Health Benefits of Lemon

Health benefits of lemon include treatment of throat infections, indigestion, constipation, dental problems, fever, hair care, skin care, internal bleeding, rheumatism, burns, overweight, respiratory disorders, cholera and high blood pressure. Known for its therapeutic property since generations, lemon helps to strengthen your immunity system and cleanses your stomach. It is not only a blood purifier but also enables body to fight diseases. Lemon juice, especially, has several health benefits associated with it. Useful for treating kidney stones, curing heart strokes and reducing the body temperature, lemonade helps you to stay calm and cool.

Health benefits of lemon are due to many nourishing elements like vitamin C, vitamin B, phosphorous, proteins, and carbohydrates present in it. Lemon is a fruit that contains flavonoid, a composite that holds antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. It helps to prevent diabetes, constipation, high blood pressure, skin care, fever, hair care, dental care, indigestion and many other health problems. Studies conducted at the American Urological Association highlight the fact that lemonade or lemon juice can cure kidney stones by forming urinary citrate, which can prevent formation of crystals.

People use lemon to make lemonade by mixing lemon juice with water. Many people use lemon as a washing agent, as it can remove stains. Lemon can also repel mosquitoes.  Drinking of lemon juice with olive oil helps to get rid of gall stones. Lemon is well known for its medicinal control and is used in many different ways. As per the results reported in a study of Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, lemon provides human guard against inflammatory polyarthritis and arthritis.

Various health benefits of lemon can be described as under:

•  Indigestion and Constipation: Lemon juice helps to cure problems related to indigestion and consitpation. Add a few drops of lemon on your dish (take care lemon does not go well with milk), and it will aid in difestion. Lemon acts as a blood purifier and a cleansing agent. A good drink post lunch or dinner is fresh lemon soda (also called fresh lime soda in many places). The recipe is add lemon juice, some cold water, soda, salts (common salt or rock salt) and sugar/honey (if you want it sweet), and mix it in a glass. You can also add some mint leaves or crushed fennel seeds for added taste. Drink this whenever you have a heavy lunch/dinner.
• Fever: Lemon juice can treat a person who is suffering from cold, flu or fever. It helps to break fever by increasing perspiration.
• Dental Care: Lemon juice is used in dental care also. If fresh lemon juice is applied on the areas of toothache, it can assist in getting rid of the pain. The massages of lemon juice on gums can stop gum bleeding. It gives relief from bad smell and other problems related to gums. In addition, lemon can also be used in regular cleansing of your teeth. You can look for a toothpaste containing lemon as one of the ingredients, or add a drop of lemon juice on your toothpaste. Some people also rub their teeth with the outer shell (the inner side touching your teeth) of a lemon after removing the juice. Take care - if you mouth starts burning, quickly put some water in your mouth.
• Hair Care: Lemon juice has proved itself in the treatment of hair care on a wide scale. Lemon juice if applied on the scalp can treat problems like dandruff, hair fall and other problems related to hair and scalp. Lemon juice if applied on the hair, gives a natural shine to hair.
• Skin Care: Lemon juice, being a natural antiseptic medicine, can participate to cure problems related to skin. Lemon juice can be applied to stop sun burn also. It helps to get relieved from bee sting as well. Lemon juice can also be applied on the skin for acne and eczema problems. It acts as an anti ageing remedy and can remove wrinkles and blackheads. Drinking of lemon juice mixed with water and honey brings glow to the skin. If you search thoroughly in the market, you will find some soaps containing lemon juice also.
• Burns: Lemon juice if applied on the areas of burns can fade the scars. As lemon is a cooling agent, it reduces the burning sensation on the skin.
• Internal Bleeding: As lemon has antiseptic and styptics properties, it can stop internal bleeding. You can apply lemon juice on small cotton and place inside to nose to stop nose bleeding.
• Rheumatism: Lemon is also a diuretic and can treat rheumatism and arthritis. It helps to flush out bacteria and toxins out of the body.
• Weight Loss: If a person takes lemon juice mixed with lukewarm water and honey, it can reduce the body weight as well. 
• Respiratory Disorders: Lemon juice assists in curing respiratory problems, along with breathing problems and revives a person suffering from asthma. Lemon, being a rich rich source of vitamin C, helps in dealing with respiratory disorders.
• Cholera: The diseases like cholera or malaria can be treated with lemon juice, as it acts as a blood purifier.
• 'Foot Relaxation: Lemon is an aromatic and antiseptic agent and is useful in foot relaxation. Add some lemon juice in warm water and dip the foot in the water to get foot relaxation.
• Corn: Lemon juice can dissolve lumps on the skin. It can be applied at the places where the skin has been hardened up. Drinking of lemon juice with water can facilitate the patient to get rid of stones.
• Throat Infections: Lemon is an excellent fruit that aids in fighting problems related to throat infections as it has an antibacterial property.
• High Blood Pressure: Drinking lemon juice is helpful for people suffering with heart problems as it contains potassium. It controls high blood pressure, dizziness, nausea as provides relaxation to mind and body. It reduces mental stress and depression.  

