Lemons trees flower all year long bearing up to 3000 lemons a year. Citrus fruits in general originated in Southeast Asia and southern China, but have been around since before 400 B.C.E. Although most are known to be sour and highly acidic, the Meyer lemon is uncommonly sweet and less acidic.
NUTRIENT PROFILE
Lemons are a low carb, low calorie, high anti-oxidant, alkalizing, super food! Two medium lemons are only 29 calories and 10 grams of carbohydrates, with 2.5 grams of that being sugar, almost 3 grams of fiber, about 1 gram of protein, and .3 grams of fat. Lemons are highlighted for their vitamin C content, containing almost 100% of the RDA, with 140 mg potassium, and almost 30 mg of calcium. The ORAC count comes in at 1225, making lemons a powerful anti-inflammatory, free radical quencher.
The outer layer or “zest” contains 6% essential oils, 90% of which is limonene. So, don’t throw away the peel, as it contains HIGH concentrations of bioflavonoids and other powerful antioxidant compounds, with auspicious anti-cancer potential.
Did you know: In fact, the lemon peel may have 10 times MORE nutrients than the already amazing pulp of the fruit itself!
THE NUMEROUS OUTSTANDING BENEFITS OF LEMONS!
SUPER HYDRATING!
Most people fall far short of their daily hydration requirements necessary for proper digestion, elimination, detoxification, fat loss, healthy skin, pH balance, oxygenation of cells, energy, cognition, mood, joint health, and overall health and wellness. Sometimes plain water can be boring though. Besides, when you add lemon to the water, the benefits of hydration increase exponentially!
Lemons are LOADED with cell quenching electrolyte minerals that allow more water to enter the cells without robbing the body of its own minerals to do half the job. Aside from the toxic estrogenic effects of plastic water bottles and other contaminants, the average water source can be almost completely void of hydrating minerals, so you end up just peeing a lot of it out anyway.
When you wake up in the morning the body is FERVENTLY in need of hydration. The worst thing you can do for your body first thing is the morning is down a cup of coffee. This diuretic will augment an already dehydrated body tenfold. Once the caffeine adrenaline rush wears off, you will find yourself crashing hard as your cells shrivel up like prunes! Then you end up reaching for another cup of java just to be able to stay awake, leaving the body to deal with the severe consequences of dehydration, especially when this becomes a daily practice! When the body is dehydrated and too ACIDIC the heart has to pump harder and there is less oxygen available to the cells. This not only results in fatigue, but increased risk of disease from toxic waste buildup and inflammation.
INCREDIBLY ALKALIZING!
While lemons may be acidic prior to ingestion, once you digest this fabulous fruit it can become one of the most alkalizing foods! Lemons are very high in alkaline mineral potassium, and contain calcium and magnesium as well, helping to generate an alkalizing anti-inflammatory effect on the body. Lemons contain a weak citric organic acid known for its sour taste. Unlike strong acids in let’s say meats, when citric acid is metabolized after making its way through the Krebs or citrus acid cycle, the end result is the production of alkaline bicarbonate, which is then released into the bloodstream. (link Krebs cycle).
Low bicarbonate blood levels are found to be detrimental to your health!
In a larger study including 31,590 subjects, average 50 years old, an average BMI <25 kg/m2, and an average 8 years follow up, with a serum bicarbonate value < 26 (low), compared to 31 (high), had a 46% significantly increased all-cause mortality risk.
Acid/ base homeostasis will result if your diet is high in alkaline forming foods, like vegetables and some fruits like lemons. On the contrary, a high meat and grains-based diet will lead to higher acid processing. (1) High net acid forming diets can produce low bicarbonate blood levels decreasing oxygenation to the tissues.
Besides being very high in electrolytes, lemons are considered to be the highest anionic, or electron rich food. That means they have a lot of electrons to donate, especially in its potassium citrate form. Upon metabolization high amounts of (OH-) are able to neutralize the stronger acids (H+) in the body like excess uric acid helping to balance pH levels for optimal health!
