Bring lemon health benefits into your life to prevent disease and boost vitality.
Many of us know lemons are healthy, but the specifics can be a bit hazy. You might have heard they promote alkalinity or perhaps that they boost metabolism. But there’s much more to these vibrant citrus fruits than meets the eye. The surprising health benefits of lemons might just amaze you!
Whether you know a little or a lot about lemon health benefits, you might get even more than you anticipated. After all, the uses for lemons go way beyond the obvious culinary ones and there are some interesting ways to maximise their benefits.
Even if you find them too astringent for your liking, lemon nutrition is worth the effort. For instance, when you consider that lemons can boost weight loss, compared to the effort of starting a new workout regime, a little bit of tartness should be easy to swallow!
Let's look at the many benefits of lemons that could take your health to the next level.
How lemons boost immunity
Not all lemon benefits will be a huge surprise, but many will be educational. If you are wondering how lemons help immunity, let us enlighten you. Here is a quick overview of the ways lemons boost the immune system. They offer:
- Vitamin C - for fighting off infections and boosting general immunity
- Antioxidants - for reducing inflammation and damaging free radicals
- Antimicrobial properties - for combatting viruses and bacteria
- Iron Absorption - absorbing more iron can boost your immune function
- Alkalising properties - for balancing the body's pH, making it less pathogen-friendly
- Detox support - improving liver function promotes better toxin elimination
Vitamin C and antioxidants are probably the two best-known properties lemons bring to the table. Because they are high in vitamin C, people often squeeze them into hot drinks when struggling with colds and flu. The antioxidants in citrus fruits are equally as famous for their immune-boosting benefits.
There is more when it comes to lemon benefits, however. Here are a few bodily processes (and organs) lemon nutrition helps with:
- Skin and eye health
- Colon Health
- Bile production
- Brain cell regeneration
- DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) and muscle fatigue
Good immune function is fundamental to health stability, so why not let lemons come to the rescue if you have work to do in that area?
Lemons for disease management
This power-packed citrus fruit not only fortifies your immune system - it can also help to prevent all kinds of unwanted ailments and diseases. Lemon health benefits include prevention and management of the following diseases and ailments, to name a few:
- Heart disease
- Strokes
- Asthma attacks
- Diabetes (the lemon compound hesperidin may lower blood sugar levels)
- Depression, anxiety and stress (lemon essential oil is particularly helpful)
- Inflammation
- Bacterial infections
- Breast cancer tumour reduction
- Kidney stones
- Anaemia
- Digestive problems
Relying on lemons alone for disease management is not the best idea. However, combined with other healthy practices, they are a great support.
The alkalizing effects of lemons for body pH balance
The alkalizing properties of lemons are well known, but people are often confused about how something acidic can have an alkalizing effect. Let us clear that up for you.
Despite being acidic in their natural state (pH7 or less), once consumed and processed, lemons have an alkalising effect, thus balancing acidity levels. This is because once metabolised, the minerals from the lemon are dissociated within the bloodstream, elevating your pH to above 7.
In other words, your body produces alkaline byproducts after metabolising lemon. Note that the alkalizing benefits of lemons are only accessible when in harmony with other dietary aspects. If you're regularly pouring in acid-causing substances like coffee, the lemon won't stand much of a chance.
Combined with a healthy, balanced diet, lemons are a great alkalizing tool. Whether you use lemons alone or alongside other alkalizing aids, it is smart to pay attention to your pH levels. Unfortunately, disease thrives in an acidic environment.
If you suspect that you may need a little more alkalizing power than lemons alone can offer (as most do), check out the powerful alkalizing product pH Plus. Our best-selling pH Plus capsules are 100% natural and fully bioavailable, helping you to restore your pH balance and feel your absolute best.
If you are unsure whether your acidity levels are out of whack, you can test your pH with these handy little pH test strips in just a few seconds.
How lemons boost metabolism and aid in weight loss
If you are looking for ways to boost your metabolism, add lemons to your grocery list. The vitamin C in lemons can kick-start your metabolism so that you burn more calories, which is a good start. Eating lemon or drinking lemon water can also suppress the appetite, so reach for a glass of lemon juice instead of the cookie jar, and such urges will soon pass.
