Lemons seem to be in every detox recipe on the web.
Whether it’s lemon water, lemonade or lemon tea, there’s no escaping the fact that these little citrus fruits pack a health punch.
If you’re juicing your lemons, you’re missing out on so many beneficial compounds, you’ll wish you were freezing them all along!
Lemons As Medicine
Lemons have long been used in traditional cooking both as a flavoring agent and a medicinal remedy.
In fact, lemons have been proven to :
· Fight Cancer
· Lower cholesterol
· Fight inflammation
· Kill harmful bacteria
· Regulate high blood pressure
· Combat depression and stress
· Detox your kidneys and liver
How Lemons Are Equipped To Fight Cancer
The Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University examined the anti-cancer benefits of lemon and concluded that “citrus limonoids may have potential for the prevention of estrogen-responsive breast cancer.”
And it’s not just limonoids: “coumarins in lemon fruit are promising chemopreventive agents by inhibiting radical generation.”
Lemons are also rich in polyphenols, which have at least 100 positive effects on cancer cells such as the antioxidant effect, says Leicester University’s professor Will Steward, head of clinical oncology.
Other than prevention, limonoids also showed promising result in promoting the self-destruction of cancer cells in less than 12 hours. The quantity of limonoids needed to have this affect is about equivalent to a glass of citrus juice.
These studies, among others suggest lemon may help prevent and possibly treat the cancers of the mouth, breast, stomach, colon, childhood cancers and more.
Getting The Most Out Of Your Lemons
Lemon peel contains 5 to 10 times more vitamins than the lemon juice itself.
In fact, Dr Marilyn Glenville, a nutritionist and expert on women’s health, says that eating a wider range of fruit peels is beneficial to our health. She told BBC food: “Most of the antioxidants contained in fruit are found within the peel or the pith rather than in the pulp itself.”
More specifically, the pith, pulp and peel of lemon contains “in particular flavones, flavanones, flavanols, phenolic acids, limonoids, carotenoids, coumarins, furocoumarins, polymethoxyflavones, and dietary fibre, among others.”
And so, Dr Glenville suggests: “It’s better to make a smoothie than a juice, because you can whip everything up including the skin, and you’re not discarding anything in terms of nutrient content.”
When it comes to citrus fruits, smoothies aren’t ideal since they can be quite bitter. The recipe bellow will show you how to get the most out of your lemon without scrunching up your face from the strong flavor!
How To Freeze Lemons
1. Start by washing and disinfecting the fruit with a little apple cider vinegar.
2. Rinse and dry.
3. Freeze the lemon overnight.
4. Once fully firm, remove from the fridge and grate it pulp, peel, seeds and all.
5. Keep frozen in an ice cube tray for future use.
Lemon peel can enhance the flavor of your meals, including: salad, ice cream, soup, yogurt, pasta sauce and more!
Try a spoonful in smoothies, a pinch in your favorite juice and teas or a generous amount in baked goods. The possibilities are endless!
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Source: dailyhealthpost.com
