Sour Power: Unleashing the Health Benefits of Lemon Juice
Lemons are one of the world’s most commonly consumed citrus fruits. Unlike some citrus fruits like oranges and tangerines, however, lemons are not often eaten plain. That’s because lemons have a much more sour taste than many of their relatives in the citrus family. They’ll cause your mouth to pucker with their sourness!
However, lemons and lemon juice are essential to many favorite beverages and foods, including lemonade, lemon meringue pie, and chicken or fish baked with lemon slices. While this natural food has a unique, tangy flavor that elevates many dishes, lemon can offer so much more than that.
Many positive health effects are associated with lemons and lemon juice. In fact, including lemons in your everyday diet could help boost your wellness in multiple ways, in both the short term and the long term.
Are you looking for an easy and delicious way to fit lemon juice into your diet? With Clean Juice, you can enjoy all of the benefits and tangy flavors of lemon alongside many other tasty and nutritious natural foods. Find your nearest Clean Juice location and order now to get fresh, healthy foods and beverages delivered right to your door!
Table of contents:
- Lemons and Lemon Juice History
- Lemon Nutrition and Taste
- Ways to Enjoy Lemons
- Lemon and Lemon Juice Health Benefits
- Clean Juice Products with Sour Power
Lemons and Lemon Juice History
Lemons are easy to find at just about any grocery store, whether you live in a big city or a rural area. But where did lemons originate?
The first lemon trees likely grew in South Asia and Northeast India and slowly spread throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Lemon trees didn’t come to the Americas until the Spanish conquest in the mid-1700s, when lemon seeds were spread throughout much of the land that would become the United States.
California and Florida have become hot spots for many different types of citrus, including lemons. A huge amount of the continent’s lemons are grown in these places. In addition to these states’ millions of acres of citrus groves, it’s common for property owners in both California and Florida to have their own citrus trees.
Historically, lemon has been used in many medicinal ways over the centuries. One of the most significant roles that lemon juice and lemons have played was in the 17th and 18th centuries, when it was used to cure sailors who developed scurvy while at sea.
James Lind, an 18th-century Scottish doctor, performed some of the first trials on sailors with scurvy and found that giving them lemon juice helped to improve their conditions.
Today, lemons are primarily used for their nutritional value and their bright, sour taste. However, lemons and lemon juice are still highly regarded as a natural remedy for the common cold or sore throat, as their high vitamin C content can help to fight the early symptoms of these conditions.
Lemons and lemon juice can even be used as an all-natural cleaning agent. Lemon juice is high in citric acid, which can disinfect many surfaces and remove stains. The fresh scent of lemon also helps to make any space smell and feel cleaner, which is another reason many cleaning agents contain lemon extract.
Lemon Nutrition and Taste
What nutritional value do lemons and lemon juice have to offer? Lemons are very low in calories, which means that adding a lemon slice or a serving of lemon juice to a beverage or meal is an extremely low-calorie way to add some flavor and zest.
A single lemon contains roughly 17 calories and 1 milligram each of sodium, protein, calcium, and sugar. Lemons are free of saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol.
The most important vitamin found in lemons is vitamin C, and eating one whole lemon can provide you with roughly half of your daily intake of this essential nutrient. Lemons also contain a small amount of fiber, which supports gut health and digestion.
Never eaten a lemon on its own? You’re not alone. While most citrus fruits have a bright and tangy taste, lemons are among the sourest citrus fruits, along with limes.
Lemons are extremely tart because the fruit contains high levels of citric acid. While some people who enjoy sour tastes can eat lemons plain, most prefer to strategically use the citrusy tang of lemons or lemon juice to enhance the flavors of other beverages and foods.
Ways to Enjoy Lemons
There are so many ways to get creative with lemons and lemon juice to fit them into your diet. One of the most basic methods is to squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice into your morning glass of water. This is a fresh and delicious way to start your day and could even help set you up for better digestion.
Since sugar counterbalances the sour taste of lemon and brings out its other flavors, lemon is a popular ingredient in many desserts and sweet drinks. These include lemonade (or perhaps our “The Wakeup One” that combines ginger and lemon and orange), lemon bars, lemon sorbet, and lemon meringue pie, among many others.
While sugar should be consumed in moderation, desserts made with fresh lemon could still provide some of the fruit’s health benefits.
Lemon is also commonly used as a flavorful addition to savory recipes. The next time you prepare baked chicken or fish, try splashing some lemon juice over the top or even placing lemon slices over the meat before placing the tray in the oven. This is a nutritious and low-calorie way to bring out the natural flavors of the meat and keep it tender and juicy as it bakes.
One of the easiest ways to get more lemon juice into your daily diet is by drinking it in a cold-pressed juice or smoothie. At Clean Juice, we’ve found so many delicious ways to mix lemon with other nutrient-dense foods in our nourishing and tasty juices and smoothies. Order now to try out your next favorite Clean Juice product, or start a cleanse to boost your wellness!
Lemons and Lemon Juice Health Benefits
Now that you understand a bit more about where lemons came from, what they’ve been used for historically, and what role they play today, it’s important to know the specific benefits that you can receive from including lemons in your daily diet.
Full of Vitamin C
One of the most well-known health facts about lemons is their high vitamin C content, which they share with most citrus fruits. Including a single lemon in your daily diet could boost your vitamin C intake by a significant amount and have noticeable effects on your wellness.
Vitamin C supports health at the cellular level with many different functions. It helps to create a strong and protective immune system, and it can even make your body absorb iron from other foods more effectively. Vitamin C is also a well-known antioxidant.
Rich in Antioxidants
Antioxidants are compounds that work within the body to prevent harmful cellular oxidation. Specifically, antioxidants fight off free radicals, which are harmful substances created when the food you consume gets converted into energy. Free radicals can cause all kinds of health issues, from inflammation to serious diseases.