If you drink enough lemon water, you will also be fully hydrated, which is helpful for two reasons:
- Dehydration often masquerades as hunger, so you will be less likely to scratch that itch with food
- Being fully hydrated is necessary for effective metabolic processes
Lemon water also promotes feelings of fullness, making overeating less likely. The same can be said for water alone, but why drink plain water when you can reap the benefits of lemon nutrition? That said, be careful with your teeth: lemon is acidic and may damage your precious tooth enamel. It is smart to drink lemon water through a straw - ideally a steel one). Failing that, be sure to rinse your mouth thoroughly with water afterwards.
Although there is a proven link between lemons and weight loss, most people will probably need to include them in a dietary protocol for shedding the extra pounds. There is simply no getting around the need for regular exercise and restriction of fattening foods and drinks. The fact is, you will need to give up commercial lemonade if you want lemons to come to your aid!
What are the detox benefits of lemons?
There is a good reason why lemons commonly feature in liver and kidney cleanses... they work extremely well! To be clear, it is not the lemon that detoxes directly. It is the vitamin C and antioxidants in the lemon that stimulate the liver, which in turn sets off the body's detox mechanism and promotes the flushing of toxins and excess nutrients.
This is the body's job, and it does it well - unless your system is dysfunctional. However, there is nothing wrong with giving it a helping hand with some lemon nutrition!
Another comforting lemon detox fact is that the citric acid in your lemon drink protects your liver function and stops oxidative damage in its tracks. If you drink enough lemon water, you will also need to urinate more, which will clean out your urinary tract.
Lemon is said to be good for digestion since it helps to stimulate morning bowel movements. Detox aficionados often recommend adding lemon to warm water to help with this. This advice may be based more on anecdotes than science, but it likely has some truth to it, as lemon stimulates the metabolism and promotes the flushing of toxins. As constipation is a detoxer's worst enemy, you have everything to gain by giving it a try.
Don't ignore the benefits of lemon peel
Lemon health benefits don't end at the juice vesicles (also known as citrus kernels). The uses of lemon peel are also worth knowing about. When we use lemons for health, we usually squeeze them into water or add them to salads or smoothies. However, plenty of lemon nutrition is available in the lemon's skin. In fact, the peel contains five to ten times more vitamins than the juice!
Among the various lemon peel benefits are higher levels of antioxidants, which are also found in the pith. These life-promoting lemon peels contain bioactive compounds and healthy enzymes. They are responsible for many of the benefits listed in this blog, as well as bringing cholesterol levels into balance.
This bright yellow peel has antimicrobial properties that effectively tackle 'bad' bacteria and help to remove tenacious, health-destroying candida fungus.
Did you know that one of the best ways to consume lemons is to freeze them? It's a great way to get all the benefits of citrus peel. First, you'll need to clean them thoroughly to remove dirt or pesticides from the skin. Next, leave them in the freezer overnight. Once frozen, grate the whole lemons into a container and put them back in the freezer, ready for use.
With its zesty flavour, grated lemon is a fantastic ingredient for enhancing meals and drinks. If you can imagine it, you can try it!
How to prepare lemon water
By now the benefits of drinking lemon water should be clear, and it is one of the easiest ways to get your lemon fix. You might want to know the best way to make lemon water. Lemon juice is perfect for flavouring other drinks and foods, but you won't want to drink the juice without dilution - that is not for the faint-hearted!
Lemon juice aficionados tend to juice their lemons and add them to a glass of water. Generally, people add the juice of half a lemon or more to a glass of water. You don't need an all-singing, all-dancing juicer for such a small job - a hand-press citrus juicer will do the trick.
If you still find yourself wincing at the idea of lemon water, add a little sweetness, and you should soon change your mind. We don't recommend adding refined sugar, but you can sweeten lemon juice with a spoonful of xylitol, or some high-quality honey. There are lots of options for offsetting lemon bitterness with other flavours - be creative!
If you truly dislike the taste of lemon water, consider making yourself a lemon smoothie. Lemon will only make up a small proportion, so you may not even taste it at all. You can maximise your lemon peel benefits by adding some of your frozen grated lemon to the mix. Throw in a few sweet, flavoursome fruits, superfoods and your choice of milk, and you have a healthy, filling drink.
Now you know about the myriad lemon health benefits, there is no excuse not to incorporate them into your diet more regularly. We are sure you will be a true lemon lover in no time!
As always, MediMush is here to support your health through our range of premium quality products. Why not start by checking out our vitaltity-boosting cordyceps powder? Just drop us a line if you need a little help choosing the right products for your health.
