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Longan is an evergreen tree of the sapindo family, cultivated in Vietnam, Indonesia, China, Thailand, Taiwan for edible fruits. The name of the exotic fruit comes from the “longan”, which means “dragon eyes”.
Longan fruit is a source of minerals, ascorbic acid, polysaccharides, riboflavin and phenols (ellagic, carilic and gallic acids), which exhibit antioxidant, tonic and antipyretic properties. Fruit nourishes the body with nutrients, slows cell aging, improves memory and sleep, activates the bowels, and has a beneficial effect on the liver.
Botanical description
Longan tree tall, reaches 10 m in height (sometimes up to 20 m). The crown is sprawling, 14 wide. M. Leaves are blunt, marshy, elliptical or oblong-ovate, consist of 4-10 leaflets, green on top, greenish-gray from below. Fruits of the “dragon eye” are spherical, collected in clusters, grow to 2,5 cm in diameter.
The flesh is translucent with a whitish tinge, delicate mucous consistency. Juicy, sweet and aromatic, similar in taste to lychee. The top is covered with a strong inedible orange casing. Inside the fruit is concentrated roundish shiny seed of black color with a white spot at the base.
Under natural conditions, an evergreen longan tree grows between elevations and is able to withstand a decrease in ambient temperature to minus 3 degrees. With increasing frost leaves and branches of the plant die. Ripe longans are stored at 6-8 degrees above zero 5-6 days. Crop harvested by hand, used as a dessert in fresh, dried and canned form.
Useful and harmful properties
The pericarp of longan shows the potential of an inhibitor of inflammation. The extract of flowers increases coronary blood flow, suppresses oxidative processes, reduces the level of triglycerides, blood pressure.
The flesh of longan shows anthelmintic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, tonic properties.
Influence of fruits on the human body:
- reduces body temperature during fever;
- normalizes sleep;
- improves concentration of attention, immune function of the body, metabolism;
- relieves heart palpitations, dizziness, weakness, fatigue, unreasonable excitement (soothes the nervous system);
- resists weakening of vision;
- supplies polysaccharides, nutrients;
- activates the work of the intestine, stomach;
- regulates muscle contractions, participates in the mechanism of blood coagulation.
In Chinese medicine, the seeds and flowers of the dragon eye, due to the abundance of polyphenolic compounds, are used to treat and prevent diabetes mellitus, malignant tumors of the cervix, liver, lungs, and mammary gland. They induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. In addition, the powder of dried seeds is prescribed for the treatment of scabies, eczema, bleeding, dropsy, hernia, enlarged lymph nodes in the armpits, neck. Water extract of flowers helps to overcome problems with urination.
In Vietnam, it is believed that longan absorbs the poison left by the snake, so it is applied to the bite site. Seeds are used to eliminate excessive sweating.
Pericarp does not contain toxic substances, and therefore can not be harmful to health, except in cases when a person is allergic to an exotic fruit.
Chemical composition
In 100 g of the pulp of fresh longan fruits, 60 kcal are concentrated, and in dried – 286 kcal. Interestingly, the taste and appearance of the fruit depend on the area and growing conditions of the tree. In China, “dragon eyes” are recommended for women after childbirth to speed up the recovery of the body.
The richer the taste of the fruit, the less fragrant they are.
| Components | Content in 100 g product, g | |
|---|---|---|
| In the fresh fruit | In dried fruit | |
| Water | 82,75 | 17,6 |
| Carbohydrates | 14,04 | 74,0 |
| Proteins | 1,31 | 4,9 |
| Alimentary fiber | 1,1 | – |
| Ash | 0,7 | 3,1 |
| Fats | 0,1 | 0,4 |
| Name | The content of nutrients in 100 g product ml | |
|---|---|---|
| In the fresh fruit | In dried fruit | |
| Vitamins | ||
| Ascorbic acid (C) | 84,0 | 28,0 |
| Niacin (B3) | 0,3 | 1,0 |
| Riboflavin (V2) | 0,14 | 0,5 |
| Thiamine (V1) | 0,031 | 0,04 |
| Macronutrients | ||
| potassium | 266,0 | 658,0 |
| Phosphorus | 21,0 | 196,0 |
| Magnesium | 10,0 | 46,0 |
| Calcium | 1,0 | 45,0 |
| Trace Elements | ||
| Copper | 0,169 | 0,807 |
| Hardware | 0,13 | 5,4 |
| Manganese | 0,052 | 0,248 |
| Zinc | 0,05 | 0,22 |
Longan is most often consumed fresh. Fruits can be preserved, frozen, dried, subjected to heat treatment. Cooking enhances the taste of exotic delicacies. Dragon Eye is used in cooking for salads, sauces and ice cream. In addition, it perfectly emphasizes the taste of hot spicy dishes. Compote is boiled from the dried fruits of Longan.
Powder “Long An”
It is a dietary product aimed at combating obesity. The preparation includes ground seeds of longan, which have a beneficial effect on the body.
Advantages of the drug:
- normalizes metabolism;
- speeds up the breakdown of excess subcutaneous fat;
- removes fluid;
- suppresses hunger;
- cleans from slags;
- removes cravings for sweets;
- restores the intestinal microflora;
- It reduces appetite;
- regulates the process of digestion.
Besides the fact that Long An is used for the correction of body weight, the drug is prescribed for insomnia, memory disorders, dizziness, blurred vision, gastrointestinal disorders, stressful situations, fever and tachycardia.
Calcium, which is a part of seeds, compensates for the lack of a macroelement in the body, the lack of which worsens the natural processes of fat burning. Lack of potassium contributes to weight gain, the appearance of puffiness, which increases the load on the heart.
Method of use: dilute ground fruit seeds (5-8 g) in kefir (200 ml), drink the resulting cocktail twice a day instead of breakfast and at bedtime. Drink the drink immediately after preparation. The course of diet therapy is 14 days. A cocktail drunk in the morning has a cleansing effect on the body, and taken in the evening is aimed at systematic weight loss. The drug is contraindicated in people with allergies to the product.
Conclusion
Longan is a plant with exotic fruits collected in clusters. The birthplace of culture is China. When fresh, the fruits are more than 70% water, have a pronounced sweetish taste with hints of musk. Due to the abundance of saccharides, longan quickly deteriorates and is poorly transported, therefore, fruits are harvested for sale in an unripe form.
Dragon Eyes is used in cooking to prepare refreshing drinks that suppress appetite. Fruits are added to salads, hot dishes, desserts, liquor. In the pericarp, organic and phenolic acids, dietary fiber, nutrients, polysaccharides, flavonoids are concentrated.
In eastern medicine, longan’s flesh is used to improve the body’s immune response and concentration, reduce high body temperature, eliminate worms, maintain vision, relieve dizziness, and calm the nervous system. Powder from the seed of a plant contains fats, saponins and tannins, therefore it is useful for treating hernia, dropsy, eczema, enlarged lymph nodes. Longan is used not only in medicine and cooking, the core of the plant is red and processed and sent for the production of furniture. Toothpaste is made from the seed.