Research Why hundreds of children died of Asian fruits

After decades, the cause of unexplained deaths among children was found
For more than two decades hundreds of children in northern India have died again and again under unclear circumstances. Physicians have long been looking for the trigger for these deaths. About every third child in the area died of a strange condition. After years of unsuccessful research, researchers now found that consuming immature lychees led to the death of children.

A team of scientists found out in a comprehensive study that eating Lychees among Indian children has resulted in hundreds of children dying each year. After several years, the experts finally managed to establish the reason for the mysterious mass extinction of children in the north of India. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "The Lancet".

The lychee fruit is relatively unknown in Western countries. Physicians found after years of unsuccessful search now out that the consumption of immature lychees every year leads to the death of hundreds of children in India. Picture: M. Schuppich - fotolia

Again and again children die in the north of India under unclear circumstances
Hundreds of children die each year in North India every year since 1995. The reason for this has been unknown for a long time, say the authors. The children were actually completely healthy until they suddenly suffered from severe cramps. As a result, the affected children eventually became unconscious. Of the sick children, about one in three died of the mysterious disease, the researchers add.

Lychees led to toxic hypoglycaemia
The doctors were able to determine in their current investigation that the food taken by the children was related to the deaths. Many of the children did not dine, but ate a large amount of lychee on an empty stomach, the scientists explain. Their consumption then caused the children's blood sugar to drop rapidly. As a result, the children developed a so-called toxic hypoglycaemia.

Hypoglycine in fruits prevents fat loss and sugar production in the body
Especially in the summer came to increased deaths among children in northern India. In June, these events usually reached their peak. The physicians suspect that the children have eaten in these months, especially many of the immature lychee. The so-called hypoglycine content in immature lychees is particularly high, explain the experts. The contained hypoglycine prevents then in the human body that fat can be broken down and sugar can be produced.

What are lychees?
Lychees are sometimes referred to as Chinese hazelnut, lychee or love fruit. The fruits of the lychee are traded as fruit. Lychees are so-called gap fruits and usually rather egg-shaped, than spherical or round. It takes about three months from pollination to maturity of the fruits. Differences in time arise due to different varieties or the location of the lychee tree.

Is the consumption of lychees really lethal??
Actually, lychees are harmless to adult humans. This changes as adults eat the fruits in extremely large quantities. Lychees are rather unknown and a kind of delicacy in our western countries. For this reason, they are seldom consumed on a dangerous scale here. So it is also very unlikely that people in Western countries, a poisoning by eating the fruits, according to the authors of the study. Nevertheless, experts recommend not to eat lychees on an empty stomach. In addition, parents should make sure that their children consume at most a small amount of fruit. (As)