Sunshine yellow, eye-wateringly tangy and smelling like a summer in Italy . . . no
wonder most people like lemons.
Now, in a new book, a former GP proclaims lemons are nothing short of a miracle,
capable of soothing and stopping an array of ailments. Read on to discover how lemons
could help you...
Lemons on tree
Lemons can help with an array of ailments such as cold sores, weight gain, gallstones,
urine infection, indigestion, muscle pain and constipation
COLD SORES
Lemon contains a compound, limonene, which has antiviral properties. It is found mainly
in the peel, but also in the juice. Lemon oil can also help by excluding air from a
sore.
ACTION: Apply lemon juice to a cold sore several times a day, using a clean cotton pad
each time, or add a drop of lemon oil to two teaspoons of sweet almond oil and apply
this to the cold sore.
WEIGHT GAIN
Lemons contain pectin, a natural fibre and gelling agent, which mops up fat stored by
the body, and reduces absorption; researchers in Texas also found that pectin helps you
feel full.
Lemon acids and pectin can slow the absorption of sugar after a meal. So cooking with
lemon juice or sprinkling it on food can prevent low blood-sugar dips, which can
trigger hunger pangs and overeating.
The vitamin C in lemons also helps us to produce carnitine — an amino acid that helps
our body burn fat.
Studies at Arizona State University found that volunteers with adequate vitamin C
burned 30 per cent more fat during exercise than those with low levels. In a separate
study of obese women trying to lose weight, those who took vitamin C lost twice as
much.
ACTION: Include the zest and juice of a lemon in your daily diet.
GALLSTONES
Most gallstones are made up of cholesterol, formed when the liver or gall- bladder do
not successfully expel it. A lack of stomach acid (as caused by ageing, stress, or
medications such as antacids or acid-suppressants) discourages gallbladder
contractions.
Acidic foods such as lemon juice before a meal can mimic stomach acid, and encourage
the gallbladder to contract and expel small stones.
Lemons are also rich in anti-oxidants, which studies have found to discourage
gallstones.
ACTION: If you have stones, take one tablespoon each of lemon juice and olive oil an
hour before breakfast each day.
BITES AND STINGS
Wasp stings irritate because they are alkaline, so lemon acids may help. They may also
ease irritation from mosquito and gnat bites.
ACTION: Apply a cotton pad soaked in lemon juice, and repeat if necessary.
URINE INFECTION
If infection is making your urinary tract inflamed and sore, overly acidic urine — for
example, from an unhealthy diet — will worsen the pain. The urine’s normal pH (acid–
alkaline balance) varies from 4.5 to 9, the ideal perhaps being 5.8 to 6.8.
Surprisingly, the metabolism of lemon juice in the body has a mildly alkalising effect
that can help restore your urine to its normal state.
ACTION: Consume the juice of half a lemon two or three times a day, neat or sprinkled
on food.
HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Potassium in lemons helps to regulate body fluids, and their magnesium relaxes
arteries. They also contain flavonoids — nutrients known to promote healthy vessels.
Lemons also add flavour to foods, so can be used as a healthy alternative to salt.
One small lemon’s vitamin C can boost levels of nitric oxide, a gas which sends a
signal to the body to relax and widen blood vessels.
Finally, lemon juice resembles some hypertension medications known as ACE-inhibitors —
it inhibits the production in the kidneys of the hormone angiotensin, which is known to
raise blood pressure by constricting blood vessels.
ACTION: Include the zest and juice of a lemon in your daily diet.
VARICOSE VEINS
Lemons can act as a venous tonic as they have strengthening, tightening and anti-
inflammatory effects on vein walls.
ACTION: Massage your legs with a mixture of two drops of lemon, two of lavender and
three of cypress essential oils in two tablespoons of sweet almond or other carrier
oil.
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