Homeweight loss6 Reasons to Eat Lemon more oftenLemon is very beneficial for your health. However, due to its sour taste, it is not usually consumed as usual. Next, we list all the benefits of this citrus.
Lemon is included in fruits known as citrus fruits.
These are characterized by their colorful skin, their absence of bone and for being an important source of nutrients and health benefits. Specifically, lemons stand out for their high content of citric acid, potassium and vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant.
Known in Asia for more than 2,500 years, the presence of lemons and lemons is common in much of the world. The Arabs took him to the Mediterranean basin in the 10th century and the Spaniards to the American continent in the 16th. What makes it a widely known fruit.
But despite its popularity, its great seasonality and its contribution to health, its pronounced sour taste, it makes most people not consume lemons as a whole fruit. At most certain people use their juice to flavor certain dishes or mix it with water to create lemonade.
Nutritional Benefits of Lemon
But although due to acidity, this fruit is not taken into account for its consumption, its intake should not be overlooked. And it is that the lemon is an outstanding contribution of vitamins and nutrients.
Like the rest of citrus fruits, it is an outstanding food in antioxidants, since it contains a large amount of Vitamin C, which is a great boost for the immune system. But not only that, it also incorporates flavonoids, (located mainly in its bark) with important antioxidant active properties.
Low in calories and rich in vitamin B, lemon is also an important source of potassium, one of the essential minerals for the proper development of our body. On the other hand it provides soluble fiber, which slows digestion and favors the feeling of satiety.
In addition, like other citrus fruits, lemon contains considerable amounts of citric acid, related to the ability to protect against kidney stones.
All this makes clear, the importance of introducing the lemon in our diet regularly.
Below we gather some scientific evidence that demonstrates the health benefits of the consumption of lemons.
Good for the heart
It has become clear that lemon is a fruit rich in vitamin C. Specifically every 100 grams provides about 50 mg, and a portion around 35 mg, a good contribution if we consider that the recommended daily amounts of vitamin C are in the 90 mg for men and 75.5 mg for women.
This vitamin, also known as ascorbic acid, is necessary in our body for the formation of muscles, blood vessels, cartilage and collagen in our bones, as indicated by the Mayo Clinic. It is also a powerful antioxidant and immune system booster.
In addition to this, some scientific evidence has pointed out that the consumption of vitamin C can help reduce heart disease as well as the risk of suffering a stroke.
Lemon also contains high amounts of flavonides, capable of reducing the effect of free radicals. In this area, several investigations have suggested that these compounds could reduce the risk of heart disease as well as coronary heart disease. This seems to be because flavonoids “improve coronary vasodilation, decrease the ability of blood platelets to clot and prevent oxidation of low density lipoproteins (LDL),” known as bad cholesterol.
The fiber contained in citrus fruits helps maintain blood cholesterol levels.Provides benefits for the skinSome research has shown that vitamin C can help improve the appearance of the skin during aging.
On the other hand, flavonoids have proven to be a natural photoprotector against the effects of UV rays.
It can help against cancer
In general, a varied diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, is essential when it comes to keeping us healthy.
More specifically, scientific evidence seems to lean toward the idea that certain antioxidants, such as flavonoids, could play a relevant role in protecting against certain cancers. And it is that some studies suggest that a diet rich in these compounds (present in lemons) may reduce the risk of breast, prostate or colon cancer.
Other research has found that a regular citrus intake could be associated with a lower risk of pancreatic and stomach cancer.
A study in mice concluded that the compound D-limonene, present in lemon oils, seems to have a blocking action of tumor induction. But at the moment this evidence has not moved to humans.
Protects from kidney stones
Kidney stones originate in the kidneys, when particles capable of causing crystals (such as calcium or uric acid) are present in such an amount in the urine that they cannot be dissolved by liquids.
To combat this, it has been shown that the consumption of citric acid is an effective protection against the formation of kidney stones. The reason is because this acid favors the increase of citrate in the urine, which reduces the risk that the crystals end up transforming into stones.
Reduce the risk of anemia
Lemons can help reduce the risk of anemia.
The reason is not due to the amount of iron present in this citrus, but because, as science has shown, vitamin C and citric acid, very present in this fruit, improve the absorption of iron in our body.
Can help you lose weight
Lemon is usually associated with weight loss. But while this could be so, it is possible to explain certain data before.
As such, the soluble fiber present in this citrus, favors slower digestions and helps to generate a feeling of satiety in our body that can in turn help to be less hungry and therefore consume fewer calories.
The problem is that these types of fibers are not found in their juice, but are located in the white skin of the lemon.