How often do you really stop to think about lemons? Most people don’t give a lot of thought to the fact that lemons come from a small evergreen tree. Nor do they stop to consider whether it came from China, India or Burma. To this day nobody knows which of the three regions first gave birth to this amazing fruit. What we do know is that the paths through Italy would eventually lead it to Europe. It would later come the America by way of Columbus himself. This is the kind of thing which fascinates historians. But while it’s true most people don’t think about this issue they will typically consider something else. And what people tend to think about is their own health.
Lemons can make a dramatic impact on our health. And in fact, it can begin by simply having lemon juice for a single day. So what exactly can lemons and lemon juice do for your body? One of the first points to consider is digestion. Most people can attest to the fact that lemon juice tastes rather acidic. And that’s no mistake on the part of the taster. In fact, lemon juice is structurally similar to human digestive acid. That means that when one drinks it the body suddenly thinks there’s been a sudden influx of digestive fluid. In turn, this triggers bile production in the liver. The bile helps to move food through one’s GI tract. And in the end a nice mix of lemon juice and warm water can prove a tremendous digestive aid. However, that’s only one part of the effect that it has in the body. Consider the role of vitamin C in any number of health based supplements. Well, now consider that a simple 100 gram serving of lemon juice contains 53 mg of vitamin C. This helps prevent a number of serious medical conditions. And it’s responsible for such important things as generating new bone, healing skin and keeping blood vessels strong.
It’s time to consider another major part of the body though. The human liver was already touched on. But the bile production for digestion is only the start. It’s an important part of a huge amount of life sustaining functions. And there’s times when it becomes inflamed as bacteria or other agents attack it. And guess what contains a substance which can help reduce liver inflammation? Yes, the lemon contains naringenin which helps reduce liver inflammation. A functional liver helps to keep the body working and healthy. And it’s part of the reason why one’s skin can look healthy. But lemons can be another part of that process. When applied topically a lemon’s citric acid can help lighten blemishes or dark spots. And internally it has antibacterial and antifungal properties which can fight off some of the elements which can cause breakouts. Finally, no discussion of health would be complete without thinking of the most serious health risk. Most people know cancer is the be all and end all of health risks. But lemons have been shown to help fight cancer by keeping cellular function at an optimal level. This is due to antioxidants and free radical damage prevention. All of this shows that regular intake of lemons can be a valuable part of one’s health routine. It doesn’t just taste good. It’s good for people.
