One glass of lemon juice contains less than 25 calories. Lemon is a rich source of nutrients, such as calcium, potassium, vitamin C and pectin fiber. It also has medicinal values and antibacterial properties, and contains traces of iron and vitamin A.
Apart from these, there are also numerous benefits that we haven’t heard about until now. Continue reading and experience the health benefits of this fruit.
- Relieve Indigestion and Constipation
Lemons are like an antibacterial powerhouse. They have the ability to destroy bad bacteria and allow good bacteria to flourish in the body, which relieves indigestion and constipation. Every morning, drink a warm glass of water mixed with lemon juice to stimulate peristalsis, as well as the production of saliva and stomach acids that start the digestion process.
- Balance Your Body’s pH
According to Ayurvedic philosophy, we should always start our day by aligning our body with nature’s rhythms. This also means that we should restore the pH balance in our bodies which often becomes acidic due to many factors of modern life: junk food, pollution, lack of exercise and other toxins. It is very important to keep the body slightly alkaline to prevent illnesses and chronic diseases like cancer. Even though lemons are indeed acidic, the nutrient content found in lemons is alkaline forming. They are one of the most alkaline forming foods, which is why they are great for alleviating many health problems. Start your day with a morning ritual of drinking a glass of lukewarm water with half a lemon squeezed in it.
- Kill Parasites
If you’ve ever suffered from intestinal worms and parasites, then you know that they can be difficult to get rid of. It is important to destroy parasites once and for all by creating an environment where they can’t survive. Since parasites love acidic environments, the best way to kill them is to make your digestive system alkaline. Therefore, one of the fastest ways to kill them off is to drink lemon juice and make your intestines alkaline.
- Lose Weight Faster
Lemons can be very helpful if you’re on a diet. Several Hollywood starlets swear by the Lemonade Diet when they need to lose weight fast. Lemons can help you with weight loss in several ways:
They contain the soluble fiber pectin which will make you feel fuller and eat less. Drinking a cup of hot tea with half a lemon squeezed in before meals is a great way to prevent overeating.
Pectin will also slow the rate of glucose or sugar absorption in the body, thus preventing blood sugar spikes that are common to Type 2 Diabetes.
Lemon juice is also a natural diuretic. Through increased urination, it will help your body flush out that excess water weight that makes you look bloated. It will reduce the bloating and puffiness, and you will look slimmer and fit into your jeans better.
There is a technique that will help you lose several pounds in a short period of time. Make a diet lemonade using 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, a pinch of cayenne pepper and 2 teaspoons of honey. Drink this in the mornings. For the remainder of the day, you will need 2 – 3 freshly squeezed lemons and purified water (around 500 ml). Mix the juice of the lemons with the water in a bottle, and drink it throughout the day. It will make you feel fuller, experience less cravings, and gently flush out the extra water weight that is accumulated around your midsection. Just be prepared for frequent trips to the bathroom.
- Boost Your Concentration
According to one study, the smell of lemon essential oil has the ability to boost our mood. You can buy lemon balm essential oil on the market, and smell its gentle lemon scent for its scientifically proven calming effect. It will help you increase your concentration and alertness at work.
- Improve Your Oral Care
Lemons can alleviate a host of oral health problems, whether it’s bad breath or canker sores. It can also help you eliminate toothache – just apply fresh lemon juice to the area where it hurts. If you suffer from bleeding gums, just massage freshly squeezed lemon juice into your gums to stop the bleeding and kill the bacteria that causes gum disease.
- Detoxify Your Liver
According to herbalists and naturopaths, the sourness of lemons sends signals to the nerves and hormones of the body to activate the liver and kidneys. Lemons contain antioxidants that also help enhance the function of the kidney and the liver, enabling them to detoxify the body. As we’ve mentioned before, lemon juice is a mild diuretic that encourages the body to let go of stored water weight and flush out accumulated waste products. This will make you feel cleaner, lighter and more energetic than ever before. You can detoxify your liver by drinking a glass of lemon water each morning. Just add freshly squeezed lemon juice in a glass of water first thing in the morning, and drink it.
- Exfoliate Your Skin
Lemons are rich in vitamin C, which is not only good for your health, but is also great for your skin. Many skincare products contain vitamin C as a key ingredient because it neutralizes free radicals and stimulates cell renewal by exfoliating the skin. You can slice a lemon in half and use it as a facial scrub at least once a week. This will remove the stubborn dirt and dead skin cells that build up on the surface of your skin and it will reveal a fresher layer of skin underneath. You will have a healthier and younger looking skin just by using a fresh and organic lemon.