One study showed that when potassium citrate from lemons was administered to patients with hypocitraturia (low citrate levels), they demonstrated significant excretion of uric acid, proving the alkalizing effects of potassium citrate in lemons. (2)
If you are one of the few that has trouble digesting weak acid foods like citrus, for various reasons, check out this article.
HIGH IN VITAMIN C
Lemons contain anywhere from 30-50 mg of vitamin C. This essential vitamin and powerful antioxidant is known to increase collagen production for more healthy, vibrant skin, and helps maintain connective tissues supporting the joints.
Studies show vitamin C also increases the production of glutathione, the master antioxidant in the body by a whopping 50%! (3)
REDUCED RISK OF MANY DISEASE CONDITIONS
Vitamin C, citric acid, and other plant compounds like flavonoids hesperidin, diosmin, and d-limonene, have all been found to be highly beneficial in preventing and reducing the effects of various conditions. Lemons are the highest in citric acid of all citrus fruits!
DID YOU KNOW: Studies have shown that citrus peel derived d-limonene has been shown to prevent or slow the development of cancer, especially in fatty tissues like the breast!
ARTHRITIS
Arthritis is a joint disorder that involves the inflammation of one or more joints, accompanied by pain, stiffness, and swelling. Overtime, this can cause extensive damage and depletion of collagen, which makes up a good portion of the connective tissue that makes up and protects the joints. Link Arthritis section
The hydrating, alkalizing benefits of lemons can work to neutralize and eliminate uric and other acid waste that can build up in and around the joints, putting out the inflammatory fire that can break down and calcify the connective tissues, increasing pain and decreasing mobility. When the blood becomes more alkaline, it can allow some of the acid waste to be released from the tissues and joints and eliminated via the kidneys. The citrates and alkaline forming bicarbonates from the lemons can also work to reverse acid crystal and other calcifications in the fluids, cartilage and around the joints that can induce further inflammation, pain, degeneration, and immobility. Link to CPPD crystal section.
KIDNEY STONES
One study showed that potassium citrate (like found in lemons) lowered the binding rate of calcium and oxalate, reducing the risk of calcium/oxalate kidney stones. (4)
Another study showed a significant decrease in stone formation, decreasing from 1.00 to 0.13 stones per patient per year! (5)
Citric acid, having an affinity to calcium, would also work the same way to chelate dangerous calcium buildup in the arteries, pancreas, and joints. Besides previously injured areas, calcification can result from poor quality calcium supplements, a low calcium diet and/or low vitamin D, K2, magnesium, and other bone building constituents needed to escort calcium to the bones. A standard American, high acid diet and lifestyle promotes bone loss. Calcium is pulled from the bones in an effort to neutralize the excess acidity and put out the inflammatory fire!
Lemons have also been used to dissolve gallstones, especially powerful is the limonene in the peel.
CHOLESTEROL
A study in the Journal of Functional Foods found that citrus flavonoid diosmin lowered low density, very low-density lipoproteins (LDL and VLDL) and triglyceride lipid levels, while significantly increasing high-density (HDL), especially in diabetics meaning less chance of LDL and VLDL oxidation which can damage arteries. (6)
Another 2003 PubMed study demonstrated that the citrus flavonoid hesperidin played a major role in lowering dangerous plasma lipids, meaning lower total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. (7)
CANCER
Besides the alkalizing benefits of lemons which reduce the acidic by-products of cancer cells, many antioxidant compounds in lemons have been shown to reduce the risk of many types of cancers.
