Lychee vs. Rambutan — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Introduction

Rambutan and lychee are two tropical Asian fruits closely related to each other. These two fruits can be so similar that some wonder if they're the same. This article will discuss the differences and similarities between rambutan and lychee, focusing on their nutrition and health impact. 

Nutrition

The infographics below show the nutritional information for raw litchis and rambutan, canned in syrup, as provided by the USDA Food Database. However, we will also discuss the nutritional properties of fresh raw rambutan (1).

Macronutrients and Calories

Rambutan and lychee are similar in macronutrients, consisting of around 80% water and 20% nutrients. Rambutan tends to be only a little denser in nutrients due to carbohydrates.

Vitamins

Lychee is a better source of vitamins than rambutan, being 15 times richer in vitamin C, 5 times richer in vitamin B6, and richer in vitamin B2 and folate.

Nevertheless, rambutan is higher in vitamin B3.

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Lychee

7

Rambutan

4

Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C	+1359.2%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2	+195.5%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6	+400%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K	+∞%
Contains more FolateFolate	+75%
Contains more CholineCholine	+∞%

Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+18.2%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3	+124.2%

~equal in Vitamin D ~µg

~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

Minerals

Lychee also wins in the mineral category. Lychee is a better copper, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium source.

Rambutan is somewhat richer in calcium, iron, and zinc.

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Lychee

6

Rambutan

4

Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium	+42.9%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+307.1%
Contains more CopperCopper	+124.2%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus	+244.4%
Contains less SodiumSodium	-90.9%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium	+∞%

Contains more CalciumCalcium	+340%
Contains more IronIron	+12.9%
Contains more ZincZinc	+14.3%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+523.6%

Weight Loss & Diets

• Lychee and rambutan are not keto-friendly due to their high carb content. Reduce your net carb consumption to 20–30 g daily to stay in ketosis.
• The Mediterranean diet is based on the dietary habits of the 21 Mediterranean countries, which include Greece, Italy, and Turkey. Although residents in this diverse location eat a range of foods, fruits are part of their diet, so both of these products are recommended during this diet.
• The Paleo diet, also known as the caveman diet or Stone-Age diet, is a dietary plan based on the intake of wild foods that were popular during the Palaeolithic epoch (2.5-0.01 million years ago), so rambutan and lychee are recommended during this diet.
• Fasting intermittently has more in common with eating habits than diets because it regulates when you eat rather than what you eat. As a result, either of these products can be consumed while following this diet.
• Additionally, they can be consumed as part of the DASH diet.

Health Impact

Vitamins

As mentioned above, lychee is a good vitamin C, B6, B2, and B9 source, while rambutan is rich in vitamin B3. Moderate consumption of rambutan and lychee may help prevent a deficiency in these vitamins.

The most prevalent reason for ascorbate (vitamin C) deficiency is a diet deficient in citrus fruits and green vegetables. Symptoms of vitamin C deficiency include poor wound healing, easy bruising, bleeding gums, painful glossitis, and anemia.

Isoniazid therapy (used to treat tuberculosis) is the most common cause of deficiency in pyridoxine (vitamin B6). Symptoms of vitamin B6 deficiency include sideroblastic anemia, convulsions, cheilosis, and stomatitis.

Riboflavin (vitamin B2) insufficiency can lead to corneal neovascularization, which is harmful to vision; symptoms include cheilosis, stomatitis, and a magenta-colored tongue.

Alcoholism, pregnancy (body stores are depleted in 3 months), and hemodialysis are the most prevalent causes of folic acid (vitamin B9) deficiency. A lack of vitamin B9 can lead to megaloblastic anemia, and a lack in early pregnancy can lead to neural tube abnormalities in the fetus.

Pellagra can be caused by a lack of niacin (vitamin B3). Pellagra symptoms include diarrhea, dementia, and dermatitis ("the three Ds"). If not treated, it may cause death.

Cardiovascular Health

Rambutan peel extract could inhibit ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme), so it may reduce arterial blood pressure like ACE-inhibitor medications (Captopril, Lisinopril, etc.) (5). This mechanism is unknown for lychee but may also regulate blood pressure and heart rate (6).

Because some flavonoids in rambutan peel have a diuretic action, they may lower blood pressure by helping the body flush away extra fluid (7). Lychee contains minerals (potassium and copper) that aid in regulating body fluid balance (6).

Lychee and rambutan consumption may decrease total cholesterol and LDL (bad cholesterol) levels in the blood, which is essential for lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease and for people with myocardial infarction (8.9.10.11).

It is known that high-dose niacin (vitamin B3) can be used to treat hyperlipidemia. As mentioned above, rambutan is rich in vitamin B3; the same can't be said for lychee.

Diabetes

Lychee and rambutan are low to moderate glycemic index fruits, meaning their intake does not spike blood glucose levels.

Rambutan peel and rambutan seeds have been studied to have anti-diabetic qualities; however, there's less research on the effect of rambutan pulp on diabetes (1).

Lychee may also have anti-diabetic properties by helping reduce blood sugar levels (12). 

Cancer

The extract of rambutan fruit has been studied to possess anticancer qualities and researched particularly against liver cancer cells (13).

Lychee has been tested to have similar anticancer effects against breast cancer (14).

Sources

1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324220791
2. https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/rambutan.html
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3208016/
4. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/244989537
5. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844022026020
6. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-10-4247-8_14
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32788520/
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22721981/
9. https://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=US8922722
10. http://repository.uin-malang.ac.id/4277/
11. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Odey-Oko/publication/259176521_Comparative_anti-nutrients_assessment_of_pulp_seed_and_rind_of_rambutan_Nephelium_Lappaceum/links/0c96052a2000bafccb000000/Comparative-anti-nutrients-assessment-of-pulp-seed-and-rind-of-rambutan-Nephelium-Lappaceum.pdf
12. https://ift.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1541-4337.12590
13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7938207/
14. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16563451/