The lemon, Citrus limon Osbeck, is a species of small evergreen tree in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia. The tree’s ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world, primarily for its juice, which has both culinary and cleaning uses. The pulp and rind are also used in cooking and baking. The juice of the lemon is about 5% to 6% citric acid, with a pH of around 2.2, giving it a sour taste. The distinctive sour taste of lemon juice makes it a key ingredient in drinks and foods such as lemonade and lemon meringue pie.
Scientific name: Citrus limon
Biological Classification: Species
Belongs to: Citrus
The health benefits of lemons are due to its many nourishing elements like vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin A, vitamin E, folate, niacin thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, copper, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, phosphorus and protein.
Saying that lemons are a super-food is an understatement. Not only do they add abundant flavor to a variety of dishes, but they also boast a ton of health benefits. The flavonoids within the juice are said to contain antioxidants, which is why lemons are useful in treating so many ailments and conditions.
The health benefits of lemon include treatment of indigestion, constipation, dental problems, throat infections, fever, internal bleeding, rheumatism, burns, obesity, respiratory disorders, cholera, and high blood pressure, while it also benefits your hair and skin. Known for its therapeutic property since generations, lemons help to strengthen your immune system, cleanse your stomach, and are considered a blood purifier.
Lemon juice, especially, has several health benefits associated with it. It is well known as a useful treatment for kidney stones, reducing strokes, and lowering body temperature. As a refreshing drink, lemonade helps you to stay calm and cool.
Nutrition Facts Of Lemon:
The health benefits of lemon are due to its many nourishing elements like vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin A, vitamin E, folate, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, copper, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, phosphorus, and protein. It is a fruit that contains flavonoids, which are composites that contain antioxidant and cancer-fighting properties. It helps to prevent diabetes, constipation, high blood pressure, fever, indigestion, as well as improves the skin, hair, and teeth. Studies conducted at the American Urological Association highlight the fact that lemonade or lemon juice can eliminate the occurrence of kidney stones by forming urinary citrate, which prevents the formation of crystals.
People use it to make lemonade by mixing lemon juice and water. Many people also use it as a washing agent, because of its ability to remove stains. The scent of lemons can also repel mosquitoes, while drinking lemon juice with olive oil helps to get rid of gallstones. It is well known for its medicinal power and is used in many different ways. As per the results reported in a study by the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, lemon provides protection against inflammatory polyarthritis and arthritis.
Health Benefits Of Lemon:
Various health benefits of lemon are explained in detail below:
Treats Indigestion:
Lemon juice helps to cure problems related to indigestion and constipation. Add a few drops of lemon to your dish (take care, it does not go well with milk), and it will aid in digestion. It acts as a blood purifier and a cleansing agent. The recipe is lemon juice, cold water, soda, salts (common salt or rock salt) and sugar/honey for sweetness. You can also add some mint leaves or crushed fennel seeds for added flavor. Drink this whenever you have a heavy lunch or dinner.
Treats Fever:
Lemon juice can treat a person who is suffering from a cold, flu or fever. It helps to break fevers by increasing perspiration.
Dental Care:
It is also frequently used in dental care. If fresh lemon juice is applied on the area of a toothache, it can assist in getting rid of the pain. Massaging the juice on the gums can stop gum bleeding, while eliminating the bad odors that can come from various gum diseases and conditions.
Additionally, it can be used in cleaning your teeth. Keep your eye out for a toothpaste containing lemon as one of the ingredients, or add a drop of its juice onto your normal toothpaste. Some people also rub their teeth with the outer layer (the inner side touching your teeth) after removing its juice. But be careful, it can be highly acidic, so if your mouth starts burning, rinse your gums and mouth quickly with water.
Hair Care:
Lemon juice has proven itself in the treatment of hair care on a wide scale. The juice applied to the scalp can treat problems like dandruff, hair loss and other problems related to the hair and scalp. If you apply this juice directly on the hair, it can give your hair a natural shine.
