When Life Hands You Lemons

If there has been one benefit of the last couple of years, it is that many people are waking up to the fact that their health is their responsibility, and that nature has all of the answers we seek to help us become healthier.

For years, we’ve taken zinc and elderberry syrup at the first signs of illness, but now with new challenges to our health sovereignty, we’ve explored how and why these things actually work and we’ve begun incorporating more wellness and immune support into our daily routine.

We’ll talk more about these things as the weeks go on, and of course we welcome your feedback. What are you doing to support your health in these very empowering times?

Today, let’s talk lemons.

Often people only think of lemons as the source of lemonade or flavoring for food. But lemons are powerhouses of support for your health.

Lemons can do a lot. They can reduce the risk of kidney stones, kill off cancer cells, and detox the body.

Lemons Enhance Immunity

Lemons are a good source of vitamin C, one of the primary components of any immune boosting regime. Lemons are also loaded with antioxidants that can help fight inflammation and promote immunity.

One study noted that getting enough vitamin C could help reduce the duration and severity of respiratory tract infections, and it can also prevent malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia.

Lemons are also high in antioxidants. Antioxidants protect your immune cells by neutralizing harmful free radicals and keeping your body free of infections caused by bacteria or viruses.

Lemons Promote Heart Health

One study from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston looked at the diets of 126,399 adults over a period of eight to 14 years and found that each serving of fruits and vegetables was associated with a 4 percent decreased risk of coronary heart disease. Interestingly enough, leafy green vegetables and vitamin C fruits and veggies, like lemons, had the greatest impact.

Lemons Help Fight Cancer

Lemons are packed with antioxidants and cancer-fighting compounds, so it’s no wonder that a slew of studies have found that lemons may be effective in killing off cancer cells.

One study showed that lemon fruit extract helped kill breast cancer cells. Similarly, another study in 2015 indicated that the components in lemon juice inhibited the growth of several types of cancer cells.

Lemons also contain compounds like hesperidin and d-limonene, both have been shown to have cancer-preventing properties.

Thanks to all these powerful properties in lemons, they are among the top cancer-fighting foods around.

Lemons Prevent Kidney Stones

If you are prone to kidney stones, incorporating a serving or two of lemons into your diet may help. Lemons contain citric acid which is proven to increase urine volume and aid in kidney stone prevention.

One study found that participants using lemons found that stone formation dropped significantly, from an average of one kidney stone per year down to just 0.13 per year.

Lemons Increase Iron Absorption

Iron is one of the main components of hemoglobin, which is found in the red blood cells and provides the body with the oxygen that it needs.

Vegans and vegetarians, for example, consume a type of iron that is not as well-absorbed by the body, and women of childbearing age are at a higher risk of deficiency due to blood loss through menstruation.

Research shows that vitamin C, which is plentiful in lemons, can help enhance iron absorption to prevent conditions like iron-deficiency anemia. One study even showed that taking 100 milligrams of vitamin C with a meal increased iron absorption by 67 percent.

Limes, oranges, peppers, berries and broccoli are some additional vitamin C foods that you can include in your diet to boost iron absorption.

Lemons Improve Skin Health

Antioxidants prevalent in lemons help fight off free radicals and prevent oxidative damage, which accounts for the many benefits of lemon water for skin. The buildup of free radicals contributes to the aging process, resulting in changes like wrinkles, age spots, dryness and decreased elasticity.

Lemons are an Antioxidant Powerhouse

Not only do the antioxidants present in lemon help improve skin health and support healthy aging, but they have exhibited radical scavenging activity and protection for the body from DNA mutations that lead to disease.

Lemon contains powerful flavonoids, including quercetin, luteolin, apigenin and hesperidin. Quercetin, for example, helps reduce damaging inflammation, may work to relieve allergy symptoms and helps fight pain. Quercitin is also a tremendous zinc ionophore, which helps transport zinc into cells. Zinc deficiency has been shown to make respiratory infections whether by virus or flu more virulent.

Lemons Can Relieve Gallbladder Attacks

An old folk remedy for gallbladder pain after consumption of fatty foods, lemons have been used for generations to help break down fatty foods and relieve gallbladder pain.

Lemons Tonify the Liver

In Chinese medicine, bitter foods support liver function which is critical to the health of numerous systems in the body. Lemon helps to tonify the liver, which is the primary organ for detoxification.

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How to Use Lemons

Add lemons to warm water and drink with meals to aid with digestion. Often, lemon water taken at the start of the day can help reduce cravings and reduce edema and water retention due to its tonifying effects. Adding lemon to tea, to vegetable juice, or even just sipping lemon water throughout the day can be beneficial.

Lemons can also be used in place of vinegar in salad dressing and are a component of numerous mediterranean dishes.

Lemon juice also compliments ginger in vegetable juices and teas, and both add a dimension of flavor to carrots, chicken, and other moderate foods.

Lemons can also be used in numerous sweetened drinks and dishes which might counteract their health benefits, but we all need a little sweetness in our lives sometimes.

When life hands you lemons, say thank you, and make lemonade.

Thanks for reading another edition of Shasta Sage Wisdom. If you learned something new, let us know! Feel free to forward this email to a friend.

Cheers to your health,

Max & the rest of the Shasta Sage Wellness team