Lemon is a very common fruit and is easily available. Most of us love having lemons or lemon juice in the summers to beat the summer heat but only few know that lemon has a number of nutritional benefits and can be used in many ways.
Lemon comes from an evergreen tree originally found in Asia and the fruit is usually greenish or yellow. The whole fruit with its pulp, the juice, the rind and the zest are used in cooking as well as non-culinary purposes. Lemon juice is often used to make lemonade and other lemon beverages. The juice contains 6% citric acid which makes its taste sour. They contain vitamin c, calcium, folate, vitamin b5, vitamin b3, vitamin b1 and b2, iron, magnesium, phosphors, potassium, zinc as well as sugar, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, fat and protein.
Lemons have citric acid so they taste acidic but the juice helps to form alkaline in the body and are used in cooking as well as various other things.
Here we provide you an exhaustive list of health benefits of lemon:
1. Lemons are a rich source of vitamin c. vitamin c is essential to keep you immune from cough and cold. Also they contain flavonoids which work against viruses and keep the body fit.
2. Lemons help alkalize the body by restoring the pH balance of the body.
3. Drinking lemon juice with warm water in the morning will help in giving regular and easy bowel movement. This particular one of the lemon juice benefits can certainly come in handy at time! Following a lemonade diet is certainly beneficial for those with troubled bowel movements.
4. Lemon juice helps to dissolve uric acid and other poisons as well as it helps to liquefy the bile; thus it helps to stimulate the liver and detoxifies it.
5. In traditional ayurvedic medicine, lemon is greatly valued as it helps to help with gastric troubles, helps to keep vision safe, is pungent and works as an astringent.
6. Vitamin c which is found in lemons help to neutralize the free radicals which cause aging and diseases.
7. Lemon has been discovered to be the only food in the world which is anionic (ion with negative charge). So it is very important for the body.
8. Eye disorders have shown improvement with consumption of lemon which has rutin.
9. One of the uses of lemon has been discovered to be 22 anti cancer compounds which include limonene that slows down the growth of cancer tumors and flavonol glycosides which can stop cell division in cancer cells.
10. Lemon benefits includes it ability to help destroy the presence of intestinal worms
11. Lemon peel has tengeretin which has been proved to be effective for brain disorders like Parkinson’s disease.
12. Lemon is known for its antibacterial properties and can destroy malaria, cholera, diphtheria, typhoid and other bacteria.
13. Vitamin p in lemon helps to strengthen blood vessels
14. Lemons use are highlighted in treating high blood pressure as well
15. Vitamin c in lemon helps to treat scurvy. British navy stocks its ships with lemons to help the sailors to have at least an ounce of juice each day.
16. The citric acid in lemon helps to dissolve gall stones, kidney stones as well as calcium deposits.
Lemon benefits for skin care:
17. Lemon is a great astringent and can be used as a skin astringent as well.
18. Lemon juice can work wonders for oily skin. Using lemon juice on skin can help reduce the excess oiliness of the skin.
19. Lemon juice is a natural antiseptic and if used within a facial mask, it can help clear oil and dirt as well as bacteria which cause breakouts.
20. Lemon juice is very effective to reduce acne. Use a small cotton bud dipped in freshly squeezed lemon juice to help reduce its appearance.
21. Lemon juice is also said to be effective on pimples and acne scars. Using freshly pressed lemon juice over scars after cleansing face in the evening will help reduce the appearance of scars.
22. Use lemon juice to lighten the freckle marks effectively. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice on freckles before going to bed at night. Follow the method for two weeks to see the freckles appear lightened.
23. If you feel the raw juice is too strong for your skin, add a little water to dilute it. This way the intensity will lessen.
24. Use lemon juice to make age marks less visible. Use lemon juice on the body parts such as elbows, knees, face, hands to get smooth skin and less visible age marks.
25. Lemon juice works great for nails as it has vitamin c which makes nails healthy and strong. To help keep nails healthy immerse the nails in a bowl of lemon juice for about 10 minutes. Then immerse them in a mixture of warm water and white vinegar. Rinse off with water and see the difference in your nails.
26. Lemon works great to condition dry and damaged hair. Lemon juice used with 3/4th cup olive oil and ½ cup raw honey will help in keeping hair damage free and conditioned. Apply the mixture on hair and cover with a plastic wrap for half an hour. After the 30 minutes rinse off and use a mild shampoo to clean your hair.
Some miscellaneous uses of lemon:
27. Lemon peel is great for cleaning the micro oven. Sometimes food explosions create a mess and food items get stuck to the oven’s inner surface. So what should we do? Use lemon rind to get rid of these messes. Soak some rind into a microwave safe bowl and add water to it. Then microwave it for 5/6 minutes on high and watch out for the water to boil so that the steam fills the microwave. The condensed steam will help soften the messy food items. Then take out the bowl and carefully clean using a towel.
