Apart from numerous culinary uses and drink additions the lemon has many major health benefits. The scent of lemons is often very therapeutic for people whether they are suffering from anxiety, fatigue or have general tension in their body. It has been found in household cleaners since the dawn of time and still continues to be produced in the form of air fresheners, fabric softeners, and candles worldwide.
Lemons are suspected to originate from the northeast India or China region and have since spread across the globe, though no one really knows where they came from. It’s Latin name is Citrus limon and people have been utilizing every part of the lemon for as long as anyone has recorded it’s usage. Lemons are typically juiced for beverages or dishes, but the rind can often be used as a zest to top some creative creations in your kitchen. Soaking the rinds in a vinegar for extended amounts of time can produce a new household cleaner with a fresh scent! The leaves have been known to be ground up for tea.
Lemon was observed to have healing qualities for people in the early ages—though this is probably due to the vitamin C found in it. Lemon is great for the skin too and has been shown to treat certain skin conditions, such as eczema. Oftentimes lemon essential oils are used alone or blended together with other essential oils to give relief to those who practice aromatherapy. Lemons also have a pH level of 2.2 which is why they are so sour!
All around lemons seem to have a freshness that we can’t seem to get away from. Whether they’re used in various household cleaning products or beauty products such as soap, lemon will continue to keep us feeling fresh and clean.
The production of lemons today is mainly produced by India, China, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico as they are the leading producers of lemons and limes! Lemons are fairly easy to grow from seed, but they require a bit of time to mature before you will see any fruit. When the tree matures, you can expect it to live 50-100 years if cared for correctly and mature trees produce hundreds of pounds of lemons per year.
Lemons may be the smallest in its family of citrus, but it provide the most health benefits! Some benefits of consuming lemon include digestion aid, an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immune system booster, provides much needed vitamin C as well as necessary minerals such as calcium, iron, potassium and copper.
This citrus can be used in just about anything, what can you come up with? I have recently found out that using all the lemons I buy before they go bad can be difficult and I have begun to juice and freeze my lemons for later in a drink or a smoothie.