You get more than a sharp tang when you suck a lemon wedge or drink fresh lemonade. Lemons are an extraordinarily rich source of healing chemical compounds that improve immunity, strength blood vessels, help skin to heal and may even block certain cell changes that can lead to cancer. A quick rub of lemon in the armpits helps to combat unpleasant smells. A squeeze of lemon added to hot water and honey is the perfect sore-throat elixir. And lemon is a vital ingredient when it comes to making homemade cough mixtures.
What’s it good for?
- acne
- age spots
- body odour
- calluses and corns
- colds and flu
- cold sores
- coughs
- dry mouth
- greasy hair
- head lice
- heartburn
- hiccups
- kidney stones
- laryngitis
- morning sickness
- oily skin
- pregnancy ailments
- sore throat
- varicose veins
- warts
Century ago, British sailors ate lemons by the boatload to prevent scurvy, a deadly disease caused by vitamin C deficiency. A single lemon contains 40mg vitamin C, the full recommended daily target intake. We don’t worry about scurvy anymore because there are so many sources of vitamin C in our diet. But lemon provide a host of other benefits.
Citrus power
Never underestimate the power of vitamin C – or the tried and trusted advice to drink lemony drinks when you have a cold. The vitamin C in lemons reduces levels of histamine, the chemical that contributes to stuffed noses and runny eyes. The vitamin is a powerful antioxidant that also reduces levels of unstable cell-damaging molecules known as free radicals, and helps to guard against heart disease. (Several studies have shown that low levels of vitamin C increase the risk of heart attack.
When cholesterol becomes oxidized – attacked by free radicals – it’s more likely to turn into artery-blocking plaque.) The body uses vitamin C to boost the activity of immune cells and manufacture collagen, the tissue-building substance that assists in wound healing.
