Wonderful Benefits and Uses of Lemon (Nimbu) for Your Family

Lemon has been used since ages for salad dressings, smoothies, juices, and even herbal remedies. Today, we’ll be delving into the goodness of lemons, what benefits they bring you and some of its uses and applications.

Nutrition Value of Lemon

Here’s what a lemon brings you, in terms of nutrition content.

Surprising Health Benefits of Lemon

Here are some of the following health benefits and medicinal uses of lemon for the human body.

1. Improves Cardiovascular Health

Lemons pack a lot of Vitamin C and research has shown that fruits and vegetables high in this vitamin lower your risk of heart disease. When you drink lemon water on an empty stomach in the morning and go out for a walk, you effectively improve your heart health and reduce any inflammation in your body.

2. Helps Break Down Body Fat and Lose Weight

Polyphenols are compounds found in lemons that help you break down fats and lower weight. In a study, subjects were given lemon juice, maple syrup and organic palm syrup for 7 days. The benefits of lemon for weight loss was observed.

3. Dissolves Kidney Stones

A study by the National Kidney Foundation has revealed that the citrate in lemons is effective in preventing kidney stones from forming in the body. Bigger stones get dissolved into smaller ones that are let out through the urine easily.

4. Boosts Iron Absorption

Lemon is known to boost iron absorption when you pair vegetables and other foods with it. Iron absorption is not a problem for those who eat animal meats since meat is rich in this nutrient but if you’re vegan, try adding some lemon juice to your diet as it helps prevent anaemia.

5. May Help Beat Cancer

According to many studies like this one and that, the flavonoids found in lemons are shown to reduce the risk of cancers like pancreatic cancer and stomach cancer. A research study revealed that the compound D-limonene which is present in lemons provides anticancer benefits.

6. Improves Your Digestion

Lemon juice is known to give your digestive system a boost when you take it the first thing in the morning. It serves as a natural laxative, prevents constipation, and makes your bowel movements more regular. Also, it purges toxins from your body which is a definite plus.

7. Eliminates Bad Breath

Got bad breath? Try drinking a glass of lemon juice in the morning and watch it disapper. Lemon juice has antibacterial properties too and prevents a dry mouth by hydrating you well.

8. Boosts Metabolism

If you’re struggling to lose weight, you’ll be happy to know that drinking lemon juice is an effective way to boost your metabolism. A higher metabolic rate means you burn more calories, stay in fat-burning mode longer, and enjoy the benefits of body toning more easily.

9. Cleanses the Liver

Your liver is a vital organ in the body responsible for transporting wastes, breaking down fats, and different crucial bodily functions. A clean liver is a sign of good health and lemon juice is known to help detox the liver.

10. Fights Inflammation

Lemon juice is known to have good anti-inflammatory properties. It’ll help you heal from respiratory tract infections and a sore throat too.

11. Boosts Energy Levels

Lemon juice is low in calories and a great way to boost your energy levels in the morning. It’s a powerhouse of nutrients like magnesium, phosphorus, riboflavin, folate, and calcium – all of which are essential for great overall health and a younger you.

12. Boosts Immunity

Lemon juice is known to boost immunity. A higher immunity translates to fewer chances of catching a common cold, flu, and various infections. Your body recovers faster and is able to protect itself from diseases a lot better.

13. Balances pH Levels

Cancer and various illnesses thrive when your body is acidic but lemon juice is known to alkalize your body instead. It pushes your body to pH levels of roughly 7.4 which is exactly what you need to stay healthy and cancer-proof.

14. Improves Production of Stomach Acid

Your gut health translates to how well you absorb nutrition from the supplements and foods you eat. Lemon juice fights off the bad bacteria present in your gut and boosts the production of stomach acid which is what you need for effective digestion and assimilation of nutrients.

15. Beats Asthma

Lemon juice or whole lemons supply your body with a lot of antioxidants. These compounds are known to fight against oxidative stress, thus making your lungs function better by producing allergens. This means you don’t suffer from asthma and your breathing clears up.

16. Relieves Anxiety

Lemon balm has been used since ages to relieve anxiety, de-stress, and ease tension or nervousness. This ends up boosting your focus and alertness, thus improving your productivity in daily life.

17. Curbs Appetite

You may find this odd but despite the fact that lemon juice is low in calories, it’ll leave you fuller when taken after meals. If you’re suffering from sugar withdrawal or junk food cravings, reach out for that fresh glass of lemon juice next time.

18. Regulates Blood Pressure

Regular intake of lemon juice is known to regulate blood pressure levels in the body, thus lowering your risk of stroke and heart disease effectively.

19. Lowers Cholesterol

Lemon juice is a popular natural remedy for lowering your triglycerides and HDL “bad cholesterol” levels. Now you know.

20. Natural Teeth Whitener

Lemon juice and baking soda, when combined and used for brushing the teeth are known to whiten them. It’s a natural teeth whitener that works.

21. Gives You Protein

The protein content in lemons soothes your Central Nervous System, regulates free radicals in the body, and promotes red blood cell formation too.

22. A Natural Diuretic

One of the best benefits of lemon for health is that it is a natural diuretic that improves the functions of your renal system. It flushes out toxins and metabolic wastes from your internal organs, keeping you protected from rheumatoid arthritis too.

23. Has Antibacterial Properties

The antibacterial properties in lemon juice are known to help fight against bacterial infections, fever, cough, common cold, and throat infections too.

