LEMON: THE NATURAL BLOOD CLEANSER (Francis Owusu-Banahene, T/Dr)

 


Lemon (citrus lemon) is a flowering plant of the family Rutaceae with a distinct sour taste (due to its rich source of citric acid). It has a unique flavor, making it a popular ingredient in drinks, desserts, and meals. Thanks to the efforts of alternative medicine proponents, lemon used to be regarded even by most Ghanaians as just a cleansing agent for utensils.

Lemon’s therapeutic secret

Vitamin C stands out in the lemon’s composition (slightly less than the orange), as does a significant amount of potassium, magnesium, calcium, and virtually no protein or fat.

According to Dr. George D. Pamplona-Roger, "the most interesting component of lemons from a dietary and therapeutic standpoint is not its nutrients but rather its so-called accompanying substances, or phytochemicals. These include organic acids, flavonoids, and terpenes. Physiologically, these phytochemicals possess antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, and detoxifying effects.



Lemon’s major clinical applications

While lemon comes with amazing benefits for the entire body, its effect on the blood is paramount to these effects:

  1. Anti-anemia: Anemia occurs when the red blood cells can’t get enough oxygen through the bloodstream. Vitamin C in lemons improves iron absorption; hence, they should form a regular part of the diet of those suffering from anemia. Although lemon has a very low iron content, it increases the absorption of iron supplied by other plant-based foods.
  2. Improves blood fluidity: the phytochemicals in lemon (hesperidin and flavonoids) strengthen the capillary walls, improve the elasticity of the arteries, and reduce the blood's tendency to excessive clotting. This makes lemon a very good option in the case of arteriosclerosis, edema, a tendency to thrombosis, and whenever there is a need to improve blood fluidity and circulation.
  3. Depurant: Lemon facilitates the elimination of toxins from the blood. For example, lemon is highly effective in eliminating uric acid, a major causative factor for arthritis, rheumatic pain, and kidney stones.

 


Jara (Bonus)

Don't use hot water for your lemon water.

One common way to consume lemon is by squeezing the fresh juice into a cup of water, termed lemon water. In order to attain maximum benefits from this wonderful natural recipe, the use of hot water should be avoided. At best, warm or room-temperature water is recommended because hot water destroys the vitamin C content in lemons. This assertion is based on the fact that lemon’s therapeutic benefits are based on a perfect combination of vitamin C, other nutrients, and phytochemicals. Hence, taking lemon with hot water may make it less effective.



Francis Owusu-Banahene is a licensed doctor of traditional medicine, a health advocate, and the CEO of East Eden Health Reform Center.

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