Lemon is one of the most medicinal fruits in the world, rich in vitamin C, sugars, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, niacin, quinic acid, citric acid, malic acid, hesperidin, naringin, coumarin, high potassium, and low sodium, making it extremely beneficial to the human body. Vitamin C is essential for the formation of various tissues and intercellular substance in the human body and for maintaining their normal physiological functions. Substances like the ground substance, adhesions, and collagen in the body require the protection of vitamin C. When vitamin C is deficient, the intercellular substance—a gel-like material—also decreases. This makes cell tissues brittle, reducing their ability to resist external forces and leading to an increased risk of scurvy. It also has many other uses, such as preventing colds, stimulating blood production, and acting as an anticancer agent.
1. Lemon promotes saliva secretion, relieves summer heat, and stimulates the appetite
Although lemons taste sour and slightly bitter and cannot be eaten raw like other fruits, the lemon peel is rich in aromatic volatile components that can promote saliva secretion, relieve summer heat, and stimulate the appetite. In summer, when damp-heat is heavy, many people feel mentally fatigued and listless. After long hours of work or study, their appetite often wanes. Drinking a glass of lemon water can be refreshing and invigorating with its crisp, sour flavor, and it can also open up the appetite.
In Western cuisine, lemon is often used as a seasoning for seafood to remove fishy odors. In Southeast Asian cuisine, it is used directly in cooking to highlight its sweet and sour taste. Lemon is also an indispensable seasoning in roast duck and roast goose, which are beloved by people in Southern China.
2. It can prevent cardiovascular diseases
Lemons are rich in vitamin C and vitamin P, which can enhance the elasticity and toughness of blood vessels, preventing and treating symptoms of hypertension and myocardial infarction. In recent years, foreign research has also found that green lemons contain a component similar to insulin, which can lower abnormal blood sugar levels.
3. Regular consumption of lemon can clear heat and resolve phlegm
Lemons can also expel phlegm. The phlegm-expelling effect of lemon peel is even stronger than that of citrus. During the hot and humid summer, if one's diet is not carefully managed, the internal dampness of the body can interact with the external dampness of the climate, and over time, this accumulation of dampness can produce phlegm. Therefore, when there is excessive phlegm and throat discomfort in the summer, adding lemon juice to warm water with a small amount of salt can help expel the thick phlegm accumulated in the throat.
4. It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects
Lemons are rich in vitamin C, which acts like a natural antibiotic in the human body, providing various benefits such as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and immune-boosting effects. Drinking hot lemon water regularly is a good way to maintain health.
5. It delays aging and inhibits pigmentation
Lemons contain multiple nutrients such as vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and vitamin C, as well as abundant organic acids like citric acid. Lemons are highly alkaline foods with strong antioxidant effects, making them very effective in promoting skin metabolism, delaying aging, and inhibiting pigmentation.
6. Lemon is "good for mother and child" and alleviates morning sickness
The Cantonese medical text "Yue Yu" records: "Lemon is good for mother and child. Its taste is extremely sour. Pregnant women with a deficient liver crave it, hence it is called 'good for mother.' When ripe, people compete to buy it, and it is considered a virtue to store a large quantity for a long time. Its juice can be used as a substitute for vinegar." This means that pregnant women can place some lemons by their bedside and smell them upon waking in the morning to alleviate morning sickness.
In fact, lemons have many more uses. In the kitchen, they can be used to remove grease and odors. Many women use them to whiten their skin, and the rich vitamins in lemons can also help with fat reduction. If you have been coughing up phlegm recently, you can try drinking water infused with lemon and honey. It is also very effective for a hoarse throat. Sitting at your computer, are you now tempted to eat one? However, drinking lemon directly is very sour, so it is generally used as a seasoning or infused in water.