Why it’s good for your health to include more lemons in your diet

Lemons are packed with nutrients. Like most fruits and vegetables, they are packed with vitamins that help keep you healthy. For centuries, lemons have been used to treat scurvy in people traveling long distances by boat. Today, there are more reasons why lemons can benefit your health. The very thought of lemons and their sour taste can make you frown. It’s hard to imagine eating one directly. But after learning more about its benefits, you may change your mind. Their antiviral and antibacterial qualities can have multiple uses.

Nutritional Benefits of Eating Lemons

Eating a whole lemon can be hard to imagine, but lemons are very nutritious. They have a number of health benefits. Most of these benefits can be obtained by combining small amounts of lemon juice with other ingredients. This makes it much easier to enjoy their benefits.

The list of nutrients in a lemon is long, but it includes the following.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is known to help fight off a number of illnesses, including colds, the flu, and even asthma. It is also a powerful antioxidant that has been shown to help fight cancer by preventing the formation of free radicals. Vitamin C also plays an important role in the production of collagen in the skin, which forms the basis of a healthy complexion.

Calcium

Calcium is an essential part of building and maintaining healthy bones. It also contributes to brain health.

Iron

Lemon helps increase the absorption of vegetable iron or non-heme iron thanks to its high content of vitamin C. Iron helps prevent anemia, increase energy and improve athletic performance.

Magnesium

Magnesium works with calcium for good bone health. It may have an effect on diabetes and blood sugar management. It’s also important for your heart health because of its role in building healthy muscles. These muscles include the heart. Lemons also contain fiber and are low in calories. As you can see, they can play an important role in a healthy diet.

Here are some of the ways to benefit from consuming lemon juice

– Mix it with warm water and sea salt and gargle to soothe your throat.
– Take a few sips directly or mixed with water to replenish when you are dehydrated.
– You can inhale lemon juice sprayed in the air to combat fatigue and anxiety.
– Mixed with water and honey, lemon juice can help people who have a fever or who are suffering from the flu. Drink it every two hours until you feel better.
– Drinking warm water mixed with a few drops of fresh lemon juice can soothe your stomach and reduce bloating.
– Because they contain pectin (a soluble fiber), lemons may aid weight loss by increasing satiety at meals.

Other Uses of Lemons

Lemons can also have beneficial effects when used externally. They have powerful antibacterial qualities, making them an excellent organic home cleaner.

How to eat lemons

As mentioned, lemons are not usually eaten alone. There are, however, many ways to add lemons to your diet.
The most popular and versatile way to consume them is to squeeze some of their juice into hot water. You can add honey and other ingredients to it, or squeeze lemon juice into your tea.

Lemon juice is also delicious on seafood. It is also the main ingredient in a number of desserts, such as lemon meringue pie, and the main ingredient in lemonades.

There are many lemon-based recipes. Below are some examples you might want to try.

Recipes using lemons

lemon chicken

This mixture of chicken, lemons and capers is impressive to serve, but easy to make.

Lemon Potatoes

Try this recipe for a new twist on potatoes. Mixing them with lemons makes a tasty side dish.

Lemon Garlic Shrimp

If you like shrimp, this dish is the answer.

When purchasing lemons for these recipes, be sure to store them at room temperature and out of direct sunlight. If you plan to use the rind or zest of lemons, opt for organic lemons to reduce your exposure to pesticides.

Sources

Hashemi, M., Khosravi, E., Ghannadi, A., Hashemipour, M., & Kelishadi, R. (2015, August). Effect of the peels of two Citrus fruits on endothelial function in adolescents with excess weight: A triple-masked randomized trial. Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 20(8), 721-726 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26664417

Lv, X., Zhao, S., Ning, Z., Zeng, H., Shu, Y., Tao, O., Xiao, C., Lu, C., & Liu, Y. (2015, December 24 ). Citrus fruits as a treasure trove of active natural metabolites that potentially provide benefits for human health. Chemistry Central Journal, 9(68)