Citric Acid Benefits

Citric acid is an organic acid produced in nature, and is a natural preservative. Found in citrus fruits, citric acid has hundreds of uses in the food industry, in science and in heavy industry. Citric acid is a background player in a lot of the things we use every day, and benefits us in good health.

Lemon Water

• One of the main benefits of citric acid is its amazing restorative powers. It is claimed drinking lemon water, which has a high concentration of citric acid, can cure heartburn, bloating and belching. The citric acid in lemon juice also aids digestion, and moves the bowel as a natural diarrhetic, preventing constipation.

Food Preservation

• Adding citric acid to preserves, fruit or gelatin-based deserts and canned vegetable and meat products will greatly extend the shelf life of these products. Citric acid is a preservative, able to fight the effects of bacterial breakdown.

Health

• Eat lemon and lime juice, along with other citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits to benefit the body. Citric acid has been proven to to break down kidney stones by affecting the citric acid balance of urine. The more citric acid present in your urine, the less likely kidney stones will be able to form, as citric acid protects against formation of stones, and will keep any stones that are present from growing in size by coating them, preventing materials from sticking to them and making them larger.

Water Softening

• Citric acid has the ability to chelate metal, that is, creating bonds between binding sites at the molecular level. This makes it a very effective ingredient in soaps. Adding citric acid to detergents and soaps helps the cleaning product chelate hard water, making it easier for the cleaning product to foam. This way you do not need to use a water softener.

Wine

• Citric acid is added to wine where the grapes used have a low acidity level. This gives the wine a fuller flavor, and helps bring out the natural sugars. This method is commonly used in cheap wines, as it costs less than using a higher quality grape.

Photography

• In photography, citric acid can be used in what is called the stop bath, a liquid chemical immersion that stops the process of chemical development on the photographic paper. Developing liquid is usually made with an alkaline mixed in, which is a base metal that dissolves in water. Citric acid neutralizes the effect of alkaline, stopping the developing process.

Flavor Enhancement

• Not only does citric acid preserve, but it can enhance flavor as well. Citric acid is often used to add sour or acidic tastes to foods and soft drinks. Usually citric acid is identified by the E number E330 when added as a food flavoring.