It’s one of the most common citrus fruits we come into contact with, yet have you ever stopped and thought about how eating a lemon benefits your health?
Simply adding lemon to your sauces, dressings, or your water can offer a host of health benefits. So, let’s discuss how eating a lemon benefits your help, from fighting infections to decreasing body fat and more!
6 Amazing Ways Eating a Lemon Benefits Your Health
Here are six of the top ways that lemons benefit your health.
1. Supports healthy blood pressure levels
One of the top ways lemon benefits your health is by supporting heart health and, specifically, healthy blood pressure levels.
According to a 2014 study, people who are more conscious of their health tend to consume more lemons as well as exercise more often. [1]
Interestingly, the researchers found that lemon consumption combined with regular walking was highly effective at supporting healthy blood pressure levels, specifically systolic blood pressure.
They concluded that this may be due to lemon’s effects on blood citric acid concentration.
So, if you’re ever concerned about your blood pressure levels, consider squeezing a little lemon in your water each day. Not only will you stay hydrated, but you’ll get some of the blood pressure-supporting lemon benefits as well.
2. Helps fight infections
Amazingly, eating lemon benefits your body by helping to fight and/or prevent infections.
According to one study, the bioactive compounds in lemon contain antibacterial properties. These compounds include flavonoids, carotenoids, limonoid, tannin, and terpenoids.
Interestingly, the study found that lemon juice extract was effective against the following bacteria: Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pyogenes.
The researchers found that lemon juice extract was most effective against Staphylococcus aureus, at a rate of 115 percent! [2]
Likewise, a 2019 study measured the efficacy of diffusing lemon and silver fir essential oils in reducing the microbial contamination in two hospital wards. Researchers found that two hours after the oils were diffused, the airborne bacteria were reduced by approximately 40 percent. [3]
If you’re fighting or trying to prevent a bacterial respiratory illness, you may want to consider taking advantage of the benefits of drinking warm lemon water.
Also, I like to diffuse a little lemon essential oil along with some lavender and peppermint to keep pathogens out of the air in my home—especially if anyone is feeling ill.
You can also try my Homemade Antibacterial Cream, which features lemon essential oil, for topical needs.
3. Contains anti-inflammatory properties
As you may have suspected by now, lemon benefits your health by fighting inflammation, largely thanks to its bioactive compounds.
According to a 2015 study, women who took part in a lemon detox program comprised of a very low-calorie diet including a mixture of organic maple and palm syrups along with lemon juice for seven days experienced a significant decrease in inflammatory markers. [4]
Meanwhile, a 2013 animal study confirmed that lemon extract contains anti-inflammatory properties by reducing certain inflammatory markers in lab animals. [5]
As you can see, the compounds in lemons make them incredibly beneficial for your health. Consider incorporating a little freshly squeezed lemon in your sauces or dressings, like I did in this Garlicky Tahini Dressing.
4. Fights aging
Believe it or not, one of the incredible lemon benefits centers around its ability to fight the signs of aging.
According to a 2007 study, people who consume more vitamin C-rich foods such as lemons were 89 percent less likely to have wrinkles and 93 percent less likely to experience age-related dry skin. [6]
Conversely, consuming an extra 50 grams of carbohydrates increased the likelihood of having a wrinkled appearance by 136 percent.
Meanwhile, a 2019 animal study revealed that lifelong lemon intake provides anti-aging benefits for more than just your skin. [7]
According to the study’s findings, eating lemon increased the animals’ lifespans, delayed age-related health concerns, and even provided anti-aging benefits in their guts. How’s that for some powerful lemon benefits?!
5. Decreases body fat
Perhaps one of the most popular benefits of drinking warm lemon water is the belief that it helps to decrease body fat and promote weight loss. And research supports this theory.
According to the 2015 study we discussed above on women who took part in a lemon detox program, consuming this lemon-focused diet for seven days benefits way more than strictly inflammation levels.
The researchers randomly divided 84 premenopausal women into three groups; a control group without dietary restriction, a placebo diet group, and a lemon detox diet group. Their findings?
The lemon detox diet group experienced significantly greater changes in body weight, BMI, percentage of body fat, and waist-to-hip ratio in comparison to the other two groups. In fact, the lemon detox diet group lost, on average, almost six pounds in seven days! [8]
6. Shown to protect against certain types of cancer
Finally, you may be surprised to learn that lemon benefits your health by protecting your body against certain types of cancer.
According to a 2013 study, lemons were found to contain cytotoxic properties against human breast cancer cells. In fact, the researchers concluded that, based on their findings, consuming lemons may help prevent estrogen-responsive breast cancer! [9]
As you can see, there are some pretty incredible lemon benefits you can take advantage of to support your overall health and wellbeing.
So, the next time you’re sipping some water or making a homecooked meal or snack, consider how you can incorporate some lemon or lemon juice into whatever it is you’re consuming. You’ll not only get a nice and tangly flavor kick but also tap into some incredible health benefits!
Key Takeaways
- Lemon is one of the most common citrus fruits we come into contact with, and it turns out that eating a lemon benefits your health in many ways.
- Some of the top lemon benefits include: supporting healthy blood pressure levels, fighting infections, fighting inflammation, containing anti-aging properties, decreasing body fat, and helping to protect against certain types of cancer.
- To take advantage of these benefits, you can easily put some lemon juice in your water, sauces, or even dressings.
