Are Lemons Good For You To Eat?

Lemons offer a mouth-puckeringly sour taste, and some people do not consider this fruit a good choice for out-of-hand eating. You can sweeten the flavor with honey, sugar or other sweeteners if the natural sourness of lemons does not appeal to you -- and it may be worth it. Lemons are good for you to eat, providing a range of nutritional and medicinal benefits. However, speak to your physician before consuming lemons to treat medical conditions.

Prevents Heart Disease

Eating a lemon may provide benefits to your heart. A study published in the May 2011 issue of the "Journal of Epidemiology" correlates the consumption of citrus fruit, including lemons, with low incidence of cardiovascular disease. A three-year study rated the dietary habits of Japanese men and women. In addition to the lemon's ability to decrease cardiovascular issues, study participants had a lower chance of strokes and tissue death in the brain if they had a higher intake of lemons.

Benefits for the Brain

Lemons are rich in hesperidin, a flavanol present in many citrus fruits to give them their color and flavor. Evidence in the May 2011 edition of the journal "Neurochemical Research" reveals that hesperidin in lemons may be important for brain development. Researchers theorize that hesperidin's ability to increase certain types of brain cells may offer treatment for degenerative brain diseases, although more research is needed to confirm this finding.

Boosts Skin Health

Eat one lemon weighing 84 g -- not including the peel -- provides you with 74 percent of the daily recommended intake of vitamin C. The vitamin C in this citrus fruit is an excellent choice for skin health because of its role in collagen production. Your skin naturally contains stronger collagen content when you are young, and some people opt for collagen injections to retain youthful skin appearance. Instead of turning to a dermatologist, consider increasing your intake of lemons and other vitamin C-rich foods.

Benefits For Pregnant Women

Pregnant women need increased amounts of vitamins and minerals to keep them and their fetuses healthy. Eating lemons may help during pregnancy due to this fruit's vitamin C content. Research available in the June 2009 issue of the "British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology" indicates that a study of over 57,000 pregnant women who took in a low amount of vitamin C in their diets had a better chance of experiencing pre-eclampsia, a condition marked by low red blood cells, high liver enzymes and low platelet count.