Longan Berries – sources, health benefits, nutrients, uses and constituents at NaturalPedia.com

Longan, which has the scientific name Dimocarpus longan, is a tropical evergreen tree that bears a sweet-tasting fruit similar in flavor to lychee, hangs in circular clusters, has a diameter of around 1.25 centimeters to 3 cm, and is colored yellowish-brown or sometimes grayish-yellow.

The longan tree produces fruits twice during the year, from end of the dry season throughout late summertime. The fruit’s seed is large and black, with a white circular spot at the base, giving the illusion of an eye.

The longan tree grows from 10 to 12 meters (32.5 feet to 29 feet) but can reach a height of up to 40 m (130 feet). It grows best on a rich, sandy loam and on acid, somewhat organic, sand. The tree has a rough, corky trunk with a diameter of one m and dark brown, lenticellate twigs. Its branches are covered with soft hairs and are riddled with waxy pores.

Longan is endemic to southern China, in the provinces of Fukien, Hainan, Kwangsi, Kwangtung, Schezwan, and Yunnan. It is also cultivated nowadays in north Thailand, north Vietnam, Florida in the United States, Burma, India, Kampuchea, Laos, Mauritius, New Guinea, the Philippines, Queensland In Australia, Reunion in France, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and upper Myanmar.

Variations of the longan fruit include chompoo longan, haew, hua kioh, kohala marcotted, kohala seedling, she p’i, tsao ho, and wu yuan. It is called different names in different countries such as longanier and oeil de dragon in France; longane, longanbaum, and longanbeere in Germany; and mamoncillo chino in Spain.

List of known nutrients

• Carbohydrate
• Copper
• Magnesium
• Manganese
• Phosphorus
• Polyphenols
• Potassium
• Protein
• Valine
• Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
• Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

Medicinal uses for longan berries

Longan berries can help in regulating the body’s moods and providing for the general wellness of one’s inner system by alleviating stress levels.

Longan berries are good for weight-watchers. They can definitely be added to a dieter’s list of food to ingest for a successful weight-loss program and promote a healthy metabolism. They also contain adequate amounts of water, so ingesting them will definitely keep you hydrated.

Longan berries have cancer-fighting elements. Longan berries fight the effects of harmful free radicals, ensuring the health and wellness of cells in the body and contributing to the youth of your face and skin and the proper functioning of your organs and their parts. They also inhibit the proliferation of carcinogenic cells.

Longan berries aid in maintaining proper oral health. Their vitamin C content helps in maintaining damaged membranes of the teeth and providing for a strong teeth structure.

Longan berries are good for the skin. They incite fast cell and tissue repair and buildup, ensuring that wounds heal faster. They also have antimicrobial properties, which ensure that wounds are protected from infections.

Longan seeds have diaphoretic properties. They can induce sweating so as to alleviate symptoms of a fever.

Body systems supported by longan berries

Longan berries are good for the cardiovascular system. They assist in regulating blood pressure, which is a good move so as not to strain the heart in pumping too much blood. They relax the muscles and nerves connected to the heart. They also encourage proper blood flow, thereby preventing the onset of anemia.

Longan berries are good for the skeletal system. They can address bone conditions that are brought about by mineral deficiency and advanced age such as osteoporosis and bone cell degeneration.

Longan berries are good for the ocular system. Their riboflavin content contributes to the reduction of the risk of incurring age-related eye conditions like cataracts.

Longan berries are good for the digestive system. They are a natural treatment for stomachaches.

Longan berries are good for both the male and female reproductive systems. They can enliven sexual appetite and enhance sexual endurance, according to traditional Chinese medicine practitioners.

Ways to use longan berries

The fruit can generally be eaten by itself since it has a unique flavor that need not be compromised by other food flavors. However, it can also be incorporated into a great number of cuisines. It can be used in various hot or cold desserts such as sorbets. It can be dried and preserved or made into jello. It can be canned in its own juice. It can be drank as juice.

Pregnant women should avoid eating longan because an excess of ingestion of the fruit can result in bleeding, which might result in a miscarriage.

Even though longan has a high water content, it is still not advisable to eat longan during the hot summer days as longan has a tendency to increase body temperature, making one feel hotter.

Where to learn more

• 11 Fruits & Vegetables Having More Vitamin C Than Orange
• Learn what Raw Foods have the Zinc Your Diet Needs
• Fighting fatigue – top foods, herbs, supplements and tips
• ‘C’ for Yourself: 10 Surprising Foods with More Vitamin C Than Oranges

Summary

Longan berries are good for the cardiovascular, skeletal, ocular, digestive, and both the male and female reproductive systems.

Longan berries are good for the skin.

Longan seeds have diaphoretic properties.

Sources include:

Home-Remedies-For-You.com

HealthBenefitsTimes.com