What We Know About the Health
Benefits of Fruit
Lychees a French study published in the Journal of
Nutrition found that, of all fruits tested, lychees had the second-highest
level of heart-healthy polyphenols—nearly 15 per cent more than the amount in
grapes (considered a ‘king of polyphenols’). “Polyphenols protect your cells by
neutralising free radicals in the body. They also keep your arteries flexible
and elastic,” says Catherine Saxelby, nutritionist and author of Nutrition For
Life ($29.95; Hardie Grant). Lychees are also thought to help protect against
breast cancer: A recent test-tube and animal study from Sichuan University in
China found that lychees may help prevent the formation of breast-cancer cells,
thanks to the fruit’s antioxidant activity.