Buying a sweet lemon

Some lemons are more sweet than others. A rule of thumb for selecting a lemon that is both sweet and high in mineral content, is to pick one that has a high specific gravity measurement and is heavy for its size. By comparing equal-sized fruit, the one with the greatest weight will have the most mineral content and sugar. A thick skinned lemon will not be as heavy as a thin skinned lemon and will not have the desired sweetness or mineral content. 

The method I use to ensure the purchase of sweet lemons is to look at the stem end of the lemon. There are two ends on the lemon. One end has a point where the blossom started to grow; the other end has a stem or a dimple where the stem used to be located. On the stem end of a highly mineralized, sweet lemon, you will see little lines radiating out of the stem like sunbeams. These little lines can look like a star shaped structure and is called a calyx. The calyx may have three, four, five or more points to the star. The greater the number of points on the calyx, the higher the mineral content of the lemon.

How much lemon to use 

If you are in good health and weigh less than 150 pounds, squeeze the juice of one half a lemon (one ounce) into a glass of purified water and drink this mixture twice a day (one whole lemon a day.) If you weigh over 150 pounds, squeeze the juice out of an entire lemon (two ounces) into a glass of purified water and drink this mixture twice a day (two whole lemons a day.) The lemon juice can be diluted more according to taste.

To help your body get the energy from the food you are eating, drink lemon water regularly. Next to drinking plain purified water, drinking lemon water daily is the most important thing you can do for your health.

1. Lemon being a citrus fruit, fights against infection. It helps in production of WBC's and antibodies in blood which attacks the invading microorganism and prevents infection.
2. Lemon is an antioxidant which deactivates the free radicals preventing many dangerous diseases like stroke, cardiovascular diseases and cancers.
3. Lemon lowers blood pressure and increases the levels of HDL (good cholesterol) .
4. Lemon is found to be anti-carcinogenic which lower the rates of colon, prostate, and breast cancer. They prevent faulty metabolism in the cell, which can predispose a cell to becoming carcinogenic. Also blocks the formation of nitrosamines in the gut.
5. Lemon juice is said to give a glow to the skin.
6. A few drops of lemon juice in hot water are believed to clear the digestive system and purify liver as well.
7. The skin of lemon dried under the sun and then ground to make powder can be applied to the hair for a few minutes before bath which relieves head ache and cools the body.
8. Applying lemon juice to acne dries the existing ones and prevents from getting more.
9. Lemon juice acts as a natural hair lightner and skin bleach which reduces the pigment melanin and prevents the risk of chemical allergic reactions which is common with hair dyes and bleaches.
10. Lemon juice is given to relieve gingivitis, stomatitis, and inflammation of the tongue.
11. Lemon juice is given to prevent common cold.
12. Lemon juice is given to prevent or treat urinary tract infection and gonorrhea.
13. Lemon juice is applied to the sites of bites and stings of certain insects to relieve its poison and pain.
14. Lemon juice relieves colic pain and gastric problems.
15. Lemon juice soothes the dry skin when applied with little glycerin.
16. Lemon juice used for marinating seafood or meat kills bacteria and other organisms present in them, thereby prevents many gastro-intestinal tract infections.
17. Lemon juice with a pinch of salt (warm) every morning lowers cholesterol levels and brings down your weight.
18. Lemon juice is the best drink to prevent dehydration and shock in case of diarrhea.
19. Lemon juice can also be used as a mouthwash. It removes plaque, whitens the teeth and strengthens the enamel.
20. A table spoon on thick lemon syrup everyday relieves asthma.
21. Lemon juice relieves chilblains and itchy skin.
22. Gargling lemon juice relieves throat infection and also used as a treatment for diphtheria.
23. Lemon juice is an excellent treatment for dandruff and greasy hair.
24. Lemon applied over the face removes wrinkles and keeps you young.
25. Lemon juice helps to prevent and cure osteoarthritis.