Lemons are acidic to the taste, but are alkaline forming in the body. In fact they are one of the most alkaline forming foods; this makes them great for balancing a highly acidic condition in the body.
“We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons.” Alfred E. Newman
16 Health Benefits of Lemons:
1. Lemons are alkalizing for the body: Lemons are acidic to begin with but they are alkaline forming on body fluids helping to restore balance to the body’s pH.2. Lemons are rich in vitamin C and flavonoids that work against infections like colds and flues.
3. Your liver loves lemons: The lemon is a wonderful stimulant to the liver and is a dissolvent of uric acid and other poisons, liquefies the bile” says Back to Eden Mr. Kloss. Fresh lemon juice added to a large glass of water in the morning is a great liver detoxifier.
4. Cleans your bowels: Lemons increase peristalsis in the bowels helping to create a bowel movement thus eliminating waste and bonus to help with being regularity. Add the juice of one lemon to warm water and drink after you drink your two to three cups of Water first thing in the morning.
5. Scurvy is treated by giving one to two ounces of lemon juice diluted with water every two to four hours. In 1747, a naval James Lind cured scurvy with fresh lemons. To this day, the British Navy requires ships to carry enough lemons so that every sailor can have one ounce of juice a day. This is where the English got their nickname Limeys. Pirates used to eat Lemons to save them from the dreaded scurvy!
6. The citric acid in lemon juice helps to dissolve gallstones, calcium deposits, and kidney stones.
7. Vitamin C in lemons helps to neutralize free radicals linked to aging and most types of disease.
8. The lemon peel contains the potent phytonutrient tangeretin, which has been proven to be effective for brain disorders like Parkinson’s disease.
9. In India Ayurveda medicine values the lemon as a fruit and for its properties. It is sour, warm, promoter of gastric fire, light, good for vision, pungent and astringent.
10. It destroys intestinal worms.
11. When there is insufficient oxygen and difficulty in breathing such as when mountain climbing lemons are very helpful. The first man, Edmund Hillary to reach the top of Mt. Everest, said that his success on Mt. Everest was greatly due to lemons.
12. Lemons have powerful antibacterial properties; experiments have found the juice of lemons destroy the bacteria of malaria, cholera, diphtheria, typhoid and other deadly diseases.
13. Blood vessels are strengthened by the Vitamin P in lemon thus prevents internal haemorrhage. Also, making it useful in treating high blood pressure.
14. The symptoms of eye disorders, including diabetic retinopathy have been shown in research to improve due to the Rutin, found in lemons.
15. Lemons contain 22 anti-cancer compounds, including naturally occurring limonene; oil which slows or halts the growth of cancer tumors in animals and flavonol glycosides which stop cell division in cancer cells.
16. According to The Reams Biological Ionization Theory (RBTI), the lemon is the ONLY food in the world that is Anionic (it’s electron has a negative charge). All other foods are cationic (it’s outer electron has positive charge.) This makes it extremely useful to health as it is the interaction between anions and cations that ultimately provides all cell energy.
Lemon Nutrition:
- Lemons contain vitamin C, citric acid, flavonoids, B-complex vitamins, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and fiber.
- Lemons contain more potassium than apple or grapes, which is beneficial to the heart.
| See the table below for in depth analysis of nutrients:Lemon (Citrus limon), fresh, without peel Nutrition Value per 100 g (Source: USDA National Nutrient data base) |
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| Principle | Nutrient Value | Percentage of RDA |
| Energy | 29 Kcal | 1.5% |
| Carbohydrates | 9.32 g | 7% |
| Protein | 1.10 g | 2% |
| Total Fat | 0.30 g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.80 g | 7% |
| Vitamins | ||
| Folates | 11 µg | 3% |
| Niacin | 0.100 mg | 1% |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.190 mg | 4% |
| Pyridoxine | 0.080 mg | 6% |
| Riboflavin | 0.020 mg | 1.5% |
| Thiamin | 0.040 mg | 3.5% |
| Vitamin C | 53 mg | 88% |
| Vitamin A | 22 IU | 1% |
| Vitamin E | 0.15 mg | 1% |
| Vitamin K | 0 µg | 0% |
| Electrolytes | ||
| Sodium | 2 mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 138 mg | 3% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 26 mg | 3% |
| Copper | 37 µg | 4% |
| Iron | 0.60 mg | 7.5% |
| Magnesium | 8 mg | 2% |
| Manganese | 0.030 mg | 1% |
| Zinc | 0.06 mg | 0.5% |
| Phyto-nutrients | ||
| Carotene-߸ | 3 µg | – |
| Carotene-a | 1 µg | – |
| Crypto-xanthin-ß | 20 µg | – |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin | 11 µg | – |
How to pick a good Lemon:
- Heavier lemons will have the most mineral content and sugar thus thick skinned lemons will be lighter then thin skinned lemons and will have less sweetness and minerals.
- The ones with the most juice will have finely grained texture peels.
- Lemons should be fully yellow the ones with green tinges have not fully ripened and will be very acidic.
- Over ripe lemons will have a wrinkling look, have soft or hard patches and not be a colourful yellow.
- Lemons stay fresh kept at room temperature (not in sunlight) for about 7 to 10 days. Or store them in the refrigerator crisper for about four to five weeks.
- When life gives you a lemon… squeeze it, mix it with six ounces of distilled water and drink twice daily. ~ Jethro Kloss in his book Back to Eden
- A bowl of fresh lemons will add fragrance and color to a room for days.
- Alkalize with lemon water.
- To reducing sodium intake, squeeze fresh lemon on salads, steamed vegetables, soups and stews.
- Roll a lemon on the counter a few times before squeezing to maximize the amount of juice.
- Lemon juice can be stored for later use by putting freshly squeezed lemon juice in ice cube trays until frozen, then store them in containers in the freezer.
- Dried lemon zest should be stored in a cool and dry place in an airtight glass container.
- The zest of fresh lemon is a wonderful to recipes in cakes, cookies and in vegetables.
“When life gives you lemons, make orange juice and let the world wonder how you did it!! ” author unknown
Lemon Cautions:
- Pure lemon juice contains acid which is harmful to teeth enamel. Always dilute with water before taking it.
- Lemons that are not washed properly like the ones you get in restaurants may include potentially pathogenic microbes.
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