10 More Lemon Tips for a Healthier You

Fortunately, lemons are easy to get hold of all year round, even if you do not have your own lemon tree. Lemons have so many health and other benefits that they should always be part of your diet and especially in the winter months.

And don't forget that it is not just the flesh and juice of the lemon - try to use the pith and the zest too

1. Always start your day with a lemon as a glass of water with a slice of lemon will re-hydrate your body after a long night's sleep while supporting the kidneys and the digestive system. If you can drink more of the same during the day or add fresh lemon to your cup of black tea, even better. Then end your day with a glass of warm water with lemon before bed to help the body cleanse whilst you sleep.

2. Use lemon to detox and cleanse that very hard working organ, the liver. Alcohol and sugar can really exact a heavy toll on the liver so give it a break by kicking the sugar habit, taking a rest from alcohol and including plenty of lemons (or grapefruit) in your diet to help to cleanse the liver while preventing toxins from spreading to other parts of the body.

3. The bitter taste of lemon helps the pumping motion in the bowels to spring into action for improved and regular bowel movements. So that lemon juice in warm water first thing has another benefit.

4. Of course everyone knows about lemon and vitamin C which together with flavonoids work to prevent infection. In addition, lemons contain citric acid, B-complex vitamins, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and fiber.

5. The vitamin C found in lemons helps to neutralize those free radicals that have been linked to aging and most types of disease. In addition, Vitamin C helps to boost the immune system while also assisting in the production of collagen which fights wrinkles by keeping the skin firm. This incredible vitamin helps the body absorb calcium and iron and has also been shown to reduce acne flare-ups.

6. Not only anti-infection, lemons have anti-viral properties too and can be very effective against all types of viruses including viral colds and flu.

7. Although lemons are acidic, strangely enough they interact with our body's metabolism to have an alkalizing effect on the body's fluids. This helps to restore the body's PH.

8. A very important benefit is the presence of 22 anti-cancer compounds (including limonene which studies have shown slows or halts the growth of cancer tumors in animals while flavonol glycosides prevents cell division in cancer cells.

9. Rutin is found in lemons and its presence has been shown to improve the symptoms of eye disorders, including retinopathy in those who have diabetes. Another plus for diabetics is that lemons contain hesperetin which lowers blood sugar levels.

10. That citric acid found in lemon juice helps with kidney health by dissolving gallstones, calcium deposits and painful kidney stones.

So stock up a supply of lemons when you do your grocery shop every week and ensure a continuous supply of health benefits from this powerhouse of goodness.

Sources

Annals of Internal Medicine: “The effect of fruit and vegetable intake on risk for coronary heart disease.” 

British Journal of Nutrition: “The digestion of pectin in the human gut and its effect on calcium absorption and large bowel function.” 

British Journal of Nutrition: “The effects of fruit juices and fruits on the absorption of iron from a rice meal.”

Chemistry Central Journal: “Citrus fruits as a treasure trove of active natural metabolites that potentially provide benefits for human health.” 

Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition. “Lemon Polyphenols Suppress Diet-induced Obesity by Up-Regulation of mRNA Levels of the Enzymes Involved in beta-Oxidation in Mouse White Adipose Tissue.”