24. Promotes Restful Sleep

When you combine lemon juice with herbs like valerian, and chamomile, it is known to promote restful sleep and is a natural cure for insomnia.

25. Relieves Pain

Since lemon juice has anti-inflammatory benefits, your blood vessels relax and tension leaves you quicker. This relieves pain and helps with your recovery after exercise or if you’re in rehab.

Benefits of Lemon for Skin

Here are a couple of benefits and uses of lemon for the skin.

1. Makes You Look Younger

All that Vitamin C content in lemon juice coupled with the powerhouse of nutrients cleanses your pores, flushes toxins from your skin from, and slows down the ageing process. That’s good news for you.

2. Prevents Cracked Lips

Lemon juice hydrates and nourishes your lips too besides your skin. Drinking it regularly will improve the way your lips look and make it more supple.

3. Gives a Glow to Your Skin

Since lemon detoxifies your body and removes toxins from your internal organs, your outward appearance or your skin quality improves. This leads to a natural glow or radiance.

4. Gets Rid of Acne

As lemon juice cleanses your pores and gets rid of the dirt and excess oils, your face gets cured from acne.

5. Removes Dark Spots

If you’ve got any dark spots below your elbow or on your knees, you’ll be glad to know that lemon juice gets rid of them too.

6. Moisturizes Your Skin

Does your skin look wrinkly or worn out lately? Try washing your face with lemon juice and you’ll be surprised how it gets moisturized and looks fresh in just a few minutes.

7. Reduces Fine Lines and Wrinkles

Yes, the Vitamin C content in lemons gives your skin a nutrition boost, thus reducing fine lines, wrinkles, and preventing saggy skin.

8. May Help with Stretch Marks

If you’ve got stretch marks on your body, you’d be surprised to know that rubbing lemons and soaking these spots with the juice for 5 to 10 minutes ends up lightening them a lot.

9. Reduces Acne Scars

If you’ve had scarring from acne in the past, you’d find that applying some lemon juice to those areas will remove them. Drink lemon juice in the morning on an empty stomach and they will fade away faster.

10. Removes Blemishes

Yes, one of the advantages of lemon for your skin is that it removes blemishes.

11. Gives You An Even Skin Tone

Besides cleansing your skin, one of the benefits of lemon on the face is that it gives you an even skin tone.

12. Promotes Skin Elasticity

If you’ve got loose or saggy skin, drinking lemon juice every day, or applying it and rinsing afterwards will help restore skin elasticity.

13. Natural Face Pack

One of the uses of lemon for the face is that it can be used as a natural face pack daily by mixing it with olive or avocado oil.

14. Prevents Dry Skin

If your skin looks cracked or dry, the hydrating nutrients in lemon juice will help eliminate that.

15. Exfoliates Your Skin

It removes dead cell layers from your skin, peeling them out and giving you that flawless look you’ve always wanted.

Benefits of Lemon for Hair

The following are the benefits and uses of lemon for hair below.

1. Strengthens Hair Follicles

Lemon juice is known to strengthen hair follicles and stimulate their growth. This leads to strong and shiny hair in the long run.

2. Beats Dandruff

Lemon juice is rich in antioxidants which boost scalp health. This helps eliminate dandruff and clear out any dead skin cells.

3. No More Oily Hair

If you’ve got excess oil in your hair, applying some lemon juice on your scalp will help fix the issue over the days.

4. Boosts Collagen Production

Collagen is the key component required for stimulating hair growth and preventing hair loss. Lemon juice is rich in Vitamin C which is known to boost collagen production.

5. Regrows Dormant Hair Follicles

If you’ve got any dormant hair follicles lying around on your scalp, lemon juice will help them regrow by supplying them with essential nutrients.

Other Uses of Lemon

Besides bringing you a host of health benefits, lemon juice is also used in the following ways.

1. Eliminates Bad Odour

Yes, spraying a bit of lemon juice on your kitchen sink will help remove bad odour.

2. Natural Household Cleaner

Forget your chemical detergents. Lemon juice is a natural household cleaner and can be used as a natural citrus wipe for cleaning the kitchen, refrigerator, and bathroom areas.

3. Works As a Laundry Detergent

You don’t need to buy laundry detergents when you’ve got lemon juice to help you out. You can remove stains from your clothes by soaking them with some lemon juice and baking soda mixed in a 50:50 ratio.

4. Removes Grease from Dishes

Lemon juice can be used to remove grease and stains from your dirty dishes too.

5. Natural Ant Repellent

Are ants coming into your house? Spray a bit of lemon juice on the outside and inside to keep them from entering your home.

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about drinking lemon juice and its uses.

1. Are There Any Health Benefits of Lemon for Babies?

Yes. Lemon juice protects babies from scurvy, fights against mouth ulcers, and lets them meet their RDA for Vitamin C which boosts immunity.

2. How Does Lemon Help in a Woman’s Menstrual Cycle?

Lemon juice helps regulate menstrual cycles in women and prevents complications associated with periods too.

3. Is Lemon Beneficial during Pregnancy?

Yes, but only in moderation. Too much lemon juice during pregnancy will rapidly detoxify your internal organs which is not what you want.

4. What Are the Benefits of Lemon for Diabetic Patients?

The high soluble fibre in lemon is known to be helpful in regulating blood glucose levels, therefore aiding Type 2 diabetic patients. Plus, lemons have a low glycemic index.

Now that you know about the benefits and uses of the humble and mighty lemon, it’s time to stock up this superfood in your kitchen. Enjoy!

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