While some studies suggest that citrus fruits can lower the risk of cancer, there are many other uses for citrus – specifically lemons. Lemons are typically known as the source of a child’s first business venture (lemonade stands!) and for inspiring the famous phrase, “When life gives you lemons…” However, these yellow, pucker-inducing fruit have a multitude of health benefits. And, you may not have known that they can even be used for a variety of household activities, like cleaning.
Lemons – A good source for vitamin C
Often used in small amounts for garnishing certain foods, lemons turn out to have quite a good reputation when it comes to improving health. Being packed with vitamin C, it’s no surprise that the sour fruit can do wonders when it comes to boosting your immunity – but that’s not all. Folic acid in lemons are said to help heart health, and the citric acid that is also present in lemons may also help with kidney stones. However, it goes without saying that in order to reap the health benefits, you must consume the fruit – and lemons aren’t exactly the most appealing fruit when it comes to eating them raw, which is why one trend involves drinking lemon-infused water.
Your body uses folic acid to help make DNA and RNA and works with vitamin B12 to make red blood cells and use iron throughout the body.
Drinking lemon water is said to do amazing things for your health, and is even said to promote weight loss, hydration, and aid digestion – which is why many people may enjoy a glass of lemon water at the start of their day. Nevertheless, there are many other options available when it comes to lemon consumption. Lemon juice works great on salads and fish alike (along with many other foods), and the peels can even be candied – or, you can go with a longtime classic and enjoy a cold glass of lemonade.
Lemons and beauty?
It’s safe to say that lemons made their way into the beauty market a long time ago with products such as Sun-In – a leave-in hair lightener popular in the 2000s. However, as time has gone by, lemons are still present in the beauty world and are recommended for much more than consuming. In fact, it is said that lemons can aid in teeth whitening when mixed with baking soda and applied to the teeth – which is a bad idea considering the acid in lemons can do more harm to your teeth than good. In other news of lightening and brightening, lemons are also said to do just that to your skin – which can also be a bad idea, due to the possibility of chemical burns from all that acid. Overall, lemons do much better in the kitchen than they do in our beauty routines.
A kitchen staple
Among the plethora of health benefits that lemons can bring, you might be surprised that lemons have even more uses. In fact, lemons are said to be a wonderful, all-natural cleaner due to its antibacterial properties and low pH. Not to mention the natural and pleasant aroma that is left behind. With that being said, there are many things you can do with a simple lemon when it comes to cleaning your home, such as using it to clean your kitchen countertops and even removing odors from your fridge or microwave – making it a truly versatile fruit.
Lemons are oftentimes found on the grocery lists of many, usually for the purposes of making lemonade or garnishing a dish or two. However, the sour fruit packs quite the punch when it comes to hidden health benefits and other uses, which make it a fruit worth using on a more regular basis.