The more antioxidants you have in your diet, the better your body will be equipped to fight free radicals and keep your cells healthy and properly functioning. Vitamin C is the most powerful antioxidant found in lemons, but this fruit also contains ascorbic acid, limonoids, and flavonoids, which have strong antioxidant properties as well.
The benefits of a high-antioxidant diet could include a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and other serious health conditions. Also, consuming plenty of antioxidants may reduce inflammation, a common symptom of many autoimmune diseases that can cause daily discomfort.
Aids in Digestion
Soluble fiber is one of the most important players in a healthy digestive system, and lemons contain this crucial compound. When you regularly consume soluble fiber, your body will digest sugar and starch more slowly and effectively.
These nutrients are often digested too quickly, which can cause gastrointestinal issues and fluctuations in blood sugar. When your blood sugar rises or drops too drastically, you might feel unwanted swings in your daily energy levels or experience even more serious issues like fainting and severe fatigue.
Keep in mind that the soluble fiber in lemon is found in the pulp. While lemon juice contains many of the fruit’s positive health effects, you’ll have to include the lemon pulp in order to reap the benefits of a fiber-rich diet.
Supports Skin Health
While vitamin C plays a major role in your health as an antioxidant, it also has other positive health effects when you consume the proper amount every day. One of these effects is brighter, younger-looking skin thanks to this vitamin’s ability to increase collagen production.
This effect of vitamin C is a primary reason many beauty brands use lemon extract and lemon juice in facial products designed to boost skin elasticity. Including lemon in your diet as well as your beauty routine could lead to even more noticeable results!
Can Help with Weight Management
Lemon may be a useful tool for those looking to maintain or lose weight for a few reasons. One of these is lemon’s soluble fiber content, which helps support proper digestion while also causing you to feel fuller for longer. This can aid in reducing your overall calorie intake, which is the most effective way to lose weight.
Some studies have also shown that lemon extract may help to prevent weight gain. This study was performed on mice, which means the efficacy in humans is still unknown.
However, the study found that mice who ate a diet of fattening foods maintained or even lost weight when they also consumed polyphenols extracted from lemon peel.
If you’re looking for weight management strategies, consuming more lemon in your diet could be helpful. It’s important to find what works for you and remember that your overall daily calorie intake will make the most difference in your efforts.
Prevents Kidney Stones
Regularly consuming lemons and lemon juice may be an effective method to prevent kidney stones. Kidney stones are formed when waste particles in the kidneys crystallize and form tiny lumps. Eliminating these stones can be very painful, depending on the amount of waste in your kidneys.
Citric acid helps increase the pH of urine, which makes the environment in your kidneys much less optimal for forming kidney stones. Lemons and lemon juice are very high in citric acid. You could also consider taking a shot of lemon juice like with our Immune Booster shot. It contains lemon, carrot, and ginger. If you’re not into the shot, the “Yellow” juice might be another great option. Interested in ordering now? Go for it!
If you want to prevent more kidney stones from developing in the future or have never had one but want to avoid them, including more lemon juice in your diet could help. However, more studies are needed to prove the connection between citric acid consumption and kidney stones.
Supports Low Cholesterol and a Healthy Heart
Many compounds found in lemons and lemon juice could support a healthier heart. One of the most important is the fruit’s vitamin C content, which is known to contribute to heart health when consumed on a regular basis.
Soluble fiber is also present in lemon juice and lemons, as are two plant compounds called diosmin and hesperidin. Diosmin, hesperidin, and soluble fiber are all known to help keep cholesterol low. This means that multiple compounds are working to lower your cholesterol each time you consume a serving of lemons or lemon juice.
The lower your cholesterol is, the more likely you are to avoid heart disease and stroke. This means that including plenty of lemons and lemon juice in your diet could have positive long-term effects on your health. Just make sure to pair your lemon consumption with other healthy foods like leafy greens, proteins, and complex carbohydrates.
Clean Juice Products with Sour Power
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention some of our other absolute favorite products that contain lemon juice, one of those being our Blue Cold-Pressed juice. It gives off those tropical vibes and contains lemon juice, agave, pineapple, and blue spirulina (hence the blue color.)
A few other faves worthy of mentioning are “The Blueberry Lemonade One” made with lemon juice, apple, coconut water, honey, and blueberries and “The Hot Pink Summer One” which blends lemon juice with pineapple and dragon fruit. These are both part of our $6 summer menu so if you have two hands available, it would be worth trying both! Order this way.
Our inclusion of lemon doesn’t stop at drinks, either. We also whip up a delicious Avocado toast, our best seller in fact, that has a squeeze of lemon juice right on top.
Looking for even MORE products that contain lemon? You are in luck as we really do LOVE lemons over here at Clean Juice. There’s the ”Dragon Fruit Lemonade Refresher” to keep you hydrated and our “Immunity 2.0” immunity shot. So many options to choose from! Almost all of our cold-pressed juices contain some amount of lemon, too!
Create Lifelong Healthy Habits that Taste Great with Clean Juice
Supporting your health isn’t hard when you trust the pros at Clean Juice. You’ll be amazed at how delicious a nutrient-dense and balanced diet can be when you order our smoothies, juices, bowls, sandwiches, and more. Check out our specials or simply order now to get your favorite Clean Juice products delivered to you!
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Disclaimer: The information presented here is for educational purposes only and is in no way intended as a substitute for medical counseling. Consult your doctor before using any health treatment, including natural remedies, and tell your doctor if you have a serious medical condition or are taking any medications.
If you’re unsure whether lemons would be a healthy choice for you, ask your doctor.