Can Lemon Juice Reduce Cholesterol?

Lemon juice is a popular product best known for its place in cooking. However, lemon juice offers health benefits as well, such as its ability to maintain liver health and to lower cholesterol, that make it worth adding to your daily diet.

Health Properties of Lemon Juice

• There are a few special properties of lemon juice that give it its health benefits. The first is a group of compounds called limonoids. Limonoids are found in many citrus fruits, including lemons. According to the American Dietetic Association, limonoids are responsible for the bitter taste in citrus fruits such as lemons and graprefruit. One limonoid in particular, called limonin, is found to have cholesterol-lowering effects as well.

  A study in the November/December 2007 issue of "Alternative Therapies" reports that 80 percent of the cholesterol in the body is made in the liver, built with a substance called apolipoprotein B and triglycerides. The limonin, found in lemons, works by slowing the production of both apolipoprotein and triglycerides. Lemons also contain high amounts of vitamin C, a very powerful antioxidant that is reported in the June 2006 issue of the "Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences" to dramatically reduce total cholesterol levels after a mere 30 days of supplementation.

Putting It Into Action

• Now you know that lemon juice can help you reduce your cholesterol levels, but you should also know exactly how to use it. You can substitute lemon juice for high-fat dressings on salads, or saute chicken or fish in lemon instead of butter.

  You can also use the lemon juice as a drink. Take a fresh lemon and wash it well. Roll it on the counter top to soften it inside. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze it into one cup of warm or hot water. Use the other half of the lemon in a cup of hot water at night. Doing this every day will help bring down your cholesterol levels, as well as increase your intake of vitamin C.