Lemon – The Acid – Alkaline Muddle

Many of us have grown up with numerous teachings from our parents or grandparents, who keep telling us to enhance our lifestyle and add simple things to our daily routine, to help us grow to be healthy adults. One such advice that I clearly remember is to have a glass of lemon juice as a wake up drink. Like a good obedient child, I actually followed it for many years without questioning. However, as wisdom seeped in, I began to wonder how it helped? Why should I continue taking it? Most recently, I have wondered about lemon, and its acid-alkaline chaos.

There is a widespread misunderstanding about the pH value of lemon inside and outside the body.  We know that a food is acidic when its pH value is less than 7. The pH value of lemon is around 2.3, making it highly acidic. This should not come as a surprise as lemons are loaded with citric acid and ascorbic acid. However, it is interesting to note that once lemon juice has been fully metabolized, it has an alkalizing effect. This means that it reduces the overall acidity in the body.

It is important to maintain the alkalinity of the body as the tissues and organs tend to breakdown faster, in an acidic environment, and become toxic waste, which should be eliminated from the body to stay healthy.

While lemon is an effective alkalizing agent, it also acts as an excellent diuretic and helps you get rid of these toxins.

Lemon juice also nourishes the body with important minerals and vitamins that are vital for our health and provides multiple health benefits, some of which are:

• When consumed early in the morning, it acts on adipose tissues and cellulite tissues to support weight loss
• Helpful in treating fatty liver
• Fights bad breath and body odor
• Boosts immunity
• Improves skin health and texture. It smoothens the wrinkles and makes the skin radiant.
• Facilitates the removal of toxins from the body
• Dissolves uric acid and facilitates its elimination
• Improves the health and functions of the liver
• Treats chest infections and reduces chronic cough.
• Strengthens nails when they are soaked in a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice for 10 – 15 minutes.
• Cancer prevention. Lemon is loaded with anti-cancer properties; as many as 22 cancer fighting compounds are identified in lemons.
• It destroys the intestinal worms.
• Improved blood pressure scores