In your quest for the next superfood, lemons may be the answer. When you drink a cool glass of lemonade, you may be doing more than enjoying a refreshing beverage: Incorporating lemon juice into your daily diet can give you a boost of heart-healthy potassium and even help protect you against adult-onset asthma. The citric acid in concentrated lemon juice may make your mouth pucker, but you can simply dilute the juice to make sure you get your daily intake.
Potassium Source
Potassium is an electrolyte source in your body that helps keep your heart beating and your muscles functioning at their best. Low potassium levels have been linked to conditions ranging from high blood pressure to dizziness. Lemons are a rich source of potassium, yet they may be too tart to consume whole or as concentrated juice. However, you can squeeze lemon juice, or use lemon concentrate, and mix it with 32 to 64 oz. of water to prepare a mixture that helps you to incorporate increased levels of potassium into your daily diet.
Kidney Stone Prevention
Drinking a lemon juice mixture can help to restore citrate to your kidney tract, which can be especially beneficial if you are prone to developing kidney stones. Citrate naturally inhibits the development of kidney stones, according to the UC San Diego Health System. To reap the benefits, mix together 4 oz. of reconstituted lemon juice with 64 oz. of water. Drinking this on a daily basis has been shown to reduce kidney stone formation from 1.00 to 0.13 stones per patient.
Asthma Protection
Asthma is a painful breathing condition that can affect your ability to catch your breath, causing you to feel as if you are choking. While you cannot change some risk factors for asthma, including genetics, you can change the amount of lemon juice you drink. Increased intake of vitamin C has been shown to have protective benefits with regard to adult asthma, according to Drs. Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz writing on Chron.com, from "The Houston Chronicle."
Anti-Carcinogenic Effects
Lemon juice is high in vitamin C, which has been shown to help prevent certain types of cancers, including breast and stomach cancers, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. While the exact mechanism vitamin C uses to prevent cancers is unknown, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. This means that vitamin C helps to fight free radicals, which are inflammation- and disease-causing substances in the body.
References
- FitSugar; 10 Reasons Lemon Juice Is a Superfood; Heather Dale; March 2011
- Chron.com; The Hidden Benefits of Lemonade; Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz; July 2009
- UC San Diego Health System; Five Ways to Prevent Kidney Stones: From Lemonade to Surgery; April 2010
- Linus Pauling Institute; Vitamin C; Jane Higdon, PhD; January 2006
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