Bright, flavorful, and juicy; lemons are the most popular citrus fruit in the world. From Indian Ayurveda, to Italian cuisine (where lemons are practically a culture themselves), lemons are used all across the world to enhance the flavor of food, soothe a sore throat, and even cure certain diseases.
Lemons are rich in many nutrients, such as Vitamin C, pectin, flavonoid antioxidants, B-vitamins, potassium and calcium. It’s no wonder these little yellow fruits have so many different uses!
Below you’ll find several benefits of lemons you may not know about that can make you healthier, improve your appearance and simply make certain tasks easier.
After reading these benefits and uses, you will definitely try to eat more lemons and use them in more and more ways.
Heath benefits & uses of Lemon
Balance Body’s pH
The stress of modern life, junk food, pollution, lack of exercise and other toxins can throw our body off balance. Although lemons are very acidic, their nutrient content is alkaline-forming and thus helps make our body more resistant to a number of health problems. A cup of warm water with some lemon squeezed in will help you start your day in a healthy way.
Relieve Indigestion and Constipation
Lemons are very antibacterial and as such they destroy bad bacteria in your body, and allow the good bacteria to flourish. The good bacteria help with problems such as indigestion and constipation. A glass of water with the juice of one lemon, or any other means of combining lemons with a large meal, will help stimulate peristalsis and the production stomach acids to start the digestion process.
A helpful diet aid
When you are on a diet a lemon can be your best ally for many different reasons. First, it contains Pectin, a fiber that can help you in feeling fuller and eating less. Thanks to this, a glass of lemon tea before a meal can help prevent overeating. The second thing is that lemon juice happens to be a natural diuretic. This means it helps the body get rid of excess water it doesn’t need through increased urination, this will make you feel less heavy and less puffy.
Natural parasite killer
Parasites and intestinal worms are very hard to get rid of, but there is a key element to get rid of them that lemons can help you with. Parasites love acidic environments and drinking lemon juice or eating lemons will make your digestive system a more balanced environment which the parasites will die in.
Natural mouth wash
If you have bad breath or canker sores a lemon might be an easy, cheap and simple way to deal with them. Apply fresh lemon juice to the area or gargle just like any other oral care aid. If you have bleeding gums you can massage freshly squeezed lemon juice to the area with the problem, and directly deal with the bacteria causing all the pain.
Relax and Boost Concentrate
The gentle scent of a lemon has been scientifically proven to have a calming effect. The lemon's essential oil has the ability to increase your level of concentration and alertness in your work or studying environment, with just the fresh smell they emit.
Exfoliate and renew your skin
The vitamin C in the lemon has a beneficial effect on your skin as well as your body. Many skin care products are high on vitamin C because it stimulates cell renewal by gently exfoliating your skin. By using a slice of lemon as a facial scrub you will remove stubborn dirt and dead skin from your face and reveal the fresh, clean and healthy layer underneath.
Cure Acne
If you suffer from acne, lemon juice makes a great natural antibacterial treatment for acne. Simply wet a cotton ball in lemon juice and apply it to your face once at night on areas with acne, blackheads and eczema as an alternative to topical acne treatments. Wash the solution off with water the following morning, and follow your regular skincare routine.
Detoxify your liver
Herbalists and naturopaths claim that the sourness of lemons signals the body to activate the liver and kidneys, and that the antioxidants help enhance the kidney and liver function. This enables them to better detoxify themselves and the rest of the body. As previously mentioned, lemons are also a mild diuretic which encourages your body to release stored unused water along with the accumulated waste products cleaned by your liver.
Lower your blood pressure
The Pectin in lemons can help lower the cholesterol which causes high blood pressure. Flavonoids, as well as vitamin P, also help strengthen the blood vessels themselves and lower the risk of damage to them, due to high blood pressure.
Get Rid of Dandruff
A simple way to treat dandruff by yourself is to make a hair mask, using lemon juice and other natural ingredients like coconut oil. Use this mask to moisturize your dry scalp, but don't use it for too long or too often as lemon juice can also lighten your hair.
Make Your Feet More Attractive
The solution for rough and scaly feet might be right inside your own kitchen. The citric acid along with the vitamin C in lemons can slough off dead skin, enhance skin renewal, and brighten dark skin areas. Simply soak your feet in some hot water with the juice of 2-3 lemons, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and ¼ cup of milk for about 20 minutes. Your feet will not only be softer than ever but will also smell much better!
A homemade cure for fever and chills
Lemon tea and lemon juice have long been used as homemade remedies to help lower fever. A drink of lemon tea with honey every few hours should help subside any chill or fever you might have. If you still feel bad just remember that you should go see your physician.
Get healthy glowing skin
Lemons don't have to be used only to repair damaged skin, the Vitamin C found in them is used by your body to make collagen and elastin. Both are tissues responsible for giving your skin a glowing and youthful appearance. Simply start eating more lemons or apply lemon juice to your skin, and after a time you will see the effect.
Pain relief
The oils found in lemons create an aroma that relaxes blood vessels and reduces inflammation, both are key factors in pain relief. If you suffer from sore joints or other inflammatory diseases drink a glass of lemon water every day and it could help ease your symptoms. Lemon extract can even help alleviate pain caused by sunburn if applied to the skin with water and gently rubbed on the sore area.
A treatment for varicose veins
The blood-vessel strengthening properties of lemon can be used to reduce the appearance of varicose veins, making your legs look younger and healthier. Add a few drops of lemon essential oil to a moisturizing oil of your choice (like jojoba or avocado oil) and massage into the affected area. Doing so on a regular basis will slowly make the veins disappear from the top of your skin.
