Lemon juice: properties and uses

Useful properties of bright and possessing the unforgettable aroma of lemon citrus have been known for many centuries.Many experts can not come to a consensus where this solar well of vitamins first appeared: in India, Greece or on the tropical islands of the Pacific Ocean, but nevertheless the inhabitants of the entire planet use lemon for health purposes.

It is a well-known fact that using a lemon for edible purposes is a bit complicated: not everyone can eat it the way we eat, for example, an apple. But zest and lemon juice is recommended to be used not only for health purposes, but also in various recipes to improve the taste of the dish. In ancient Greece, for example, lemon juice was used as an antidote to many types of poison, even snake. Even today, lemon is recommended as an antidote to scorpion bites. The ancient Chinese claimed that lemon juice cured all wounds.

Cellulose, which is so necessary for treating the intestines, is also an important component of the pulp of lemon and zest, like citric acid, due to which the body is cleared of toxins, the digestive system is stabilized. It is citric acid that tones a person’s condition and improves his immunity, improves eyesight and circulatory system. The huge amount of minerals contained in this fruit is surprising: potassium and sodium, calcium, magnesium, zinc and copper, iron, manganese, phosphorus can have a stunning effect on the human condition.

But this fruit is more popular due to the richest vitamin composition. Useful vitamins A, B, B1, C are part of the juice of lemon, and more - a rare vitamin P, called "citrine", characteristic only for this type of plant.

With regards to the nutritional value of lemon, it is ideal for any type of diet, that is, its BJU (protein, fat and carbohydrate content) can be a standard for those who decide to say goodbye to excess weight:

• calories: 34 kcal per 100 grams;
• proteins: 0.9 grams;
• Fat: 0.1 grams;
• carbohydrate components: 3 grams;
• dietary fiber: up to 2 grams;
• water: almost 90 grams.

The benefits of lemon is obvious to anyone, no wonder at the slightest cold disease, we remember about this fruit. And it's not just the above vitamins that make up citrus. When can we hope for the beneficial properties of a lemon?

• With a cold. The famous vitamin C will help lower the temperature, get rid of the heat and infection. Lemon juice has antioxidant properties that “rejuvenate” the body and tone up the skin. The ideal remedy for the primary symptoms of a cold is tea with lemon or drinking lemon juice, diluted in a small amount of boiled water three times a day. The essential oil of lemon is very useful for colds. By the way, in order to produce 1 kg of oil, you need to use about three thousand fruits.
• According to many people, lemon juice is perfect. with throat disease, sore throat and cough - enough to squeeze a small amount of juice into the water and drink throughout the day. Lemon juice was also used in diphtheria or scurvy, you can simply lubricate the raids in your throat.
• Lemon helps and in vascular diseases, as it has anti-sclerotic properties and normalizes fat metabolism, which helps reduce cholesterol accumulation. In this case, the blood vessels in the body become more elastic. Lowers lemon juice and blood pressure, so doctors recommend using it to hypertensive patients.
• Use lemon and with the disease of the digestive system, normalizing water-salt metabolism in the body.
• Lemon juice increases appetite, improves brain activity. For example, tablets "Citramone", which include citric acid, are used for neuralgia, headaches.
• Pregnant women It is recommended to drink lemon water during toxicosis, it helps to cope with bouts of nausea.
• Whining pain in teeth, according to patient reviews, it is recommended to eliminate also with the help of diluted juice. It helps to cope with caries and inflammation of the gums.
• Many doctors recommend start the day with a glass of water with lemon juice diluted in it. Drinking on an empty stomach such a miracle drink, you normalize the work of the digestive system, clean the blood vessels, accelerate the metabolism.

Do not, however, forget that with a huge amount of positive feedback and recommendations, There is a possibility of harm to health with excessive passion for citrus.

• First of all, you need to make sure that the person does not have allergic reactions to the use of fruit.
• With frequent use of lemon juice in its pure form, you can destroy the tooth enamel, so it is better to dilute it with boiled water or mix it with another freshly squeezed juice.
• If a person suffers from various types of diseases of the stomach or intestines, such as gastritis or gastric ulcer, it is better to refuse citrus juice.
• Do not use lemon in its pure form and with inflammations in the oral cavity, it will only increase the pain.
• It is not recommended to include citrus juice in the menu of children under three years old, the gastric mucosa may suffer.

Preparing lemon juice at home is not difficult, even if your kitchen is not equipped with the latest appliances. Therefore, there is no need to buy ready-made juice concentrate in the store and dilute it with water.

The juicer will help you to make the required amount of juice, the benefit of today's market offers a huge range of both mechanical and electrical devices. With their help, you can prepare yourself not only a useful medicinal drug, but also a delicious salad dressing or mayonnaise. To get about 150 grams of lemon juice, you need to use about three fruits.

To squeeze the maximum amount of juice, you need to remember that it turns out when the destruction of the cellular membranes of citrus, which keep the liquid in it. It is necessary to carry out some manipulations with the fruit in order to achieve the desired result:

• First, we pierce the lemon with a fork in several places;
• we drop the fruit into hot water (70 degrees) for just a minute;
• take out a lemon and roll it on the cutting board, slightly deforming the fruit;
• cut lemon;
• with the cut side press the fruit on the axis of the juicer;
• filter the squeezed juice and remove the bones.

