Benefits of Eating Lemon Every Day, a Fruit Rich in Vitamin C

This week the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility Oscar Puentereceived Lemon Award from Peña Periodística Primera Plana and in a tongue-in-cheek thank you video on their social media account. X (before Twitter) highlighted the health benefits of this citrus fruit: “I would like to start by praising the benefits of lemon, which may be somewhat sour, but has more properties than ibuprofen, among other things it helps remove waste from the body and protects us from infections,” , Puente said.

Socialist minister’s speech aside, the truth is that lemon, a fruit that has been cultivated in Asia for over 2,500 years and which the Arabs spread throughout the Mediterranean basin starting in the 10th century, provides a large amount Vitamin C And potassium.

Most of the lemon is water, so its calorie content is low. 44 kcal/100 g however, it provides high amounts of vitamin C (50 mg/100 g edible serving), potassium and smaller amounts of other vitamins and minerals, according to a report by AILIMPO (Interprofessional Association of Lemons and Grapefruits).

Benefits of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is involved in many enzymatic reactionsis important in collagen productionwhich is necessary for the growth and repair of cells, tissues, gums, blood vessels and bones.

In addition, it has the property of improving healing and immune system function. strengthening the body’s overall defensesalso involved in the transport of iron, has antioxidant capacity, which helps reduce the risk of certain diseases, for example, neutralizes carcinogens such as nitrosamines, so appears to play an important role in cancer prevention.

On the other hand, various studies have shown that people with high vitamin C intake have a lower risk of developing other chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseasescataracts or neurodegenerative diseases.

Antiseptic effect

The pulp contains organic acids, mainly citric acid and to a lesser extent malic acid (which is considered responsible for the sour taste of this food), acetic and formic acid. Some studies have shown that these acids enhance the effects of vitamin C and have noticeable antiseptic effect. There are also phenolic compounds such as caffeic acid and ferulic acid, which are powerful antioxidants and inhibit carcinogenic activity.

Phytonutrients

It also contains a significant amount fiber However, the most interesting components of lemon are the phytonutrients. In particular, limonoidsconnections located in Cortex, and it appears to help prevent some types of cancer. Lemon contains the most d-limonene is a monoterpene.

In addition, there is both a white layer under the skin and pulp. flavonoids (citroflavonoids), to which properties are attributed anti-inflammatory agent.