Can Babies Eat lychee?

Lychee belongs to the Litchi group in the soapberry family. The lychee tree is a tropical, evergreen tree and has small fruits with a pink-red inedible outside, and a sweet fleshy inside.

It has its origins in China, Malaysia and Vietnam. Fresh lychees were always a popular tribute and delicacy at the Imperial Court in China, being especially brought from Guangdong, no matter the great delivery expenses. Lychees started to be known in Europe through travelers, who visited China and gave these fruits high praises.

Lychees consist mostly of water, they contain carbs, some sugar, dietary fibers, protein and some fat. The real treasure of lychees is the raw pulp, being rich in vitamin C, but it has no other significant quantities of micronutrients.

Lychee seeds however can be poisonous, due to their content of methylene cyclopropyl glycine, which can cause according to recent investigations, hypoglycemia associated with outbreaks of encephalopathy especially in underfed Vietnamese and Indian children, in case they eat lychees in excess.

Is Lychee Safe For Babies?

Lychee fruits represent a good source of dietary fibers, which normalize bowel movements. They are also an excellent source of vitamin C, aiding the immune system of babies.

Through the adding of lychees to your baby’s diet, you can add sweetness to foods, but you must be careful not to offer these fruits to your baby on an empty stomach. The methylene cyclopropyl glycine has a negative effect on brain functions, if body sugar levels are low. Lychees can be given to babies starting at the age of 6 months, once they eat solid food.