They’re small and yellow, and they’ve swept the world by storm. No, they’re not Minions (although there’s a surprising resemblance between the two), but lemons! I’ll be the first to proclaim my unfaltering love for lemons, because all they do is bring health and vitality into my life, and vibrant colors that light up my otherwise dull mornings.
That may seem a little dramatic, but by the end of this article I’m hoping that you’ll feel the same way. Everyone deserves to have a little lemon in their lives, and just by adding half a lemon into your day, you’ll be healthier, happier and more resistant to disease and illness.
Here are five interesting health-related reasons why you need to fall in love with lemons, too.
- Lemons supercharge your digestion
We can all benefit from a little push to our digestive abilities, and lemons can give it to us. Because the atomic structure of the humble lemon is so similar to the digestive fluids found in our own stomachs, lemon juice actually tricks the liver into producing bile. Bile is tasked with helping the movement of food through your stomach and digestive tract, and more bile means smoother sailing from one end to the other (if you know what I mean).
Not only do the hallowed juices of our friend the lemon promote ease of digestion, they also encourage your digestive system to extract more nutrients from foods at a lower rate. Slower, more comprehensive digestion via the acids contained in lemons ensures that your insulin levels remain constant and you can obtain more nutrients from each mouthful of food you eat.
- Lemons kickstart your energy in the morning
Not everyone is blessed with a love of mornings, and things can get off to a slow start without the aid of caffeine found in that first cup of coffee. Unfortunately, too much caffeine can become a bad thing, and many people find that over time they develop a reliance or even addiction to coffee to get them going in the morning.
Enter our hero, the lemon. Lemons can kick your reliance on caffeine and boost your energy levels the healthy way. This is because the negatively charged ions found in lemons can supply your body with a direct source of energy, meaning you’ll feel more clear headed and energized from simply sipping on a glass of warm water with lemon juice squeezed in.
What’s more, as you squeeze your whole lemon into that glass of water, you may or may not notice a fine spray being ejected into the air at the same time. Even if you don’t feel this, you’ll certainly smell it — the clean, refreshing scent of citrus. Just inhaling this scent can actually reduce stress and improve your mood — you’ll be a changed person when it comes to mornings from this point forward.
- Lemons replenish your skin
The benefits from lemons aren’t just limited to your innards. The high concentrations of antioxidants found in lemons, particularly vitamin C, have been shown to fight and prevent the damage to your skin caused by pesky free radicals. Add this to the fact that the vitamin C influx from consuming lemons supports healthy collagen production and therefore smoother, more supple skin, and you’ve got yourself a potent replacement for many toxic skin creams on the market. The result is that regular lemon consumption, such as half a lemon squeezed into a glass of water every morning, can lead to fewer wrinkles and younger-looking skin. Hoorah.
- Lemons keep your dentist away
No one in their right mind enjoys a trip to the dentist, so anything that can delay your next appointment with that horrific drill or nasty scrapey-metal thing is probably all right in your books. Well, that thing is, of course, the mighty lemon — fresh lemon juice applied directly to a toothache can help to banish the pain, while massaging lemon juice or lemon pulp on the gums can stop them from bleeding and even eliminate the bad odors that come from gum disease and decay.
Just make sure you brush your teeth after consuming lemon, as the citric acid contained within it can erode tooth enamel.
- Lemons are great for your hair
The benefits of lemons just keep on coming. The juice of a lemon squeezed or rubbed onto your scalp can help treat problems such as dandruff, bacterial problems and even hair loss in some instances. If diluted in water and applied regularly to your hair, it can also improve its shine and naturally lighten its color, making it look like the sun is always shining on you, no matter what the weather.
These are some great benefits, but they’re certainly not all of the wondrous things lemons can bring into your life. Here are nine ways you can flush toxins from your body with the aid of lemons.
— Liivi Hess
