Are you obsessed with lychee? Beware of lychee disease

"If I can eat 300 lychees a day, I would be willing to live in Lingnan forever."

In order to eat more lychees, the great scholar Su Shi was willing to be a Lingnan person.

It can be seen how attractive lychees are, but did you know that eating too many lychees can make you "sick"?

What is "litchi disease"

This is an acute neurological disease. Due to the high fructose content of lychees, if a large amount of lychees are eaten at one time on an empty stomach, the fructose cannot be converted and decomposed in time, and at the same time it stimulates the continuous secretion of insulin, causing a hypoglycemia reaction, and symptoms of hypoglycemia such as dizziness, fatigue, palpitations, pale complexion, and vertigo. In severe cases, cold limbs, irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, difficulty breathing, and even coma will occur.

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How to prevent "litchi disease"

It is recommended not to eat 300 lychees a day. Five or six lychees a day is the best, and the best time to eat is between meals.

What should you do if you get "litchi disease"?

Rapidly raising blood sugar is the key to treatment

If you only have symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, and sweating, stop eating litchi immediately, lie down, and take sugar water, sugar, or foods that can increase blood sugar.

If symptoms such as convulsions, irregular heartbeat, or low blood pressure occur, it is recommended to seek medical treatment immediately.

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How to prevent "litchi disease"

Do not eat lychees on an empty stomach. Secondly, do not eat too many lychees at one time. It is recommended to eat them between meals. It is recommended that adults eat no more than 10 lychees at a time, and children eat no more than 2 or 3 lychees.

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Who should not eat too many lychees?

1. Children: Children have insufficient liver glycogen reserves, and eating a large amount of lychees is more likely to cause hypoglycemia. In addition, it is recommended that children do not eat the whole lychee to prevent choking by foreign objects.

2. Hypoglycemia and diabetic patients: Hypoglycemia patients have low blood sugar levels, and are more likely to develop hypoglycemia if they eat a lot. Diabetic patients should not eat foods with high sugar content.

3. People who drive: Lychees undergo anaerobic respiration during transportation and storage, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. In addition, the high sugar content in lychees accelerates the metabolism of bacteria in the mouth, producing alcohol, acetic acid, methane, etc. A breath alcohol test can meet the drunk driving standard, but don’t worry. After eating lychees, drink some water and rinse your mouth after a while, and then take the test, and you will not be "drunk driving".

4. Pregnant women: Lychees contain a variety of nutrients, are high in sugar, and have a certain blood-activating effect, so they should not be eaten in the early stages of pregnancy. If a large amount of lychees are eaten in the late stages of pregnancy, the blood sugar concentration will continue to increase, which can cause the fetus to be giant, and is prone to the risks of dystocia, delayed labor, postpartum hemorrhage, etc.

Now is the season when lychees are harvested and on the market. It is so refreshing to have a sweet and refreshing lychee in the hot summer. However, although lychees are delicious, remember not to be greedy.

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Author: Wang Qi and Yin Xiaolin, Department of Ophthalmology, Second Affiliated Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Naval Medical University