Lychee, yang energy and nosebleeds

[Kent Wang]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lychee

There is a Cantonese saying: "one lychee = three torches of fire" (一啖荔枝三把火). It refers to the extreme Yang property of the fruit. Over-consumption of lychees is reported to lead to dried lips and nosebleeds in some people, and may trigger the formation of pimples and mouth ulcers. By contrast, the related longan fruit is purported to have a nourishing property.

My family has always warned me to not eat too many lychees but I've never experienced any ill effects. Is this just pure superstition?

[hzrt8w]

My family has always warned me to not eat too many lychees but I've never experienced any ill effects. Is this just pure superstition?

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I don't think it's all superstition. I love to eat lychees. But if I eat more than 1 lb at a time, I often get sore throats. I think the reaction maybe different from individual to individual. If you don't experience any ill effects, good for you!

[jo-mel]

ONE POUND!! How many individual lychees is that!!??

I wonder why cousin longan, has different properties.

[aprilmei]

It's not superstition; I also feel its effects - I cough and have a hard time sleeping. I've tried to counter the effects by drinking watermelon juice (supposed to be cooling) but it doesn't seem to work.

Unfortunately, the season is so short that I always over-indulge anyway - have to eat as many as possible while they're available.

[Ben Hong]

Uh...err... guys, lychees are deadly yang. Being young and full of the essences of life in delicate balance, I agree that you shouldn't eat too many lychees . Whereas I, being old and dried up can withstand anything dat ole debbil yang can throw at me. Sooo.. I will e-mail my address to you so that you can send me all that fobidden, evil, prickly, yang-y stuff. I know how to deal with that toxic stuff.

[Susan G]

Not another food taboo that implies women shouldn't eat the good stuff???

[mizducky]

Not another food taboo that implies women shouldn't eat the good stuff???

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I am by no means an expert in this, but from what little I've studied of it by way of macrobiotics: just because yang is sometimes identified with "masculine" qualities doesn't mean that only males can eat yang foods. The idea, as I understand it, is to eat a diet in which the yin and yang qualities are in balance, and also to avoid yoyoing wildly back and forth between extremes of yin and yang. In other words, everything in moderation, regardless of your gender. So--enjoy those lychees, boys and girls, but you probably do want to avoid inhaling a whole pound of 'em at one go.

Actually, you probably want to avoid eating a whole pound of *anything* in one sitting.

[Kent Wang]

Next time they're back in season -- when is that anyway? -- I'm going to try eating two pounds and see what happens.

The idea, as I understand it, is to eat a diet in which the yin and yang qualities are in balance, and also to avoid yoyoing wildly back and forth between extremes of yin and yang. In other words, everything in moderation, regardless of your gender. So--enjoy those lychees, boys and girls, but you probably do want to avoid inhaling a whole pound of 'em at one go.

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Correct. More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_food_therapy

[hzrt8w]

Actually, you probably want to avoid eating a whole pound of *anything* in one sitting. 

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Why not? In a pound of lychees, 1/2 pound goes to the pits and skin. What is left which is eatable, most of it is water anyway. If you have seen how light dried lychee is, you know what I mean...

Yin and Yang is a labeling of the characteritics of a certain food. It doesn't mean Yin is for female and Yang is for male.

[aprilmei]

Next time they're back in season -- when is that anyway? -- I'm going to try eating two pounds and see what happens.

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I'm not sure if this is a good idea. A friend of mine ate a kilo in one sitting - yes, a kilo. She couldn't uh... use the toilet for about a week.

They're in season - here, anyway - around June to mid-August. The best ones come at the end of the season.

[Ben Hong]

A kilo is a nice starter.

[Pan]

Eating large quantities of lychees has never been a problem for me. I'd like to know if there's anyone who would not have been in a position to have heard about their quantity of yang that's found eating large quantities of lychees to be a problem. I ate half a kilo of lychees for lunch for several days in Hong Kong and am capable of eating at least the better part of a pound in any given day when they're in season (as imports) in New York. No problem whatsoever.

