Let’s discuss Lemon Fruit – Nutritional Facts, and 4 Benefits.
Lemon fruit has become the word most common citrus fruit. You will agree with me that this fruit is the most selling citrus plant in your area.
Lemon fruit has great potential health benefits and also contains healthy nutritional facts.
What’s more, there are many ways you can enjoy the amazing lemon; however, the sour taste makes the fruit not eaten as a whole fruit.
To enjoy it more, you can garnish it with your meals; take it as a juice mixed with warm water.
What I like most about this fruit is the flavor it gives to my routing lemon tea making me crave for more.
Interestingly, lemon fruit is a good source of vitamin C and fiber. It contains highly plant compounds, minerals, and essential oils.
However, adding it to your diet may help lower the risk of heart disease, kidney stones, and cancer.
Nutritional facts of Lemon Fruit
According to research, the report showed that lemon fruit contains lots of carbs (10%), water (88-89%), and has little fat and protein.
Here are the nutrients in 1/2 cup (100 grams) of raw, peeled lemon are:
- Calories:Â 29
- Water:Â 89%
- Protein:Â 1.1 grams
- Carbs:Â 9.3 grams
- Sugar:Â 2.5 grams
- Fiber:Â 2.8 grams
- Fat:Â 0.3 grams
Carbs
A study shows that carbohydrates in lemons are mainly composed of fibers and simple sugars, such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose.
Fiber
The main fiber seen in lemons is pectin.
Pectin is a soluble fiber that can lower blood sugar levels by slowing down the digestion of sugar and starch.
According to a study, dietary fiber is an essential part of a healthy diet.
Vitamins and minerals
Lemon is a great source of vitamins and minerals.
- Vitamin C. This vitamin an essential antioxidant that is very necessary for the function of the immune system and the overall skin health.
- Potassium. AÂ high potassium diet can lower blood pressure levels and have positive effects on heart health.
- Vitamin B6. The presence of this vitamin helps in converting food to energy.
However, talking of plant compounds:Â these are natural bioactive substances found in plants, which have powerful health benefits.
Plant compounds in Lemon are:
- Citric acid. This acid plays a lot of roles in preventing the formation of kidney stones.
- Hesperidin. The antioxidant found in hesperidin may help strengthen your blood vessels and prevent atherosclerosis.
- Diosmin. This plant compound is an antioxidant used in some drugs that affect the circulatory system; it improves muscle tone and reduces chronic inflammation in your blood vessels.
- Eriocitrin. This antioxidant is found in lemon peel and juice.
- D-limonene. D-limonene can be seen in peel; the essential oils are found in d-limonene. This plant compound can help relieve stomach reflux or heartburn.
However, to get the full plant compound, it is advisable to eat the whole lemon fruit to get the complete benefits of the fruit.
The Health Benefits of Lemon Fruit
1.Heart health
Cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and strokes, is the world’s most trending cause of death.
However, consuming fruits with a high number of vitamin C is connected with a reduced risk of heart disease.
According to a study, low levels of vitamin C in the blood are also linked with the risk of stroke; you can see this among those who are overweight or have high blood pressure.
Furthermore, the consumption of isolated fibers from citrus fruits has been seen to reduce blood cholesterol levels; however, the essential oils in lemons can protect LDL (bad) cholesterol particles from becoming oxidized.
2.Prevention of kidney stones
Based on research has shown that the citric acid in lemons may reduce your risk of kidney stones.
3. Prevention of Anemia
In a study, lemons contain small amounts of iron, but they are a good vitamin C and citric acid source. This helps to increase the absorption of iron from other foods.
Moreso, lemon helps to enhance the absorption of iron, which may help prevent anemia.
4. Prevent cancer cell
The plant compounds such as hesperidin and d-limonene in lemon may help reduce the risk of many types of cancers, including breast cancer.
Notably, frequent eating of lemon may cause harmful dental health when your tooth enamel is damaged.
Summary on Lemon Fruit
Lemon fruits are a healthy fruit that has numerous benefits such as mange weight loss, contains a great source of vitamin C, soluble fiber, and other plant compounds.
Enjoy your refreshing fruit.