Skin Care:
Lemon juice, being a natural antiseptic medicine, can also cure problems related to the skin. The juice can be applied to reduce the pain of sunburns and it helps to ease the pain from bee stings as well. It is also good for acne and eczema. It acts as an anti-aging remedy and can remove wrinkles and blackheads. Drinking its juice mixed with water and honey brings a healthy glow to the skin, and if you thoroughly search the cosmetic market, you will find some soaps containing this juice, but they aren’t too easy to find!
Cures Burns:
Using lemon juice on the site of old burns can help fade the scars, and since it is a cooling agent, it reduces the burning sensation on the skin when you currently have an irritating burn.
Internal Bleeding:
It has antiseptic and coagulant properties, so it can stop internal bleeding. You can apply lemon juice to a small cotton ball and place it inside your nose to stop nosebleeds.
Promotes Weight Loss:
If a person drinks lemon juice mixed with lukewarm water and honey, it can help reduce body weight.
Soothens Respiratory Disorders:
Lemon juice assists in relieving respiratory problems and breathing problems, such as its ability to soothe a person suffering from an asthma attack. Being a rich source of vitamin C, it helps in dealing with more long-term respiratory disorders as well.
Treats Cholera:
Diseases like cholera and malaria can be treated with lemon juice because it acts as a blood purifier.
Relaxes Foot:
Lemon is an aromatic and antiseptic agent, and is useful for foot relaxation. Add some of its juice to warm water and dip your feet into the mixture for instant relief and muscle relaxation.
Treats Rheumatism:
It is also a diuretic and can treat rheumatism and arthritis. It helps to flush out bacteria and toxins from the body.
Reduces Corns:
Lemon juice can dissolve lumps on the skin, so it can be applied to the areas where the skin has hardened up, like the soles of feet and the palms of your hands. Drinking it with water can help patients reduce gallstones for the same reasons.
Throat Infections:
Lemon is an excellent fruit that fights against problems related to throat infections, due to its well-known antibacterial properties.
Controls Blood Pressure:
Drinking lemon juice is helpful for people suffering from heart problems because it contains potassium. It controls high blood pressure, dizziness, and nausea because it provides a calming sensation to both the mind and body. It is commonly employed to reduce mental stress and depression.
Lemon has proved to be nature’s boon to everyone who uses it. It provides many valuable solutions to health-related problems because it contains its own set of antiseptic and natural medications. It also aids in the treatment of malaria. A good practice is to eat anywhere from a quarter to a half of this little yet powerful citrus fruit per day to get the maximum health benefits!
Additionally, Best Lemon Juice Benefits for Your Health
Prevent kidney stones: Drinking one half-cup of lemon juice every day raises citrate levels in the urine. Studies have shown that this could protect against calcium stones in the kidney.
Soothe a sore throat: Mixing lemon juice with honey can help alleviate the discomfort that comes from a nasty sore throat.
Support weight loss: Beyond the old notion that the Master Cleanse was the only way lemons could help you lose weight, new studies have shown the ways lemon juice supports your goals. Lemon juice contains pectin, a soluble fiber that has been shown to aid in weight-loss struggles.
Start your day right: Leave caffeinated drinks behind, and start your day off with hot water and fresh lemon juice to stimulate your digestive track and add vitamin C.
Stop an itch: When it comes to poison ivy or insect bites, rubbing lemon juice on the area can soothe the skin, since it has anti-inflammatory and anesthetic effects.
Aids in digestion: Dr. Oz is a big believer in the power of lemon juice for weight loss. He suggests drinking a mixture of lemon juice and flaxseeds in order to eliminate waste more quickly from your body.
Anticancer properties: Studies have supported the anticancer activity of citrus liminoids, compounds that protect your cells from damage that can lead to the formation of cancer cells.
Potassium power: Bananas aren’t the only way to get a big helping of potassium in your system. In addition to vitamin C, lemons offer 80 milligrams of this mineral that helps your body stay strong and nimble.
Bring down a fever: Forget the days of starving a fever! When your temperature goes up, drinking a lemon juice mixture can help bring your fever down faster.
Balance pH: While lemons may seem quite acidic, they’re a surprisingly good source of an alkaline food that can help balance your body’s pH.
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