Doctors Warn Against Eating Lychees on Empty Stomach
Doctors warn that eating unripe lychees on an empty stomach, especially in large quantities, can trigger dangerous low blood sugar in children by interfering with the liver's ability to maintain glucose levels. Safe consumption requires eat
Doctors are warning that consuming lychees on an empty stomach carries the risk of lychee disease, with children eating more than five fruits at once at risk of severe low blood sugar. Medical experts recommend three safe ways to enjoy the fruit.
Summer is lychee season, and while many people enjoy these sweet and juicy fruits, physicians caution that eating lychees on an empty stomach in large quantities can trigger "lychee disease" or acute hypoglycemia, particularly in children. In severe cases, this can lead to brain dysfunction and be life-threatening.
Dr. Cheng Kan Hong, an allergy and immunology specialist, explained through Facebook that many people wonder why such a sweet fruit could lower blood sugar levels. The danger does not stem from the fruit's sugar content but from unripe or green lychees, which contain two natural toxins: Hypoglycin A and MCPG. These compounds interfere with the liver's gluconeogenesis process and fat metabolism, preventing the body from maintaining normal blood sugar levels.
Dr. Cheng noted that children face the highest risk because they store less glycogen in their livers than adults, and their livers are not yet fully developed. Consuming large amounts of lychees while hungry could cause bodily system failure.
However, people need not avoid lychees entirely. Lychee disease outbreaks previously documented in parts of India and China occurred mainly in malnourished children who ate unripe lychees on empty stomachs in large quantities, requiring multiple risk factors to develop severe symptoms. With proper consumption methods, lychees can be eaten safely.
Doctors recommend three safe ways to consume lychees:
1. Never eat on an empty stomach. Avoid lychees in the morning, when hungry, or in large amounts between meals. The best time is after eating a meal.
2. Choose fully ripe fruit. Unripe or green lychees contain higher levels of toxins than ripe ones, so select fully ripe fruit before consumption.
3. Control portion sizes. Adults should not exceed 10–15 lychees per day, while children should have no more than 5 at a time.
Dr. Cheng also warned people with blood sugar control issues or diabetes not to mistake lychees as fruit that lowers blood sugar. While children face risk of low blood sugar, diabetic patients must beware of high blood sugar instead, as lychees are high in sugar with a high glycemic index and contain large amounts of fructose and glucose. Overconsumption can cause rapid blood sugar spikes and harm health, so moderation is essential.
