Health Benefits Of Lemon Juice

Most of us will have tried lemonade once and find it very refreshing to enjoy on a hot sunny day. But consuming too much of this citrus fruit can also bring harm rather than good. Follow our explanation further below.

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The Intake of Lemon Water

Lemon water is a good source of vitamin C and sufficient citric acid for our bodies. And even without taking a considerable amount of lemon, you can still obtain its antioxidant benefit.

Citrus fruit is known to be a unique source of flavanones that add to the lemon juice's antioxidant properties.

Despite lemon squeezed juice being the best for your health, an excessive intake of it can cause harm by corroding your teeth and also disturbing your digestive system.

Health Benefits of Vitamin C From Lemon Juice

Lemon as well as other citrus fruits are considered a good part of your diet for obtaining vitamin C. One lemon comprised around 19mg of vitamin C.

And of course, you will get less vitamin C from the squeezed lemon juice but one thing for sure is that it will definitely help you achieve that recommended daily intake. It is best for women to get 75mg of vitamin C each day whereas their counterparts will need 90 mg daily.

Vitamin C which is also known for its antioxidant property will balance the reactive molecule(free radical) from breaking down the tissues.

Acting as an antioxidant, vitamin C protects molecules such as protein, fats, carbohydrates, and DNA from free radicals. Taking more vitamin C will reduce the risks of cardiovascular diseases.

Your body will require vitamin C for producing collagen which is a tissue that maintains and strengthen the muscles, ligaments, skin, and organs.

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Citric Acid

According to the Endourology Journal 2009, lemon juice provides more citric acid than other citrus fruits making it the best choice of citrus fruits.

Citric acid is crucial for the production of energy but commonly the body will produce the energy that is needed by the body instead. This means that citric acid is not that important in this situation.

However, other health benefits can still be obtained from citric acid that is contained in lemon juice and other citrus fruits. When you consume the juice of citrus fruits, the value of citrate in your urine increases which will block the formation of kidney stones and breaks down any existing smaller stones.

A low citrate level in the urine will increase the risk of crystallization and ultimately the formation of kidney stones.

As stated previously, flavanones are also present in lemon juice mainly hesperetin, naringenin, and eriodyctiol which function as antioxidants and also help reduce inflammation.

Hesperetin is also known to prevent cancer by blocking the formation of tumors. It can also be used for diabetes and reducing cardiovascular diseases by reducing the blood pressure and level of lipids in the body.

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The Harm Of Taking Too Much Lemon Juice

The acid of lemon juice can have an unwanted effect on the gastrointestinal system. Food that is highly acidic will worsen the symptoms of gastrointestinal reflux or GERD and certain people also complain of having stomach discomfort after taking too much ascorbic acid.

Citric acid and ascorbic acid mixes together giving the pH of the lemon juice 2 - 2.6 making it rather acidic in nature.

The Minnesota Dental Association reported that the teeth's enamel will corrode from food or drinks with a pH of 4 so lemon juice is definitely one of them. Protecting the teeth by washing the mouth off with plain water can be beneficial after consuming lemon juice.

It also helps to avoid brushing your teeth within 1 hour after consuming citrus fruits to prevent from brushing the acid all over your sparkling teeth. We definitely don't want you to lose that lovely smile.

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