The health benefits of lime and lemon are highly documented, yet it often gets overshadowed by studies probing into the health benefits of other nutritious fruits and vegetables. Having lime and lemon or adding slices and squeezes to your water makes for a refreshing beverage, which is a real healthy alternative to sugary juices and canned sodas.
Apart from being the key ingredient in one of the most nutritious, wholesome drinks ever, both lime and lemon are packed with nutrients and minerals that work phenomenally in fighting diseases and keeping the human body healthy.
Both are extremely rich in their Vitamin C content, and they also harbor phytochemicals such as flavonoids and limonoids that work together in defending the body against diseases, both benign and chronic.
In this article, we will look at the various health benefits that both lime and lemon have in store for us.
Lime and Lemon: Health Benefits
1. Boosts Immune System
Packed with Vitamin C, both lime and lemon are significant immune boosters. Vitamin C aids our immune system by fighting off invading virus cells and bacteria. Our body cannot produce vitamin C. Hence, it has to consume from outside sources, and the combination of lime and lemon make for some of the richest Vitamin C foods on our planet.
2. Increase Iron Absorption
Iron in the body is crucial to help blood carry oxygen to the cells, and thus increase the production of energy. However, our bodies can find it difficult to absorb iron. The citric acid and Vitamin C content of lime and lemon make that process easier by helping the body absorb non-heme-iron (iron found in plant-based food). So it would be wise to squeeze some lime over your iron-rich vegetables and salads the next time you have them.
3. Promotes Skin Health
Lime and lemon are both are rich in collagen, a nutrient responsible for young, wrinkle-free skin. These fruits, with their collagen-producing properties, can help reduce aging, tighten the skin, and also improve the complexion of your skin.
4. Preventing Asthma
For years now, lemon juice has been used as a potent natural remedy against the risk of asthma. Its high vitamin C and antioxidant properties might be the primary reason why it is deemed to be such a useful tool against it. We have already mentioned how Vitamin C improves the body’s overall immune system. Lemon juice, with its rich Vitamin C content, can keep external free radicals that can trigger asthma away from the body.
5. Helps Improve Heart Condition
A study revealed that an ingredient in citrus fruits called auraptene was responsible for lowering blood pressure in rodents bred with hypertension. Lemon has been raved about since ancient times for its ability to keep blood vessels soft and pliable, which can both help reduce blood pressure and improve heart condition.
6. Assists Nervous System
Lemons and lime are also a significant source of potassium. Lower levels of potassium have always been linked to anxiety and depression. Incorporating them in your diet will help you get sustainable levels of potassium in your body, and thus help you build a stronger nervous system.
7. Anti-Cancer
Both lemon and lime are rich in flavonoids and a monoterpene called limonene, which both have been shown to prevent cancer. In a research conducted by the University of Arizona, 42 women with operable breast cancer were studied. Out of these, 22% of women who were given 2 grams of limonene daily experienced a reduction in their tumor markers.
8. Helps with Constipation
The citric acid in both these fruits helps with digestion by interacting with the enzymes and acids, which stimulate the secretion of gastric juice and promote digestion. Lemon essential oil, in particular, has long been touted as a strong alternative medicine to help with constipation and digestion.
9. Anti-Inflammatory
Lemon and lime have powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Its vitamin C content can help boost the body’s immune system by flushing harmful viruses and bacteria out of the body. Their anti-inflammatory properties can also help fight infections like sore throats, respiratory tract infections, and infections of the tonsils.
10. Alkalizing
Citrus foods might be acidic in nature, but once it does enter the body, they are fully metabolized, and their minerals are dissociated into the bloodstream. This raises the pH levels of body tissue, thus making the body more alkaline.
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