What Are the Benefits of Lemons & Limes?

Lemon is the oval-shaped yellow fruit of the evergreen lemon tree. Lime is a similar fruit with denser flesh that remains green even when mature. Both lemons and limes are citrus fruits originating from Asia. Depending on the variety, lemons and limes may be relatively sour or sweet. The fruits are used around the world for cooking, as health supplements and for non-culinary purposes as well.

Culinary Benefits

• Lemons and limes are essential ingredients of many recipes, usually in the form of juice or zest (peel shavings). The zest adds flavor to baked goods, puddings, rice dishes, and salads. Many liqueurs are also derived from lemon and lime zest.

  Lemon and lime juices are common marinades. For fish dishes, the juice neutralizes amines by converting them into ammonium salts, enriching the flavor and neutralizing the odor. For meats, the juices hydrolyze the tough collagen fibers, thus tenderizing the meat. The juices also act as a short-term preservative in fruit dishes by denaturing the enzymes that cause browning and degradation in apples, bananas, avocados, and other fruits.

  Sliced lemons and limes are common garnishes for many beverages, including alcoholic mixed drinks, teas, and water. Lemonade and limeade are also popular drinks extracted from the juices.

Health Benefits

• Lemons and limes each contain most of the known vitamins and minerals, and are both excellent sources of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, potassium, folic acid, flavonoids, and the phytochemical limonene, which increases the level of enzymes that detoxify carcinogens. Limes also contain the rare Vitamin P and are the best readily available source of Vitamin G.

  The concentrations of citric acid and other vitamins provide many benefits for people with otherwise deficient diets. Most famously, lemons and limes were historically important for sailors susceptible to scurvy (thus the nickname "limey"). These citrus fruits are also well suited for relieving jaundice, menorrhagia and the symptoms of gastric or peptic ulcers.

Non-Culinary Uses

• Lemon and lime extracts and essential oils are used in many industrial products, including perfumes, cleaning supplies, and polishes. Many aromatherapy products also rely on lemon and lime extracts and essential oils. Research done under Janice Kiecolt-Glaser at Ohio State University in 2007 provides a scientific basis for the long-held claims that lemon and lime oil aromas enhance human moods.

  Lemons and limes have also long been popular and effective for many non-culinary household uses. The juices work as sanitary kitchen deodorizers and disinfectants that remove grease and bleach stains. The juices are antibacterial due to their low pH. The d-limonene in lemon oil is an effective non-toxic household insecticide. Lemon and lime juices mixed with baking powder are effective in brightening copper cookware and silverware; the acids cut through tarnish, and their abrasiveness assists in cleaning. The juices are also traditionally used to lighten hair color.

  The lemon and the lime also have significance in various Asian cultures for traditional and spiritual purposes. For example, in India, the lime is used in Tantra for repelling evil spirits. Combined with chilies, it is used to make a protective charm to repel the evil eye. Several martial arts also teach that the extracts may be used as an eye drop to enhance vision.