Benefits

Lemons

Lemons offer a plethora of health benefits and have been extolled for their healing properties for almost two thousand years. It originated in northern India, and Arab traders brought it to the Middle East and Northern Africa, where it has been used in regional dishes ever since. The Arabs introduced the lemon to Spain in the eleventh century.

Juicing lemons, especially including them in other juice blends, is a great way to take advantage of these health benefits, considering lemons are too tart for most people to enjoy them on their own. Their distinct flavor complements many other ingredients nicely.

Like most citrus fruits, lemons are rich in vitamin C and offer the free-radical-fighting and immune-boosting benefits the vitamin is known for. Lemons also help prevent anemia by aiding the body in absorbing plant-based iron (though they are not high in iron themselves). This benefit comes from the combined presence of vitamin C and citric acid. Some researchers believe that limonene and naringenin could have anticancer effects, though a definitive study has yet to be carried out.

Lemons are low in calories and enhance the flavors of many other ingredients. One thing to bear in mind is the high concentration of tyramine in lemons, which in people who are sensitive to it, can cause migraines.