The lychee (Litchi chinensis), an exotic tropical fruit, is a strange round globe with red bumpy skin. The rough rind is easily peeled with the fingers, revealing an opaque white, sweet, and juicy pulp surrounding a dark seed. Also known as “alligator strawberry,” it has been cultivated in China for thousands of years and used in traditional Chinese medicine to alleviate pain and gastrointestinal disorders. The name lychee translates to “gift of a joyful life” in Chinese. Today it grows in many other tropical countries, including India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Australia, Mexico, and the United States.
According to nutritionist Avni Kaul of the University of Delhi, lychees are especially rich in polyphenols and flavonoids, which act as powerful antioxidants in the body. The seeds contain the highest concentration of polyphenols of any fruit tested, second only to strawberries….