6 Health Benefits of Lemon Juice
Fresh lemon juice that’s squeezed at home is something that’s easy to obtain. It’s also very simple to use and great for your health. We’re going to tell you about its medicinal properties and you may be inspired to consume it more often.
Your health may improve just by adding this simple daily habit to your routine. Try it out!
How to make lemon juice
Lemon juice is extracted from the pulp of a lemon when you squeeze it.
To enhance the beneficial properties, we recommend always choosing organic lemons. That way, you can eat the rind, which is very rich in nutrients, according to a study from the National Agrarian University of la Selva.
If it’s not organic, however, leave the rind out because of the significant amount of pesticides it may contain.
If you use the entire lemon, all you need to do is cut it into four pieces, add it to your food processor or blender. Then blend it for one minute with a cup of water (200 ml). You’ll strain off the liquid and your lemon juice will be ready.
If you’ve kept the rind, this beverage will have a slightly bitter flavor, in addition to the normal acidity of the juice. You can add a little pure stevia if the taste is too bitter, but avoid using sugar because it will take away from the natural benefits.
If you want to improve your garden, please read: How to germinate seeds at home
1. It’s a powerful antioxidant
A study from the University of Alabama Huntsville confirmed that lemon juice is a powerful antioxidant. As a result, it helps prevent the harmful effects that free radicals have on the body. It contains lots of Vitamin C, as well as flavonoids, and beta-carotene, among others.
That’s why eating antioxidant-rich foods like lemon juice can help you stay healthy.
Lemon is one of the most cleansing foods that exists. That means it helps clear the body of toxins that might accumulate. It encourages good liver function, according to a study from Sun Yat-sen University.
The calcium and potassium in lemons helps fight fluid retention and improves your kidney’s ability to cleanse your bloodstream. That explains why it helps fight fluid retention, and, consequently, helps regulate blood pressure.
2. Lemon helps alkalinize your body
Lemon juice, despite being acidic, helps neutralize excess acid in the stomach and increase the pH of your bloodstream and your whole body in general.
When your body is too acidic, you’re much more easily affected by a variety of diseases, such as cancer. Some studies show that daily lemon consumption can even help prevent certain types of cancer.
3. It protects the heart
As we mentioned before, lemons contain large amounts of Vitamin C which, according to this study from the University of Connecticut, could help protect your cardiovascular system. Lemon also contains hesperidin, and rutin, along with a variety of antioxidants.
These improve the elasticity of your veins and arteries, preventing diseases like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and arteriosclerosis.
4. It helps you lose weight
People think that lemon juice stimulates the metabolism and helps dissolve fat.
That would be made possible by its high levels of vitamin C, pectin, and caffeine. However, there aren’t any studies to back up this claim.
Lemon does help you feel full longer, so taking it between meals is a natural way to control your appetite.
You want to know more? Boost your metabolism and lose weight easily
5. It improves digestion
As unlikely as it might seem, citrus peels can help your digestive system. That’s according to a study from the University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology in India.
Tea with a little lemon juice added to it, lemon juice on an empty stomach, salad dressing with lemon juice… Any of these are very effective supplements for improving your digestion overall. You can replace vinegar with lemon juice in all sorts of salads and dressings, and add it to any stews or baked dishes. It will add a nice zest to desserts.
Remember: When you add lemon juice to your meals it also improves your absorption of iron, thus helping fight anemia naturally.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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Wang, H., Cheng, L., Lin, D., Ma, Z., & Deng, X. (2017). Lemon fruits lower the blood uric acid levels in humans and mice. Scientia Horticulturae. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2017.03.023
Langella, C., Naviglio, D., Marino, M., Calogero, A., & Gallo, M. (2018). New food approaches to reduce and/or eliminate increased gastric acidity related to gastroesophageal pathologies. Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2018.03.002
Kim, M. J., Hwang, J. H., Ko, H. J., Na, H. B., & Kim, J. H. (2015). Lemon detox diet reduced body fat, insulin resistance, and serum hs-CRP level without hematological changes in overweight Korean women. Nutrition Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2015.04.001
Ballot, D., Baynes, R. D., Bothwell, T. H., Gillooly, M., MacFarlane, B. J., MacPhail, a P., … Torrance, J. D. (1987). The effects of fruit juices and fruits on the absorption of iron from a rice meal. The British Journal of Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1079/BJN19870041
TAKATERA, K., MIYAKE, Y., HIRAMITSU, M., INOUE, T., & KATAGIRI, T. (2012). Effects of Citric Acid and Lemon Juice on Iron Absorption and Improvement of Anemia in Iron-Deficient Rats. Food Science and Technology Research. https://doi.org/10.3136/fstr.18.127
Aslani, N., Entezari, M. H., Askari, G., Maghsoudi, Z., & Maracy, M. R. (2016). Effect of garlic and lemon juice mixture on lipid profile and some cardiovascular risk factors in people 30-60 years old with moderate hyperlipidaemia: A randomized clinical trial. International Journal of Preventive Medicine. https://doi.org/10.4103/2008-7802.187248
