Lemon juice is obtained from the small, pungent fruit of the Citron limon tree, a small, thorny tree that is widely cultivated in the Mediterranean and other warm, subtropical regions. This fruit juice has a characteristically tart, acidic taste that is suited for a variety of culinary dishes and beverages. There are also a number of benefits of drinking lemon juice.
Dietary Source of Vitamin C
Lemon juice is a rich, dietary source of vitamin C, according to Nutrition Data. Each cup of the juice contains 112mg of this essential vitamin, which equates to 187% of the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) that has been established for a healthy diet. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, vitamin C is also beneficial for preventing and treating health conditions such as hypertension, gout and diabetes mellitus. Other important nutrients that can be obtained from drinking lemon juice include potassium and calcium, as well as vitamins A, B1, B2 and B3.
Upper Respiratory Infection
Lemon juice is a centuries-old home remedy for treating upper respiratory infections (URIs). In his book "Integrative Medicine," David Rakel MD writes that lemon juice has traditionally been used to alleviate symptoms of upper respiratory tract viral infections such as colds, coughs, sore throat and influenza. Drinking lemon juice also helps prevent these viral infections.
Hypocitraturic Calcium Nephrolithiasis
In a study published in the "Journal of Urology," M. A. Selzer et.al. found that lemon juice may be beneficial as adjunctive treatment for patients suffering from hypocitraturic calcium nephrolithiasis. This condition is characterized by the formation of kidney stones. In the study, patients were administered lemonade made from reconstituted lemon juice. This helped reduce the formation of kidney stones by raising urinary levels of citrate more than two-fold.
The researchers also pointed out that administering the lemonade therapy may even reduce or eliminate the need for pharmacological therapy, which involves an expensive, cumbersome regimen of drugs. It also helps improve treatment compliance for patients who are intolerant of pharmacological citrate therapy.
Treat or Prevent Scurvy
Since the seventeenth century, it has been known that drinking lemon juice every day is a very effective dietary intervention for preventing or treating scurvy. Scurvy is a potentially-fatal, nutrition-related health disorder that results from a deficiency of vitamin C in the body. Drinking lemon juice helps correct this deficiency, thereby curing and preventing this disease.
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