Plant atlas Short
Longan Improved Memory Scores in Mice
Longan · ลำไย · Dimocarpus longan
Longan — ลำไย (lam-yai) — Dimocarpus longan.
Longan — lam-yai. In Alzheimer's-model mice, longan aril improved memory scores and brain oxidative-stress markers. You eat longan fresh: crack the shell and slip out the sweet, translucent fruit. Longan adds vitamin C for collagen and normal immune function, potassium for fluid balance and healthy muscle and nerve function, and riboflavin, vitamin B2, for energy metabolism. Khao Niao Piak Lam Yai simmers warm, sweet sticky rice and peeled longans, topped with a spoon of salted coconut cream. Nam Lam Yai boils dried longan with pandan leaves to brew a sweet, dark juice served ice-cold to wash down spicy Southern curries. The tree only sets fruit after a clear, cool dry spell tells it to stop growing leaves. Dried longan is very high in sugar, so keep portions small if you watch your blood sugar or have diabetes.
Khao Niao Pia Lam Yai — ข้าวเหนียวเปียกลำไย (khao-niao-piak-lam-yai)
Nam Lam Yai — น้ำลำไย (nam-lam-yai)
Food and nutrients
Rich in: vitamin C, potassium, riboflavin
Research context
Longan improved memory and reduced brain oxidative stress in animal Alzheimer's models — J Ethnopharmacology, 2021 (animal)
Sources
Source: Li et al. (2021). Longan aril ameliorates cognitive impairment in AD mice. J Ethnopharmacol. DOI:10.1016/j.jep.2020.113612. Flower extract: Lin AM et al. (2012) J Agric Food Chem, PMID 22920583
Narration transcript
Opening
Longan — ลำไย, lam-yai. Its name means dragon's eye, and you can see why: crack the thin tan shell and the translucent flesh wraps a single black seed with a white spot, staring back like a tiny eye. That sweet flesh is what you eat. Pop the shell with a thumbnail and slip the fruit off the pit.
Khao Niao Pia Lam Yai (Sweet Sticky Rice with Longan) (ข้าวเหนียวเปียกลำไย)
Cooks turn it into khao niao piak lam yai, a warm dessert of sticky rice and peeled longans under a spoon of salted coconut cream, eaten after a spicy meal.
Nam Lam Yai (Thai Longan Drink) (น้ำลำไย)
There is also nam lam yai, a chilled drink made by boiling dried longan with pandan leaves, then chilling it over ice, a common partner to hot Southern Thai curries.
Nutrition summary
That sweet dragon's-eye flesh is remarkably high in vitamin C, with a good amount of copper and riboflavin.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is used to build collagen and helps protect cells from oxidative stress.
Potassium
Potassium helps with normal fluid balance and muscle function.
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Riboflavin contributes to normal energy metabolism, helps reduce tiredness and fatigue, and supports your natural antioxidant defenses.
Closing
Fresh longan is a treat, but dried longan is close to two-thirds sugar by weight, so keep the handfuls small if you watch your blood sugar. The tree only fruits after a cool, dry spell tells it to stop growing leaves. Follow Longevity Biome, and LIKE this video for regular updates.
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