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.
