

When a large amount of lychees is consumed, glucose is absorbed directly through the intestinal lining, entering the bloodstream and quickly distributing throughout the body. To manage this sudden sugar surge, the pancreas is stimulated to release an excessive amount of insulin to rapidly regulate blood sugar and push glucose into cells. This overactive insulin response causes a sudden drop in blood sugar, leading to feelings of fatigue, intense hunger, trembling limbs, or dizziness.

According to health experts, there are three significant risk factors to consider when eating lychees:

Rapid intake of large sugar quantities: Eating many lychees at once disrupts blood sugar levels, causing fatigue and dizziness.

Eating on an empty stomach: This is the most common and dangerous mistake. Some studies have noted that malnourished children who consume too many lychees on an empty stomach can experience severe hypoglycemia by the end of the day. For healthy adults, this risk is lower but can still cause trembling and discomfort.

Sensitive constitution, prone to indigestion: According to traditional medicine, lychees have a sweet and warm nature. Consuming too many at once can easily cause internal heat, acne breakouts, mouth sores, constipation, or restlessness.

To maintain safe blood sugar levels, healthy individuals should consume a maximum of 10-12 fresh lychees per day, while people with diabetes should limit their intake to under 9 lychees and avoid canned varieties. Photo: Van Pham

Lychee's glycemic index and the "alarm threshold"

To enjoy lychees without concern about blood sugar reaching an "alarm threshold", understanding the fruit's biological indices is crucial.

According to data from the Institute of Nutrition, TP HCM, fresh lychees have a glycemic index (GI) of 57, placing them in the medium GI category, depending on the variety and ripeness. However, for individuals with diabetes, controlling intake based on glycemic load (GL) is the decisive factor.

To keep the GL index at a safe level (less than 10), patients are allowed to consume fewer than 9 fresh lychees per day. In contrast, canned lychees have a GI of up to 79, categorizing them as high glycemic food. This product should absolutely be avoided by diabetic patients, and healthy individuals are also advised to limit consumption to protect their metabolism.

How many lychees are safe to eat?

To protect health, doctors recommend the following specific safe consumption limits for different groups:

Healthy adults: Consume a maximum of 5-10 fruits per sitting and no more than 10-12 fruits per day.

Individuals at risk of or with diabetes: Should only eat about 6-8 fruits per day, and it is imperative to divide these into multiple small servings throughout the day to avoid stressing the pancreas.

Pregnant women and children: Should limit consumption to about 3-4 fruits per day.

Rules for proper lychee consumption to protect health

Never eat on an empty stomach: Lychees should be consumed after main meals as a dessert.

Divide portions: Do not eat too many fruits continuously at once.

Combine with balanced nutrition: Drink enough water and consume lychees during or immediately after meals that include sufficient protein and fiber to slow down sugar absorption into the bloodstream.

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