A 2012 PubMed study found many citrus flavonoids to be possible chemotherapeutic agents, namely tangeretin, nobiletin, hesperidin, hesperidin, naringenin, and naringin. “Those flavonoids have been shown to possess inhibition activity on certain cancer cells’ growth through various mechanisms.” (8)
Another 2012 PubMed study found that citrus flavonoid hesperidin demonstrated inhibitory effects on the initiation of cancer in the liver, colon, lung, and tongue. (9)
Researchers found that monoterpenes, found in the essential oils of citrus fruits, had anti-tumor activity. Also, the chemo preventive effects of limonene promoted carcinogen detoxification and apoptosis, or cancer cell death. (10)
Lemons can be AMAZING for preventing and maybe even helping to eliminate cancer due to its vitamin C content alone, although it often takes high doses of vitamin C to potentially eradicate cancer. Ascorbic acid, a powerful antioxidant component in vitamin C, has a similar chemical structure to glucose. Being that cancer cells are hungry for glucose, cancer cells allow the ascorbic acid into the cell thinking its glucose, then hydrogen peroxide is released killing the cancer cell!
LIVER AND GALLBLADDER HEALTH
Acidic Westernized diets full of processed, high sugar, pesticide laden foods full of preservatives, oxidized damaged vegetable oils, mycotoxins from mold, and medications, really do a number on the liver. The bile that holds the toxins processed in the liver gets viscous and acidic, preventing the liver from doing its job. Fats in the liver start to build up and fill with waste when the liver has too much to process. You want the liver to filter toxins, NOT hold on to them.
The liver and gallbladder THRIVE when lemons become part of your daily regime! High acid forming diets can thicken and acidify the bile which can lead to stone formation in the liver and gallbladder. The citrates from the lemons can work to dissolve cholesterol forming stones thinning the bile, relieving the liver of congestion, increasing detoxification, while in turn improving digestion, as bile assists in the breakdown of fats!
Citrate is a normal constituent of the bile. It has been found that the citrate concentration of bile can be increased by administering oral citrate. Studies have shown that “calcified pigment stones can be dissolved using citrate solutions alone and calcified cholesterol gallstones can be dissolved using solutions containing both citrate and bile acid.” (11) (12)
DID YOU KNOW: When your liver is sluggish, you will not be able to process or metabolize sugars, fats, toxins, or hormones efficiently, causing the body to store more fat!
The liver regenerates new cells every 90 days. With most people’s diets, thoughts, and lifestyles being on the toxic side, the new liver cells that are generated are more likely to be damaged. If you drink a cup of lemon juice every day for 90 days, it allows the liver to replicate healthy cells! Additionally, it has been noted that the liver can revive itself up to 100% in just 90 days with adequate vitamin D, preferably from sunlight. Healthy liver, healthy skin!
SKIN HEALTH
Besides nourishing the body from the inside out, the skin (especially the face) weathers the elements, and can always use a little extra help. For clearer, softer skin, try rubbing the peel of a lemon on your skin. The citric acid, limonene, and other antioxidants found in the peel helps to eradicate dead skin cells while stimulating the growth of new ones.
The citric acid helps to balance the skins pH and eliminate oil buildup that can lead to acne. By preventing free radical oxidative damage lemons can deter normal signs of aging like dark spots, wrinkles, and fine lines!
GET RID OF EXCESS MUCUS!
The respiratory tract and digestive system, as well as other organ systems manufacture a thin layer of mucus that helps protect against invading pathogens. However, the body can produce excessive amounts of mucus due to seasonal or food allergies, environmental toxins, pharmaceutical drugs, and overly processed, high sugar, pesticide laden, GMO, or other damaged foods like vegetable oils, conventional dairy, wheat, soy, corn and others. Excessive mucus can provide a shelter for harmful pathogens, congest the respiratory, lymphatic, and digestive systems, decreasing oxygen to tissues, blocking absorption of nutrients, increasing the risk of major digestive and other health issues. Hydrating with citric acid containing alkaline forming lemon water can help immensely in cutting through the phlegm that congests the lungs and respiratory system, providing relief while you address the root cause of the pH imbalance/ inflammatory conditions!