28. Sometimes we have a greasy spot on the stove, or on the kitchen table or maybe the dining table which is very hard to remove. But this problem can be fixed using a lemon. Take a lemon and cut it in half and use one piece sprinkled with salt to rub on the greasy spots. Then rub with a clean towel.
29. The chopping boards are often neglected and many bacteria may grow on it. Use lemon to gently refresh those cutting boards. Take a lemon, cut It in half and rub over the board and rinse with water.
30. Steel sinks and pots get dirty with water sediments and other deposits over them. Use lemon juice to get rid of them quickly. To clean these items, just use lemon juice on the needed spots and rinse after a while and gently buff with a cloth to get rid of the stains.
31. Use a vegetable peeler to peel long strips from lemon to add as garnishing to drinks and cocktails. These look great. You may also use a knife to make the long peels. Store these peels in a sealed container or freezer safe bag and refrigerate for future use.
32. If your sugar turns into brick sugar the use some lemon peel to keep them dry.
Some lemon packs:
33. Body skin loses moisture when in contact with chlorinated water at the time of bathing. Use lemon along with turmeric and starch as a cleanser before bath.
34. Take 4 tablespoons of yogurt and 3 teaspoons of lemon juice and mix them well. Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil (any variant) to it and massage this pack on body using upward strokes and leave it for 10-15 minutes. Then wash off and take your usual bath.
35. Mix 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons tomato juice and 2 tablespoons milk in a bowl and apply it on the face and body. This mixture works as natural bleach.
36. Lemon juice can help relieve you from wrinkles. To make the anti wrinkle mask, use a tablespoon of honey and add some drops of lemon juice to it. Also add a few drops of almond oil (sweet) to this and mix the ingredients into a paste. Then use this on the face and keep it on for 15-20 minutes and then wash off.
37. Lemon also helps to relieve chapped lips. Mix a teaspoon of fresh cream, a teaspoon of lemon juice and a teaspoon of honey and make this into a paste. Use this on the lips and rub it in. store the rest and use for a week to see results.
38. Lemon can be used to make your hands and body skin younger and beautiful. To make this application you will need the juice of a lime (freshly squeezed), a teaspoon of glycerin, and a cup of milk. Mix the milk and lemon juice in a small bowl, add the glycerin and make a mixture. Apply this mixture on body and face. Leave this mixture o for 25-30 minutes and then wash off. The best time to use this mixture is to use it before going to bed. For best results, use this every night for a week to see improvements. This works great on pimples, scars and relieves you from dryness as well as sun burn. Lemon juice benefits are obvious in this pack!
39. If you have freckles, then lemon will help to lighten them. For this you will need egg white, 1 teaspoon of lemon; also soak some almonds overnight in milk and peel them at morning and grind them. Take all the ingredients together and then make a mixture. Spread the mixture on the face and let it dry for 20 minutes. Then wash off the face with water.
40. Lemon can help in whitening your teeth as well as to keep bad breath away. Take a lemon and cut it in two halves, take some salt and baking soda on one half of the lemon and rub this on the teeth. This will make your teeth whiter. Also it will relieve you from problems of bad breath.
41. A great way to stop your hair fall problem is using lemons. Take 3-4 tablespoons of coconut oil and add the juice of half a lemon to it. Apply this mixture on hair once a week. Follow this for 2-3 weeks to see results.
42. Do you know lemon juice can be used to delay graying of hair? Mix few drops of lemon juice with amla juice into a mixture and apply this each night before going to sleep. Follow this for a month and continue. This will not only stop hair fall but also keep you safe from premature graying.
43. Want smooth skin? Lemon is a great ingredient to use for face packs. What you would need for this is a ripe banana, a few drops of lemon juice (freshly squeezed). Mix these two ingredients in a bowl and make a paste. Apply this on the face and leave it on till it dries. Then wash off with water to get a smooth skin.
44. Use a teaspoon of vegetable oil and add 1/4th of a teaspoon of lemon juice to it. Apply this on all the dry areas of the body like hands, elbows, heels and other body parts. Leave it for 10-15 minutes and then rinse with water.
45. Dry skinned beauties may try this face pack using lemon juice, honey, cabbage (boiled). Take 3 teaspoons of lemon juice and 3 teaspoons of honey in a bowl and mix it well. Now take ½ teaspoon of boiled and crushed cabbage. Mix it again into a paste and apply it on the face as well as neck. Leave it on for 10 minutes and wash off.
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-ß | 3 µg | – |
| Carotene-α | 1 µg | – |
| Crypto-xanthin-β | 20 µg | – |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin | 11 µg | – |
| Lycopene | 0 µg | – |
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