Based Health Benefits of Lemons: Lemons include minerals that, among other things, may assist maintain your cardiovascular health and protect against kidney stones and anemia.
- Lemons are high in vitamin C, fiber, and other plant components.
- These nutrients are responsible for a number of health advantages.
- Lemons, in fact, may benefit heart health, weight control, and digestive wellness.
- Here are six scientifically proven health advantages of lemons.
Support Heart Health
- Lemons are an excellent source of vitamin C.
- One lemon has around 31 mg of vitamin C, which is 51% of the RDA.
- According to research, consuming vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables lowers your risk of heart disease and stroke (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source).
- However, it is not just vitamin C that is regarded to be beneficial to your heart. Lemon fiber and plant components may also reduce several risk factors for heart disease (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).
- One study, for example, discovered that consuming 24 grams of citrus fiber extract daily for a month lowered total blood cholesterol levels (6).
- Lemon plant components, especially hesperidin and diosmin, have also been shown to decrease cholesterol (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source, 9).
Note: Lemons are high in heart-healthy vitamin C as well as a number of helpful plant chemicals that may decrease cholesterol.
Help Control Weight
- Lemons are frequently recommended as a weight loss food, and there are several ideas as to why.
- According to one popular idea, the soluble pectin fiber in them stretches in your stomach, making you feel fuller for longer.
- However, few people consume whole lemons. Lemon juice drinks will not increase fullness in the same way since lemon juice includes no pectin.
- Another belief contends that drinking hot water with lemon can aid in weight loss.
- However, drinking water has been shown to temporarily boost the number of calories burned, thus it is possible that the water itself is aiding in weight reduction rather than the lemon (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).
- Other ideas indicate that the plant components in lemons can help you lose weight.
- Plant components included in lemon extracts have been shown in studies to help prevent or reduce weight gain in a variety of ways (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).
- In one study, obese mice were given lemon polyphenols derived from the peel. They grew less body fat and weight than other mice (14Reliable Source).
- However, no human trials have been conducted to substantiate the weight loss effects of lemon chemicals.
Note: Although animal studies suggest that lemon extract and plant chemicals may aid in weight loss, the effects in people are uncertain.
Protect Against Anemia
- Anemia caused by a lack of iron is extremely prevalent. It happens when you don’t receive enough iron from your diet.
- Lemons contain some iron, but their main role in preventing anemia is to improve iron absorption from plant meals (26Trusted Source, 27Trusted Source).
- Iron from meat, chicken, and fish (known as heme iron) is easily absorbed by your intestines, however iron from plant sources (non-heme iron) is not. This absorption, however, can be enhanced by ingesting vitamin C and citric acid.
- Lemons, which contain both vitamin C and citric acid, may help to prevent anemia by ensuring that you absorb as much iron as possible from your diet.
Note: Lemons contain vitamin C and citric acid, both of which aid in the absorption of non-heme iron from plants. This may help to prevent anemia.
Prevent Kidney Stones
- Kidney stones are tiny lumps that grow in your kidneys when waste products crystallize and stack up.
- They are fairly common, and people who get them frequently.
- Citric acid may aid in the prevention of kidney stones by increasing urine volume and pH, so producing a less favorable environment for the production of kidney stones (15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source).
- A half-cup (4 ounces or 125 ml) of lemon juice per day may give enough citric acid to assist prevent stone formation in persons who already have them (17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).
- A half-cup (4 ounces or 125 ml) of lemon juice per day may give enough citric acid to assist prevent stone formation in persons who already have them (17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).
- Some studies have also discovered that lemonade can help avoid kidney stones, however the findings have been mixed. Other research (19Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source, 21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source) found no effect.
- More research is needed to determine whether lemon juice impacts kidney stone formation (23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source).
Note: Lemon juice may aid in the prevention of kidney stones. However, further high-quality research is required.
Improve Digestive Health
- Lemons contain about 10% carbohydrates, the majority of which are soluble fiber and simple sugars.
- Lemons’ main fiber source is pectin, a type of soluble fiber with numerous health advantages.
- Soluble fiber can promote gut health and reduce sugar and carbohydrate digestion. Blood sugar levels may be lowered as a result of these effects (41Trusted Source, 42Trusted Source, 43Trusted Source, 44Trusted Source).
- To reap the benefits of fiber from lemons, however, you must consume the pulp.
- People who drink lemon juice without the fiber found in the pulp are missing out on the fiber’s benefits.
Note: Lemons include soluble fiber, which may aid with digestive health. However, you must consume the entire lemon pulp, not just the juice.
Reduce Cancer Risk
- A diet high in fruits and vegetables may help prevent several cancers (28Reliable Source).
- Some observational studies have discovered that persons who consume the most citrus fruit have a lower risk of cancer, whereas others have found no effect (29Trusted Source, 30Trusted Source, 31Trusted Source).
- Many lemon chemicals have been shown in laboratory experiments to kill cancer cells. They may not, however, have the same effect on the human body (32Trusted Source, 33Trusted Source, 34Trusted Source).
- Some experts believe that plant chemicals found in lemons, such as limonene and naringenin, may have anticancer properties, although further research is needed (5Trusted Source, 35Trusted Source, 36Trusted Source, 37Trusted Source).
- D-limonene, a molecule present in lemon oil, has anticancer effects according to animal research (38Trusted Source, 39Trusted Source).
- Another study employed mandarin pulp, which included the plant chemicals beta-cryptoxanthin and hesperidin, both of which are found in lemons.
- The researchers discovered that these chemicals reduced the development of malignant tumors in rodent tongues, lungs, and colons (40Trusted Source).
- It should be noted, however, that the researchers utilized an extremely high dose of the compounds – far more than you’d get from eating lemons or oranges.
- While some plant components found in lemons and other citrus fruits may have anticancer properties, there is no reliable proof that lemons can combat cancer in humans.
Note: Animal studies have revealed that several plant compounds contained in lemons can help prevent cancer. Human studies, however, are required.
Based Health Benefits of Lemons
The Bottom Line
Lemons are high in vitamin C, soluble fiber, and plant chemicals, which provide a variety of health benefits.
Lemons may help you lose weight and lower your risk of heart disease, anemia, kidney stones, digestive problems, and cancer.
Lemons are not only a very healthy fruit, but they also have a distinct, pleasant taste and smell, making them an excellent addition to dishes and beverages. Based Health Benefits of Lemons