Juicers can process lemons even with skin. The main thing in all devices is to cut the fruit into several parts, and then, if necessary, strain the resulting liquid.

Freshly squeezed lemon juice can be obtained more easily and quickly by simply cutting the fruit in two halves and using a juicer or a special press for citrus fruits. Such a device is very simple to use, driven by a special lever.

If the house does not have a juicer, then you can still cope with the task by several methods.

• Use cutlery - forks or spoons. Cut a lemon in half. Pierce citrus pulp with a spoon and rotate it over any container clockwise the required number of times to squeeze out the juice into a bowl. Fresh drink is ready.
• If you dip a lemon in hot water, and then cool it before cutting and squeezing, the process will go faster.
• You can squeeze lemon juice using gauze: wrap finely chopped fruit pulp in a cloth and squeeze it.

Lemon juice can also be prepared using a concentrated product sold in stores. It is obtained by evaporation of the liquid from the collected lemons, as a result of which the concentrate becomes viscous and thick. Then add flavor enhancers and perfumes to it.Of course, it is impossible to drink it in such a consistency, therefore it is diluted with the necessary amount of water: for example, about 3 liters of water will be required for 0.5 liters of concentrate. As a result, you can get useful nectar, without spending any effort on its preparation.

Speaking of lemon, we must not forget that this citrus is very actively used in cosmetology, Since its properties are good for the skin of the face, it helps to cope with age spots and perfectly heals cracks on the skin.

• For those who can not get rid of acne, lemon juice will be a great help. Possessing excellent antiseptic properties, it will perfectly cope with the task. In this case, it is used in the form of masks for the skin - the face or other parts of the body. At the beginning of the procedure, you need to clean the skin well, then lemon juice is applied to it with a cotton swab. After a certain time, when the juice dries, it should be washed off with warm water. During this procedure, you can feel a slight tingling, and then you need to lubricate the skin with a moisturizer.

• Lemon juice is perfect remedy for age spots. It is enough to wipe the problem areas regularly. Its whitening qualities are determined by the presence of ascorbic acid, which naturally slows down the process of the appearance of the coloring pigment. Citrus pectins perfectly “absorb” the aggressive influence of the environment on the skin, helping it to recover from various synthetic additives that make up modern creams, soaps and skin serums.
• Citrus in combination with soda may help with some digestive problems, the main thing is not to get involved in and consult a doctor. According to experts, soda and lemon juice maintain an alkaline environment in the body, which facilitates the work of the kidneys and removes toxins. If you add quite a bit of soda to lemon juice, then this combination will relieve heartburn and eliminate the appearance of digestive gases in the intestine.

• Sour enemas, or enemas, which contain a bit of lemon juice, help with constipation, as due to their composition the intestinal peristalsis is enhanced. In this case, pain and irritation in the intestine is reduced. With this solution you can get rid of parasites and fermentation processes in the intestine. The recipe for this enema is simple: one tablespoon of lemon juice for two liters of warm water.
• The combination of lemon juice and egg shells helps with allergiesHowever, it is necessary to take such a remedy for two weeks without interruption Drink lemon juice must be fresh. This mixture is indispensable for acute calcium deficiency and is an excellent vitamin-mineral complex. Dental diseases, rickets, and possible spinal curvature are just a small list of problems for which such a miraculous mixture can help.
• Type 2 diabetes - A disease that can be controlled with lemon juice and eggs. With regular intake of this mixture, the human body receives various vitamin supplements, such as folic and ascorbic acids, minerals.

• Putrid processes in the liver can be stopped with citrus, which removes toxins and toxins. Cleansing the liver with lemon juice, which stimulates the production of enzymes, is very popular.
• People suffering from pancreatitis Doctors recommend that you follow a certain diet.In addition to the exclusion from the diet of fatty and salty, to maintain the body in this case, we can recommend a mixture of lemon, garlic and parsley - a well-known folk remedy. Per kilogram of lemon leaves 300 grams of parsley and the same amount of peeled garlic. The mixture is twisted in a non-grinder for more than 10 days and take a teaspoon daily before meals. Duration of treatment - until the end of the healing mixture.

In cooking, lemon juice is a frequent guest. It is ideal for various pastries, salads, many housewives use lemon juice in the process of pickling products, as well as in canning them for the winter. Lemon is an excellent tool for marinating meat, various dressings, it is used in many recipes of the world. However, if there was no fresh fruit on hand, and in the recipe it is an important element, it can easily be replaced with several options:

• Vitamin C. It can be used when canning for the winter. By adding acid to the pickle and cucumber pickle, you can be sure that the banks will last for the entire period.
• Lemon acid. It is enough to use it in meager amounts, for example, at the tip of a knife, diluted with 50 grams of water.
• Apple, wine or 9% vinegar can also replace, if necessary, lemon juice.
• If you do not have a lemon, but are present orange, apple or lime, feel free to use their juice for cooking.

How to squeeze the juice of lemon hands, you will learn in the next video.