Lychee or Litchi is one of the most popular fruit in India. Rich in antioxidant vitamin C, the fruit earlier believed to be extremely beneficial for human wellness, especially for kids. But unfortunately, this rich-protein fruit is also tied up with a sinister side, for which doctors strictly advised it not to be eaten in empty stomach. It is also a strict no-no for the people who prefer to skip the meal after eating this lucrative fruit. Researches, conducted for finding the cause of the mysterious deaths in Bihar state indicates that kids with low blood sugar are highly susceptible to death because of the toxins presented in Lychee.
An international research, conducted three years before has verified the darkened side of Lychee because of its inherent toxin called ‘methylenecyclopropylglycine (MCPG)’. As highlighted by the research paper, the toxin in Lychee can radically dethrone the level of blood sugar in the human body, particularly in children, making it deadly for them. Moreover, it is also responsible for creating more malnourishment which last contributes to the fast corrosion of a pretentious person’s health, leading him towards death.
The research, conducted by the scientists from the United State and India was deeply inspired by the questioning case of inexplicable deaths in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. The sudden death of children in Bihar left hundreds of epidemic researchers and doctors bewildered in 2014, which later led them to explore the reason behind this. The number of the dead children and people later increased at a faster pace without any valid reason. And to find out the convincing rhythm behind these mysterious deaths, researchers, over the past three years kept monitoring and researching in the area.
During the research, they found multiple instances of kids awakening with paroxysm, fever reaching the highest point, and noisy cries, when summer was at its climax in the middle of May. Not just children, many young and healthy people also used to nitpick about the unexpected seizures and mysteriously trip into the state of coma. Sounding strange, the issues and instances would automatically prevent after the month of July, with the beginning of monsoon. In 2014, researchers found hundreds of death reports from Bihar Muzaffarpur, including 14 deaths in Bengal, and the basic reason behind the puzzling deaths was unanswered by scientists.
However, researching upon the death, the scientists from India’s National Centre for Disease Control and the India office of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta found that, the cause of the deaths is none other than ‘Lychee’ itself. On Tuesday, 31st January 2017, the researchers published the complete details of the investigation in the British medical journal ‘The Lancet Global Health’.
As mentioned in the study, “Death caused by eating Lychee in empty stomach and the reason behind it is a particular kind of toxin called ‘methylenecyclopropylglycine’.”
The toxin found in Lychee is also detected in another fruit called ackee. The researchers have named the disease as ‘litchi syndrome’, which is responsible for creating some type of encephalitis. Because of their low glucose reserve, children are found to be more vulnerable to this syndrome, said Dr. Apurba Ghosh, director at Institute of Child Health. Apart from MCPG, Lychee is also enriched with another poison called, ‘hypoglycin A’. The two venoms together tear down the level of blood glucose among individuals, especially among children, those who are half-starved.
An international research, conducted three years before has verified the darkened side of Lychee because of its inherent toxin called ‘methylenecyclopropylglycine (MCPG)’. As highlighted by the research paper, the toxin in Lychee can radically dethrone the level of blood sugar in the human body, particularly in children, making it deadly for them. Moreover, it is also responsible for creating more malnourishment which last contributes to the fast corrosion of a pretentious person’s health, leading him towards death.
The research, conducted by the scientists from the United State and India was deeply inspired by the questioning case of inexplicable deaths in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. The sudden death of children in Bihar left hundreds of epidemic researchers and doctors bewildered in 2014, which later led them to explore the reason behind this. The number of the dead children and people later increased at a faster pace without any valid reason. And to find out the convincing rhythm behind these mysterious deaths, researchers, over the past three years kept monitoring and researching in the area.
During the research, they found multiple instances of kids awakening with paroxysm, fever reaching the highest point, and noisy cries, when summer was at its climax in the middle of May. Not just children, many young and healthy people also used to nitpick about the unexpected seizures and mysteriously trip into the state of coma. Sounding strange, the issues and instances would automatically prevent after the month of July, with the beginning of monsoon. In 2014, researchers found hundreds of death reports from Bihar Muzaffarpur, including 14 deaths in Bengal, and the basic reason behind the puzzling deaths was unanswered by scientists.
However, researching upon the death, the scientists from India’s National Centre for Disease Control and the India office of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta found that, the cause of the deaths is none other than ‘Lychee’ itself. On Tuesday, 31st January 2017, the researchers published the complete details of the investigation in the British medical journal ‘The Lancet Global Health’.
As mentioned in the study, “Death caused by eating Lychee in empty stomach and the reason behind it is a particular kind of toxin called ‘methylenecyclopropylglycine’.”
The toxin found in Lychee is also detected in another fruit called ackee. The researchers have named the disease as ‘litchi syndrome’, which is responsible for creating some type of encephalitis. Because of their low glucose reserve, children are found to be more vulnerable to this syndrome, said Dr. Apurba Ghosh, director at Institute of Child Health. Apart from MCPG, Lychee is also enriched with another poison called, ‘hypoglycin A’. The two venoms together tear down the level of blood glucose among individuals, especially among children, those who are half-starved.