Health Benefits of Lemon and Recipe for Making Lemon Juice
Health Benefits and Nutritional Facts of Lemon
Lemon is a juicy fruit. It has yellow skin and sour juice. Hence, it is extensively used for culinary purposes to add sourness to the food. It has a mild fragrance and flavor. Lemon has seeds inside. It belongs to the citrus family.
Using lemon has many health benefits. It has medicinal properties. Hence, in addition to cooking, it is also used for medicinal purposes.
Lemon is the most popular citrus fruit. It has citric acid. Hence, it tastes sour. You can not eat it whole as a fruit. It is eaten in the form of a slice for garnishing the meal or a drink. Lemon juice is used in cooking for adding flavor and sourness to the food. Lemon is the key ingredient in making lemonade.
The health benefits of lemon are due to its numerous nourishing elements like vitamin C, vitamin B 6, vitamin A, vitamin E, folate, niacin thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, copper, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, fiber, and protein. It has phytonutrients with antioxidant and antibiotic effects. Lemon has even a small quantity of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acid.
Make Lemon Juice at Home
Drinking lemon juice has many health benefits. It keeps you cool and calm. It lowers the body temperature. Studies from American Urological Association have proved the fact that lemon juice or lemonade can eliminate kidney stones. It is by forming urinary citrate that prevents the forming of crystals.
Lemon juice is used to remove the stains on clothes. It has cleaning property when applied occasionally in a diluted form. It can remove the black spots on the skin or make it fade.
As per the reports submitted by The Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, lemon provides protection against arthritis and inflammatory polyarthritis.
Recipe for Making Lemon Juice
- Take a glass of freshwater. Squeeze 2 teaspoons of lemon juice into it.
- Add a pinch of salt (optional) and two teaspoons of sugar or jaggery powder. Mix well.
- For added flavor, you can add a pinch of crushed cardamom. Sieve it if you want to. You can also drink it straight away.
Other Benefits of Using Lemon
1. Digestion: Drink lemon juice when you are thirsty or after having a heavy meal or dinner. It helps to digest. Even in restaurants, you get fresh lemon soda which serves the purpose.
2. Weight loss: Drinking lukewarm water mixed with lemon juice and honey regularly helps in reducing body weight.
3. Foot relaxation: Add a few drops of lemon juice to lukewarm water. Dip your feet in it for 10 minutes. You will get relaxed. Also, the fresh aroma of the lemon removes the odor of the feet.
4. Corns: If you have corns on the foot or palm, apply lemon juice on the corns, to dissolve it. Drinking lemon juice with water helps in reducing gall stones for the same reason.
5. Internal Bleeding: Lemon juice helps in stopping internal bleeding due to its antiseptic and coagulant properties. If your nose bleeds, apply lemon juice to a small piece of cotton and place it on the bleeding area of the nose to get relief from bleeding.
6. Cholera: Lemon juice acts as a blood purifier. Hence, it is used in the treatment of ailments like cholera and malaria.
7. Rheumatism: Due to its diuretic property, it helps in treating rheumatism and arthritis. Drinking lemon juice regularly helps in flushing out toxins and bacteria from the body.
8. Reduction of scars: If you have a fresh burn, apply lemon juice on it to experience the cooling effect. To treat the old burn scar, apply lemon juice regularly to fade the scar.
9. Skincare: Lemon protects the skin from wrinkles. It is an anti-aging remedy on the skin. Apply lemon juice on sunburns to reduce the pain. It has natural antiseptic properties. Drink regularly lemon juice with water and honey to get glowing, blemish-free skin. It is also good for acne, pimples, blackheads, and eczema. There are soaps and face wash available in the cosmetic market that contains lemon in it.
10. Hair Care: Apply the mixture of fresh curd and a few drops of lemon juice on the scalp for ten minutes before taking a head bath. This will reduce dandruff and bad odor from the scalp. Along with freshness, lemon gives luster to the hair.
11. Throat infections: Due to its anti-bacterial property, consuming lemon juice fights against throat infections.
12. Fever: Drinking lemon juice during fever breaks the fever by increasing perspiration. It also gives relief from cold and flu.
13. Reduces blood pressure: Lemon has potassium in it. Hence, it is good for people suffering from heart ailments. Lemon controls high blood pressure, nausea, and dizziness, mainly because it provides a calm sensation to both body and the mind. It also helps to reduce stress and depression.
Conclusion:
Though lemon can't cure the diseases like malaria, fever, etc completely, it surely aids in the treatment. The daily practice of eating a quarter lemon along with food or drink keeps you healthy and strong. It builds your immunity. However, don't touch the lemon juice on the teeth directly because the acid in it may harm the teeth' enamel.
Reference: www.organicfacts.net
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Nutritional Information of Lemon:
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving size: 1 cup lemon juice | |
| Calories | 61 |
| Calories from Fat | 0 |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Carbohydrates 21 g | 7% |
| Sugar 6 g | |
| Fiber 1 g | 4% |
| Protein 1 g | 2% |
| Sodium 2 mg | |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