- Get Rid of Dandruff
You can use lemon as a simple do-it-yourself treatment against dandruff. Combine lemon juice with other natural ingredients like coconut oil and make a hair mask that will heal and moisturize your dry scalp, and leave you dandruff free. Be careful not to overdo this treatment since lemon juice can also lighten your hair.
- Treat High Blood Pressure
The pectin found in lemons can help you lower your high blood pressure by lowering your cholesterol. The flavonoids in lemons can help strengthen the blood vessels. And their rich content of potassium will help prevent high blood pressure.
- Get Rid of a Fever and Chills
Lemon juice naturally increases the rate of perspiration, thus helping to break fever and chills. To help alleviate a fever, just add lemon juice to a cup of hot water or tea and add some honey. Drink this concoction once every 2 hours or until the fever subsides. If symptoms persist, consult your physician.
- Make Your Feet More Attractive
If you have rough, scaly or calloused feet, you can try using lemon to improve the look of your feet. Their content of citric acid or vitamin C acts as a natural exfoliant and will slough off dead skin cells, enhance skin renewal, and brighten dark areas. There are two ways to use lemons to make your feet pretty and summer ready:
Make a foot soak by mixing the juice of 2 to 3 lemons with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and ¼ cup of milk. Then add this mixture to a basin full of warm water and soak your feet for about 20 minutes. Use a foot file to file off any dead skin from your feet, especially on areas like your heels and the balls of your feet.
You can also make a scrub to exfoliate your toes by using lemon and sugar. Mix two cups of brown sugar with about ¼ cup of olive oil and add several drops of lemon essential oil. Make sure the mixture is soft but not too oily. Use this as a scrub after soaking your feet, and you can top off this homemade foot spa with some lemon scented lotion. This will give you amazingly soft feet with the scent of summer.
- Get Glowing Skin
The vitamin C content in lemons makes it one of the gentlest and most natural ways to lighten dark spots and even out your skin tone. Vitamin C is also a key component when your body produces collagen and elastin, the tissues responsible for giving the skin a plump and youthful appearance. Without a sufficient amount of vitamin C, your skin can’t repair these connective tissues, which in turn results in fine lines and wrinkles.
- Ward Off Insects
You don’t have to buy commercial insect repellents and bug sprays with harmful chemicals if you have lemons on hand. You can make a simple and effective bug spray, by combining 1 part of lemon essential oil to 10 parts of carrier oil like olive or sunflower oil or ethyl alcohol. It is important to use a carrier oil to formulate this concoction, since water simply won’t mix with the essential oil.
- Cure Acne
Lemon juice can help you if you suffer from acne, since it is a great natural antibacterial treatment for acne. You can use it as an alternative to topical acne treatments. Simply wet a cotton ball in lemon juice and apply it to your face once at night on the areas with acne, blackheads and eczema. Wash the solution off the following morning using water, and continue with your regular skincare routine.
- Reduce the Appearance of Varicose Veins
Lemons have the ability to strengthen your blood vessels, which is helpful if you suffer from varicose veins. They will make your legs look younger and more beautiful. Mix several drops of lemon essential oil with a moisturizing oil of your choice, like jojoba or avocado oil. Massage your affected area with this mixture on a regular basis and watch your unsightly varicose veins slowly disappear.
- Alleviate Pain
Lemon essential oils create an aroma that relaxes blood vessels and reduces inflammation, which are key factors in pain relief. If you’re suffering from sore joints due to arthritis, rheuma or other inflammatory diseases, drink a glass of lemon water each day to ease your symptoms.
If you have pain associated with sunburn, apply lemon extract with water to your skin to alleviate the pain. Drinking the juice of a few lemons each day can also help you with PMS or premenstrual syndrome by relieving your symptoms.
- Whiten Your Teeth
Teeth whitening treatments bought from a store can be expensive and also contain plenty of strong chemicals that could leave your teeth painfully sensitive. You can save money by choosing a natural route with a homemade lemon juice and baking soda formula to whiten your teeth.
Just combine the two ingredients in equal proportions to create a bubbly concoction and rub it onto your teeth using a Q-tip.
Leave it on for 45 seconds, but not longer since the acids in the lemon juice and baking soda can weaken your tooth enamel, and then gently scrub it off with a toothbrush and clean water.
As you can see, lemons have many health benefits. Their refreshing, invigorating, cleansing and detoxifying properties make them a great addition to your home life.
