The Benefits and Uses of Lemon Peel
Most of us know the many benefits of lemon, but most of us don’t know anything about its peel. Traditionally, many of us are used to using only lemon juice, whether for culinary or medicinal purposes. However, lemon peel has many curative properties because it contains 5 to 10 times more vitamins than its juice.
What are the benefits of lemon peel?
- There are very important medicinal substances in lemon peel like its essential oil, citronella, phellandrene, vitamin C, citric acid, malic acid, formic acid, hesperidin, and pectins.
- Among its properties, lemon peel helps rid the body of toxins and, as a result, has a rejuvenating effect as well.
- It fights abdominal bloating, reducing intestinal gas as well.
- Helps cleanse the liver thanks to its detoxifying effects which stimulate the elimination of toxic substances and waste.
- Boosts digestion and prevents constipation.
- Due to its high contents of vitamin C and other vitamins, it’s a powerful immune system strengthener that helps prevent infections, colds, the flu, and respiratory problems.
- Boosts blood alkalinity.
- Help reduce high blood pressure levels.
- Fights nervousness.
- Lemon peel is antiseptic.
- Eliminates excess oil from the skin, thanks to its astringent properties.
- Helps lighten dark spots on the skin and teeth.
- Has a powerful anti-carcinogenic effect that could help eradicate malignant tumors.
Lemon peel to fight cancer
Recent studies have found that lemon peel has very powerful substances that could be up to 10 times more effective than chemotherapy when fighting cancerous cells. Its detoxifying effects and the nutrients it contains could be key to preventing and fighting some kinds of cancers.
The study, which was recently published, showed that after over 20 tests since 1970, it was discovered that lemon peel extract can destroy malignant cells of up to 12 kinds of cancers, such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, pancreas cancer, among others. The most amazing part of it all is that lemon peel doesn’t have any side effects, unlike many other cancer treatments.
How to reap the benefits of lemon peel
Lemon peels are often used only for desserts and other culinary recipes that require its characteristic bitterness. However, keeping in mind the many benefits of lemon peel, we can start to include it more frequently in our diet by following these tips:
- Wash a lemon well and put it in the freezer for as long as necessary for it to freeze well. Once it freezes, grate it to use its peel or you can also choose to blend it. You can sprinkle lemon peel on your soups, salads, juices, noodles, sauces, rice, sushi, fish dishes, among others.
- If you want to enjoy a lemonade, blend the lemon with the peel in order to take advantage of 100% of the lemon’s benefits. The flavor will be a little different, but it will still be delicious and very refreshing.
- Use lemon peel to make your whiskey, wine, or vodka cocktails taste even better.
Lemon peel tea
Lemon peel tea is another excellent option to take advantage of all the benefits of frequently eating an entire lemon. This tea is great for detoxifying the body, eliminating toxins, and fighting the free radicals that build up in your body as a consequence of pollution, chemical products, cigarette smoke, or a poor diet. It’s also antibacterial and antimicrobial and prevents colds because of its high vitamin C contents.
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Ingredients
- 1 liter of water
- The peel and juice of 2 lemons
- Honey or stevia
Instructions
- First, heat the liter of water along with the peel from the two lemons and let it boil for 15 minutes.
- After that time, remove from heat and add the juice from the two lemons.
- Lastly, sweeten it with a little bit of honey or stevia.
You can drink lemon tea cold or hot after every meal except breakfast. However, it’s better to drink it before breakfast (on an empty stomach).
