We are so used to seeing certain types of food in our house, such as garlic, some grains or seeds, onion or lemon, that we forget its great healing power and we resort to expensive and sophisticated pharmaceutical products when we would find another solution in our fridge effective, healthy and cheap.
Lemon is a citrus fruit originally from the Himalayas, although today it is cultivated throughout the world in some of its varieties of lime or lemon. In Spain it was introduced by the Arabs in the 10th century. Its flower is white and very aromatic, similar to the orange blossom (of the orange tree).
Lemon is known for its large amount of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), but it also contains potassium, calcium, fiber, caffeine, a large amount of essential oil (in the lemon skin), flavonoids and pectin.
Lemon against infections
Lemon, due to its citric acid, has great bactericidal, antiparasitic, antifungal and antiviral properties, which is why it gives very good results for the treatment of infections, such as herpes, candida, nail fungus, intestinal parasites (seeds of the lemon), mouth sores, acne or otitis.
Consequently, it also helps to eliminate bad odor, for example bad breath or odor from armpits or feet.
Cleansing and slimming lemon
It also has very good diuretic and purifying properties, as it helps to eliminate uric acid and improve the lymphatic system, which helps to eliminate excess fluids (thanks to Potassium (K)) accumulated in the body, and to purify, for example, stones of the kidney or gallbladder.
On the other hand, the fiber content of lemon (soluble fiber rich in pectin) helps reduce the absorption of sugars and fats in our intestines. If we drink large amounts of lemon juice, we will cause a laxative action, which can be beneficial or harmful depending on our health and nutritional circumstances.
Antianemic lemon
Anemia is the lack of iron in our body and this can occur from consuming low levels of iron, or from suffering bleeding that will cause us to lose a large amount of iron or because our body is not able to absorb iron from food. The vitamin C of the lemon, doubles the iron absorption capacity in our body, especially in the case of iron of plant origin such as dates, nuts or legumes.
Lemon and beauty
Lemon improves the formation of collagen and therefore, due to its mineral content, it helps to keep the skin smooth and the nails and hair strong.
Being an antioxidant, it prevents the deterioration of the skin, acting as a powerful nutritive " anti-wrinkle ", which also prevents water loss (dehydration).
Lemon essential oil is widely used in cosmetics, not only for its aroma and its " refreshing " effect , but also for its antioxidant and nourishing properties.
For the treatment of acne, has exceptional properties, as it cleanses, nourishes and disinfects the skin. In these cases, we recommend gently exfoliating the skin with brown sugar and lemon: the whole lemon is crushed with its peel and pulp and mixed with brown or brown sugar. It is applied with gentle circular movements and is left to act for approximately 10 minutes before rinsing with plenty of warm water.
Lemon as a pH regulator
Lemon, despite what it may seem due to its acidic taste, has an alkalizing effect on our body, in fact it is one of the foods with the highest alkaline power. This means that the pH of the blood increases, which is unfortunately usually acidified. Acidosis of the blood is very dangerous since it leads to the appearance of a multitude of diseases, including the most serious ones such as cancer (one of the causes of cancer is the lack of oxygen and acidity of the pH). Most of the inhabitants of supposedly developed countries suffer from acidosis, whether due to stress, pollution, oxygen deficiency (environmental pollution, tobacco, respiratory problems ...), a poor diet rich in meat and fat and poor in raw and fresh plant foods, an excess of medication, etc.
Regulating the pH of our blood (the optimal pH is 7.3, slightly alkaline) is vital, since it will make the difference between health and disease. Remember that an acidic pH, below 7.1 will produce immediate coma.