Lemon juice, extracted from the fruit of the thorny, evergreen lemon tree, is used for both culinary and non-culinary purposes the world over. This fruit juice is valued for the sharp, tart flavor that it imparts to foods and beverages, as well as the preservative properties that help foods keep for longer periods. There are also a number of nutritional properties and effects that are unique to lemon juice.
History
The earliest written records on the use of lemon juice date back to the 11th century, when a Persian poet and traveler named Nasir-i-Khusraw gave account of life in Egypt at the time, according to author Shelomo D. Goitein. Records of Cairo's Jewish community in the 10th through 13th centuries show that they produced, consumed and exported bottles of lemon juice called qatarmizat, which were made with a lot of sugar. Lemon was introduced to Europe by Arab merchants, and to America by Christopher Columbus, who planted the first lemon tree on the island of Haiti.
Nutritional Value
According to Nutrition Data, lemon juice is an excellent dietary source of vitamin C, which is also referred to as ascorbic acid. Unlike most animals, humans cannot make vitamin C naturally-- it must be obtained from dietary sources. Nutrition Data reports that each cup of lemon juice contains 112 mg of this vitamin, which is 187 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) that the body needs each day. It is also a good dietary source of potassium and folate. It contains 61 calories and is very low in cholesterol, saturated fat and sodium.
Functional Nutrition
According to the book "Functional Food," lemon juice is a functional food because it offers a number of health benefits beyond merely supplying the body with nutrients. It helps to prevent scurvy, a potentially-fatal nutritional disorder, and lowers the risk of developing cardiovascular disease such as heart disease, vasolidation and heart strokes. It is also a traditional remedy for viral respiratory infections such as colds, coughs and the flu.
Availability
Lemon juice can be ingested for nutritional purposes in a number of different forms. The juice can be obtained simply by squeezing it fresh from the pulp of lemon fruit. It is also processed commercially from lemon fruit, and made available for purchase in bottled or frozen form. Lemon juice concentrate and powder are other forms in which this fruit juice is available for nutritional purposes, and they can be reconstituted with the addition of water.
Daily Intake
Lemon juice is generally safe when ingested in food, according to a Drugs.com fact sheet. There is limited clinical information on the proper dosages of lemon juice when it is taken for medicinal purposes as a functional food. Drugs.com recommends taking diluted lemon juice containing 5.9 g citric acid in daily doses of 4 oz. or 120 ml.
References
- "Mediterranean Society: The Jewish Communities of the Arab World"; Goitein, S. D. A; 1967
- Limmi: The Origins of the Lemon
- Nutrition Data: Lemon juice
- "Functional Food"; edited by G. Boin, Nicola Conte-Salinas, Dr. Markus Grube, Giorgio Rusconi; 2009
- Drugs.com: Lemon Uses and Pharmacology
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