Lemons: 15 healthy benefits

For centuries lemons, along with other gifts of nature, such as apples, garlic and ginger, have been considered real medicines able to help the body in the treatment and prevention of diseases.

Given the many beneficial properties of these fruits, which we list here, it would be advisable to try to enrich our diet with them, for example using lemon juice to dress salads and vegetables, to enrich smoothies or juices, and to prepare completely natural ice lollies. Why do lemons are so healthy? Let's find out together.

1) Lemons rebalance the body's pH

Lemons help the body to rebalance their pH. They are initially acidic, but later act in the body with alkalizing reactions, so as to ensure that the pH can be perfectly balanced. A balanced pH would also help to prevent the onset of osteoporosis, to promote a good rest and to improve digestion.

2) Lemons prevent cold

Lemons are rich in vitamin C and flavonoids, which help the body fight flu and colds. Lemon zest can be used together with ginger for the preparation of protective infusions against colds. Vitamin C also helps to promote the absorption of iron by the body. It is therefore advisable, for example, to season with lemon juice a healthy salad prepared with fresh spinach and green leafy vegetables.

3) Lemons purify the liver

Lemon juice is considered an excellent stimulant for the liver and it is also considered able to promote the elimination of uric acids. The lemon juice acts by carrying out a real liver purification activity, especially if consumed in the morning fasting, diluted in a glass of water.

4) Lemons help the intestine

Both fruits and juice are considered able to promote intestinal activity, with particular reference to peristaltic movements. This contributes to the elimination of waste by the body and to promote the natural regularity. In this case it is advisable to add lemon juice to a glass of warm water, which will be the first drink in the morning.

5) Lemons dissolve the kidney stones

Lemons, due to their citric acid content, contribute to dissolving gallstones, kidney stones and calcium deposits that can accumulate in the kidneys. Adding lemon juice to your diet would therefore contribute to both prevention and treatment of urinary stones. The beneficial effects of lemons and their juice in this sense have been known since 1500.

6) Lemons fight free radicals

The nutritive components present in lemons are considered able to carry out an action of contrast against free radicals, which determine the cellular aging of the organism. Lemon juice is beneficial for skin care and, by diluting a few drops in water, can be used as a tonic for the face.

7) Lemons lower cholesterol

Some scientific studies have proved to be able to determine how one of the components present in the peel of lemons, tangeritina, may be able to control cholesterol levels in the blood. At the moment it would be an initial study which will have to be investigated. At the same time, we would examine the positive effects of tangeritine in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

8) Lemons promote digestion

Already in traditional Indian medicine, Ayurveda, lemons were considered fruits capable of stimulating the action of "digestive fire", improving the ability of our body to absorb nutrients. For Ayurveda, lemons are warm, light, pungent, astringent and protective for the eyes. In case of indigestion it is advisable to drink lemon juice with a pinch of salt and one of black pepper.

9) Lemons promote breathing

This is a very useful advice to those who make excursions or climbs at high altitude. In the case of difficulty in breathing or insufficient oxygen in the high mountains, lemon juice would be a very effective remedy, at least according to what Edmund Hillary said, the first man to climb Everest, which would attribute much of his success to the consumption of lemons.

10) Lemons have antibacterial properties

Lemons have proven antibacterial properties. They would be effective against microorganisms capable of generating typhus, malaria, cholera and diphtheria. Their juice and their pulp are indispensable allies in the preparation of natural detergents for cleaning the house and for washing dishes. For example, see this recipe for the preparation of a completely natural lemon-based dish soap.

11) Lemons eliminate intestinal parasites

Intestinal parasites are unwanted guests that can be eliminated by taking more care of your diet and start to taking, as a natural remedy, a glass of warm water in which the juice of half a lemon has been diluted. The drink should be taken every morning. To eliminate intestinal parasites it is usually recommended to enrich your diet with fruits and vegetables and to eliminate packaged industrial foods.

12) Lemons strengthen blood vessels

The consumption of lemons and their juice is considered beneficial in order to strengthen blood vessels. This is possible thanks to their vitamin P content, which can also contribute to the prevention of internal bleeding. The same vitamin would also make lemons effective in regulating blood pressure.

13) Lemons possess anticancer properties

Within the lemons, experts have identified as many as 22 elements with anticancer properties, including the naturally occurring limonene in them. Such elements would be able to stop or slow down the development of tumors within the organism. These results would however refer to studies carried out on animals, which should be verified on humans.

14) Lemons help the eyes

The symptoms of some eye diseases, including retinopathy caused by diabetes, would be able to improve thanks to rutin, a component present in lemons. Rutin would also be able to strengthen the capillaries and counteract the negative effects caused by cholesterol and oxidative phenomena on our body.

15) Lemons promote energy production

According to the Reams Biological Ionization Theory (RBTI), lemons would be the only anionic food in the world. This characteristic would make them particularly beneficial for health, due to the contribution that they would give to the interaction between cations and anions, necessary for the production of energy at the cellular level.