[aprilmei]

Eating large quantities of lychees has never been a problem for me. I'd like to know if there's anyone who would not have been in a position to have heard about their quantity of yang that's found eating large quantities of lychees to be a problem. I ate half a kilo of lychees for lunch for several days in Hong Kong and am capable of eating at least the better part of a pound in any given day when they're in season (as imports) in New York. No problem whatsoever.

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Eating them is not the problem - they're the most luscious fruit in the world (that I've tasted, anyway). The problem is how they affect some of us. But it's sometimes worth it. And the season is so short...

[Shalmanese]

A kilo? Amatuers. When I was about 12, Lychees had just come into Australia and my mother was thrilled. Even though they were godawful expensive, she bought a whole 3kg for a party that weekend. Little did I know what she was planning to do with them, I only knew that this new fruit was absolutely delicious. After school, my 5 year old brother and I managed to polish off the entire 3 kg in one sitting, probably about 2kg for me and 1 kg for him.

When my mother came home, she was furious ,

[Carrot Top]

I agree that litchees are one of the most spectacular fruits in the world but nevertheless there something about them, a bit of an underlayer almost of taste - that has hints of astringency and maybe even leaning towards a tannic sense. This slight undertone reminds me somewhat (on a much reduced level) of not-quite-ripe persimmon.

(No, I've never consumed massive amounts. Thank goodness for both me and everyone else. )

I wonder if persimmon is also highly yang.

Eating large quantities of lychees has never been a problem for me. I'd like to know if there's anyone who would not have been in a position to have heard about their quantity of yang that's found eating large quantities of lychees to be a problem. I ate half a kilo of lychees for lunch for several days in Hong Kong and am capable of eating at least the better part of a pound in any given day when they're in season (as imports) in New York. No problem whatsoever.

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Michael - I loved this post. But it *is* rather extrodinarily yang-ish, don't you think?

[Tepee]

Luckily for me, lychees do not cause any disharmony to my body. Maybe, I'm immune...owing to my nickname, when I was young ---> jeot wut lai chee...lychee with a tiny seed...most priced.

[bleudauvergne]

My friend and I were dying from the heat of summer (and I think we'd had too much to drink the night before too) and someone brought us some cold lychees. They saved our life.

[Dejah]

Luckily for me, lychees do not cause any disharmony to my body. Maybe, I'm immune...owing to my nickname, when I was young ---> jeot wut lai chee...lychee with a tiny seed...most priced.

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These were available around Dec. - plump and juicy. I sit and peel them for my grandson as we watch TV - brings back fond memories of MY Po-Po doing the same thing for me in Hong Kong, as we ride the trams on a warm evening.

Right now, we have dragon eyes (loong gnan). I don't eat as many of these as I do lychees. Neither causes any disharmony to my body.

[aznsailorboi]

same here, I dont get sick off lychees. Brings back childhood memories now from the Philippines, we have fresh lychees almost year round, and my dad would buy them by the case, those big red plastic rectangular baskets. and we'd eat them like M&Ms spittin the seeds out one after another. but i dont remember being sick at all, and we usually do this splurge in the summer when the humidity is high and very HOT.

[Seitch]

I've never had a problem from eating lychees. I do prefer longans though because the flavor is non acidic and it's a supposedly balanced fruit as opposed to yang.

[miladyinsanity]

I'm another one who prefers longans, but I eat tons of both without ill effects.

[aznsailorboi]

peanuts on the other hand.....which is also a yang food, makes me sick if i eat too much

[Carrot Top]

A question: Do you think that it is possible to "sense" the difference between yang and yin foods by the sensory input (i.e. taste ) of the food and the way it makes you feel?

[jo-mel]

Well, I'm just going to have to find some fresh lychee and do some testing, and have some longans also -- as an antidote, of course!

Where do rambutans figure in this?

[Tepee]

Consuming too much rambutan will result in Damp-Heat, of which a common symptom is purging. Counter that with Durian....which gives Real Heat (wink wink).