In the eyes of common people, the Longan fruit is a delicious food that can be cooked into various tasty dishes. However, in the hands of Chinese medicine masters, its functions mainly lie in its specific uses. Let's take a look together!
Original form of Longan fruit
The tree is a tall evergreen, reaching up to 10 meters in height. The bark is brown. The leaves are papery, broadly rounded to elliptical in shape, measuring 8-25 centimeters in length and 5-15 centimeters in width. The tip is gradually pointed or blunt, and the base is blunt and smooth. The leaf stalk is 2.5-5 centimeters long. The pendulous inflorescence is cone-shaped, measuring 8-28 centimeters in length. The flowers are hermaphroditic, without petals. The calyx is pink, 5-lobed, with lobes triangular and covered in short hairs. The stamens are weak and curved. There are a few female flowers, with hairy ovaries, pedicels, and 5-lobed styles that are also curved.
The fruit is leathery, ovate, measuring 4-8 centimeters in length and 2.5-3.5 centimeters in width. It has a beak and turns dark red when ripe, covered in short hairs. There are 1-5 ellipsoid seeds, dark chestnut in color. The flowering period is in May, and the fruiting period is in June to July (in Guizhou).
Habitat and distribution of Longan fruit
Environmental distribution: It grows in the wild on hillside forests or in shrubs, and is also cultivated.
Geographical distribution: It is distributed in Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, and other places.
Longan fruit in Chinese medicine
1. Improves memory
Longan fruit contains various beneficial trace elements for the human body, with phosphorus and zinc being the most important. It also contains phospholipids. These substances can be directly absorbed and utilized by the human brain and central nervous system, improving brain cell activity and significantly enhancing memory. It is most suitable for people who use their brains frequently.
2. Protects the eyes
Longan fruit is rich in vitamin A, which directly affects the human visual nerves. It can prevent vision loss, retinal degeneration, and reduce the occurrence of night blindness.
3. Lowers cholesterol
Longan fruit contains a large amount of fatty acids, most of which are unsaturated fatty acids. After entering the human body, they can promote fat metabolism and elimination, reducing the body's absorption of cholesterol. They can also facilitate the decomposition and excretion of cholesterol in the body, soften blood vessels, and lower high blood lipid levels.
Precautions for Longan fruit
Although Longan fruit is nutritious and has excellent health benefits, there are also some precautions when consuming it. The most important point is that it should not be consumed by people with weak spleen and stomach, as it can cause abdominal discomfort and be detrimental to health.
