Lemon juice is an inexpensive, easily available citrus juice with a tart, sour taste. Frozen or bottled, powdered or concentrated, lemon juice is a widely popular ingredient for use in beverages, salad dressings, baked goods marinades and pharmaceutical products. It also valued for the significant nutritional benefits that it has to offer.
Identification
Lemon juice is extracted from the fruit of the lemon tree, which is botanically known as Citrus limon. The lemon fruit is oval in shape and has a texturized, yellow rind (peel). The inner flesh of this fruit is a pale-yellow, segmented pulp that holds the fruit's juice. Each lemon has eight to ten segments. According to Food.com, a medium-sized lemon will yield two to three tablespoons of lemon juice
History
While the exact origins of the lemon remain unclear, according to drugs.com, it is generally believed to be native to Southeast Asia. Its cultivation spread westward to the Mediterranean region where, as early as the first century AD, it may also have been depicted in Roman artwork. Christopher Columbus introduced lemons to the Americas, planting the first lemon trees on the island of Haiti. Today, it is widely grown in the sub-tropical, warm regions of the world.
Nutritional Profile
Nutrition Data reports that each quarter cup of lemon juice provides 61 calories, with no fat. It contains 21 g of carbohydrates and 1 g of protein. According to the George Mateljan Foundation, lemon juice is an excellent source of vitamin C: Each 1/4 cup of the juice provides over 28mg of the vitamin, which is about 47 percent of the daily value that the USDA recommends for a healthy diet every day. It is also a good source of potassium, providing 75mg.
Deficiency
Lemon juice can be used to prevent and treat scurvy, a serious health condition that results from a severe deficiency of vitamin C. According to MedicineNet, the symptoms of scurvy include soft, bleeding gums, anemia and bumps that form under the skin near the muscles. Drugs.com reports that since the 17th century, physicians have known that daily intake of lemon juice can help prevent scurvy.
Warning
While lemon juice is generally recognized as safe if used as food, drugs.com cautions that ingesting lemon juice can have erosive effects on the tooth enamel. In severe cases, it can erode the teeth down to the level of the gums. Like other citrus fruit, it may also worsen the symptoms of gastro-esophageal reflux disease.
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