The sour taste of a fresh lemon might make you pucker, but the bright yellow fruit is quite beneficial to your health. An average-size lemon contains approximately 20 to 25 calories, and is high in fiber, vitamin C, iron and several B vitamins. The peel and flesh of the lemon can be good for your health and well-being.
Benefits of Vitamin C
Lemons, like other citrus fruits, are packed with vitamin C; a single fruit contains 70 percent of the average adult's recommended daily requirement of the nutrient. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can have a positive effect on your health in a variety of ways. Vitamin C consumed through diet can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and might prevent cataracts, a form of eye disease than can lead to blindness if not treated. Consuming the recommended amount of vitamin C daily by adding lemon to your diet also might lower the amount of uric acid in your body, which can in turn protect you against gout.
Calming Qualities
The peel of the lemon can be pressed to produce lemon oil, an essential oil used in aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses the scents of essential oils to balance your mind, body and spirit. Aromatherapy can be an effective medical treatment for calming both physical ailments and emotional unrest. The fresh, clean scent of lemon oil can help reduce mental and physical stress when inhaled or used during massage therapy.
Anti-Fungal Action
Lemons have natural anti-fungal properties, according to researchers at the Universidad Miguel Hernández in Spain. A reported in the December 2008 issue of "Food Control," essential oils of orange, grapefruit and lemons were studied to determine their effect on fungi associated with food spoilage. Lemon oil was among those that prevented molding thanks to its antibacterial strengths. Essential oils of citrus fruits also can be used to fight fungal infections of the skin, according to Cigna Health Care.
Reduced Risk of Skin Cancer
The yellow peel of the lemon can reduce your risk of skin cancer when ingested, reports BBC News. The antioxidants in lemon peel were found to reduce the risk of skin squamous cell carcinoma by approximately 70 percent when brewed into a hot tea; black tea without lemon peel lessens the skin cancer risk by about 40 percent. Iced tea made with the peel of citrus fruits was shown to protect against skin cancer as well, but because the ice dilutes the strength of the tea, it is not as effective as the hot version of the beverage.
References
- Linus Pauling Institute: Vitamin C
- Cigna; Aromatherapy and Essential Oils; March 2010
- "Food Control"; Antifungal Activity of Lemon (Citrus lemon L.), Mandarin (Citrus reticulata L.), Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi L.) and Orange (Citrus sinensis L.) Essential Oils; M. Viuda-Martosa, Y. Ruiz-Navajasa, J. Fernández-López, and J. Pérez-Álvarez; December 2008
- BBC News; Lemon Tea 'Fights Skin Cancer'; August 2001
- Nutrient Facts: Lemons: Raw Without Peel
- Nutrient Facts: Lemons: Raw With Peel
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