Over 100 children a year in northern India were killed over two decades due to eating lychees on an empty stomach, new research has revealed.
Underprivileged children in Bihar, the country’s main lychee-producing region, constituted the biggest percentage of the victims.
The study, carried out by US and Indian scientists and published in the medical journal The Lancet, said the children were poisoned by the fruit.
According to the BBC, erratic deaths of apparently healthy children in Bihar were reported over two decades, leaving doctors clueless about the cause.
The children suffered seizures and lost consciousness, and around half of them died.
According to the study, certain chemicals in lychees constrain the body's ability to produce glucose, affecting blood sugar levels of young children, especially those having already low levels.
The study cited a similar case in the Caribbean, where children were poisoned by the ackee fruit. The poisoning was linked to hypoglycin, a chemical found in both fruits.
The study advises parents to ensure children take a meal and recommends limiting the intake of lychees.