Lemon: An Omnipresent Citrus Fruit

Lemon has always been our savior for summer days. I still remember when my mother used to offer me a lemon drink after school hours. Interestingly, it is not only used for making drinks but can also be used in making cakes and tarts. Not only that - lemon's qualities also extend to making face and hair masks more useful and potent. However, have you ever wondered what makes it omnipresent in Ayurveda or your kitchen? Continue to read on to learn the incredible benefits of lemon and how you can incorporate it into your daily life in the simplest of ways!

Some physical properties of lemon:

• It is a yellow citrus fruit with 5% to 6% juice.
• Lemon is a small tree with a height of 3-6m that has citrus acid.
• The leaves of this tree are oval in shape and the branches are angular.
• The seeds are small, ovoid, and pointed.

Fact

The inner peel of lemon is known as Mesocarp/Albedo

History of lemon

The origin of the lemon is not found yet but people believe that it has been cultivated for 4000 years or more in southern China and Southeast Asia. Historically, Arab traders brought the small lemon trees to the Middle East and Africa after 100 C.E. Although many years ago people used it as an ornamental plant (especially the Arabs). It came into full culinary use in Europe after the 15th century. Moreover, the name "lemon" first appeared around 1350-1400, from the Middle English word "Limon" (an old French word).

Different hair packs with the goodness of lemon

Lemon is helpful for hair growth and natural shine due to its antimicrobial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties. Even the folic acid helps in increasing the cells that are responsible for healthy hair. Therefore, different hair packs enriched with lemon can give you better results. So check out these amazing homemade tricks to make your hair grow faster:

1. Lemon juice + aloe vera gel - Take 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the gel. Then mix them and apply them to your scalp. Later on, wash your hair with any ayurvedic shampoo like Kuntal Care Herbal Shampoo (after 30 minutes). The gel will provide moisture to the hair and the lemon juice will stop the fungal growth. Even different compounds of the aloe vera gel like fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals will help the hair to grow.
2. Lemon juice + henna + egg - Take 4 tablespoons of henna, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 1 cup of warm water. Then leave it for a couple of hours on your hair and then lastly wash it with a mild shampoo. It reduces the oiliness and also suppresses the overactive sebaceous glands. The restoration of the pH level will strengthen the hair follicles, therefore triggering the hair growth.
3. Lemon juice + olive oil + castor oil - Take 1 tablespoon of all the ingredients and then apply it on your scalp for an hour. Then wash it with water or a hair spa. Try to use it twice a week to get better results as its vitamins, minerals, and proteins provide collagen which is responsible for hair growth.

Skin benefits

Different healthy properties of this fruit help the skin to get an even tone and glowing effect. Here are some benefits that you get from its use:

1. The astringent properties of lemon decreases inflammation and provide an even tone skin. You can also add 1 tablespoon of Khus Khus powder with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for better effects. Even the citric acid breaks down different dead skin cells which removes the blackheads.
2. Due to its antimicrobial and antifungal properties, it lightens the skin and also removes acne scars.
3. Vitamin-C in lemon helps in getting an even tone skin and it gives an anti-aging effect as it is a vital part of synthesizing collagen. In some cases, it can also cure dry skin.
4. The antioxidants in lemon protect from free radicals and help the skin to repair itself.

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Health benefits

1. Vitamin-C reduces heart problems and makes the heart healthier. Even the hesperidin and diosmin present in it help the body to lower the cholesterol level.
2. To resolve the constant hunger one can consume lemon as it is responsible to keep the stomach full due to its soluble pectin fiber.
3. Lemon aids in resolving the problem of kidney stones in some cases as it increases the urine volume that ultimately reduces the risk.
4. It increases the absorption of iron from other plants which most likely helps in anemia.
5. The main fiber, pectin improves gut health and reduces the digestion of starch and sugar.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is a fruit that can be used for all purposes be it for a cake or healthy hair. Its antifungal, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties make it an omnipresent fruit for all the problems. It clears the skin and provides an even tone and beautiful skin due to Vitamin-C. Therefore it can be used as a face pack or even as a toner to get better results. Even one cup of warm water with its juice makes the body healthy and increases immunity just like Baheda. Now you can also make better use of this amazing citrus fruit in your Dincharya.

References- Lemon as a source of functional and medicinal ingredient: A review