Lemons are high in vitamin C, fiber, and various beneficial plant compounds.
In fact, lemons may support heart health, weight control, and digestive health.
One lemon provides about 31 mg of vitamin C, which is 51% of the reference daily intake (RDI). And we know that eating fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke.However, the fiber and plant compounds in lemons could also significantly lower some risk factors for heart disease .Plant compounds found in lemons -hesperidin and diosmin — have also been found to lower cholesterol.
It is also suggestted that drinking hot water with lemon will help you lose weight.However, drinking water is known to temporarily increase the number of calories you burn, so it may be the water itself that is helping with weight loss — not the lemon.However, no studies has confirmed the weight loss effects of lemon compounds in humans.
Citric acid may help prevent kidney stones by increasing urine volume and increasing urine pH, creating a less favorable environment for kidney stone formation.Just a 1/2-cup (4 ounces or 125 ml) of lemon juice per day may provide enough citric acid to help prevent stone formation in people who have already had them.
Lemons contain some iron, but they primarily prevent anemia by improving your absorption of iron from plant foods.Your gut absorbs iron from meat, chicken, and fish (known as heme iron) very easily, while iron from plant sources (non-heme iron) not as easily. However, this absorption can be improved by consuming vitamin C and citric acid.Because lemons contain both vitamin C and citric acid, they may protect against anemia by ensuring that you absorb as much iron as possible from your diet.
Lemons are made up of about 10% carbs, mostly in the form of simple sugars and soluble fiber.The main fiber in lemons is pectin, a form of soluble fiber linked to multiple health benefits.Soluble fiber can improve gut health and slow the digestion of sugars and starches. However, to get the benefits of fiber from lemons, you need to eat the pulp.