SODIUM BICARB LEMON WATER IS HIGHLY BENEFICIAL
Add baking soda to your lemon water for a cell rejuvenating, alkalizing, hydrating, cleansing, energy enhancing cocktail!
Dr. Johanna Budwig, a remarkable biochemist, with two doctorates, owner of the Budwig Center, and natural healer with a 90% success rate treating cancer patients, was a BIG fan of natural substances and electron rich foods like lemons. Lemons are a great way to add high alkaline substances into the system. Putting lemon and baking soda together can help detoxify the body’s internal environment, preventing the initiation of disease, which is mostly the result of highly acidic, low oxygen conditions.
Dr. Lloyd Jenkins of the Budwig Center proclaims, “If there is one thing you could do every day that would dramatically fight disease and increase your energy, consuming lemon juice combined with baking soda would be on the top of the list. Lemon in addition to being an effective internal cleanser and especially when combined with baking soda has also shown to contain anti-carcinogenic properties as it contains limonoides, which are phytochemicals found in a number of citrus fruits. Apparently the limonoids help strip off the protective layer coating the cancer cells. Lemon also has been shown to have strong anti-microbial effects, which has been tested in research exploring the idea that cancer is very much like a fungus within the body. When treating cancer as a fungus, various methods can be used and some have found that lemon and bicarbonate can help fight the fungus causing various types of cancer.”
The first thing I do in the morning, at least 5 days a week, is squeeze a full lemon into 24-32 0z of water. I often eat the pulp that is left inside with some of the white pectin containing flesh. For additional benefits, I grate the peel and add that as well. Then when I get down to the last 8 oz. I add ¼-1/2 tsp of baking soda. If I’m on the run I just add the baking soda to the lemon water and go! However, this is part of my morning daily cleansing routine, so I usually make the time to have this at home.
To further increase hydration, detoxification, alkalizing, and energizing benefits add a pinch of Himalayan or Celtic Sea Salt!
Make lemon water the FIRST thing you put in your body in the morning if you are looking for optimal performance, without the damaging side effects of an extremely diuretic acid forming beverage. If you feel the need to have a cup of java afterwards, or even better, a high quality green tea, just make sure you continue to stay hydrated throughout the day. The more hydrated you are on a cellular level, the more natural energy you will have, and the less caffeine you will need.
https://authoritynutrition.com/foods/lemons/
http://www.valuefood.info/2299/health-benefits-of-lemon-peel/
Park M, Jung SJ, Yoon S, Yun JM, Yoon HJ. Association between the markers of metabolic acid load and higher all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in a general population with preserved renal function. Hypertens Res. 2015 Jun;38(6):433-8. Raphael KL, Zhang Y, Wei G, Greene T,
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20661827
http://www.internalawareness.com/did_you_know/acid_alkline1.html
http://drsircus.com/sodium-bicarbonate-baking-soda/baking-soda-and-lemon-juice/
1-https://michaellustgarten.wordpress.com/2015/08/28/serum-bicarbonate-and-anion-gap-whats-optimal/
2-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18946667
3-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8317379
4-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17919696/
5-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17382731
6-http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464612001880
7-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12482628
8-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22524801
9-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22174562
10-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10082788
11- Podda, M., Zuin, M., Battezzati, P.M. et al. (1989) Efficacy and safety of a combination of chenodeoxycholic acid and ursodeoxycholic acid for gallstone dissolution: a comparison with ursodeoxycholic acid alone. Gastroenterology, 96, 222-9
12- Bateson, M.C., Bouchier, I.A.D., Trash, D.B. et al. (1981) Calcification of radiolucent gallstones during treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid. Brit. Med. J., 283, 645-6
http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v09n05.shtml add info to article
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18946667 add info to article
http://naturalmentor.com/lemon-juice-for-a-total-body-cleanse/ -other studies and the original source for 2 studies above- has study summary