Fruits are a rich source of water soluble vitamin c and minerals which provide nutrients to our body. Vitamin c is one of the important water soluble vitamins that our body needs as it has several health benefits, especially for heart health and skin. Chemically it is called ascorbic acid. Fruit rich in vitamin c has very beneficial effects of heart health and skin health.
There are several vitamin c rich fruits and vegetables such as amla, kiwi, oranges, papaya, broccoli, brussels sprouts, bell peppers and so on. My choice of a fruit rich in vitamin c and also good for heart health and also used for making the skin glow boils down to the citrus fruit lemon.
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Lemon – fruit rich in vitamin c
Lemon is a citrus food which is a rich source of vitamin c. The vitamin c content of lemons is 112.4 mg (125%DV) in one cup.
Having a glass of cold lemon juice on a hot summer’s day is very enjoyable. Not only is it a tremendously refreshing drink; lemons have so many nutritional properties that your drink is actually giving you a health boost! It is rich in minerals like potassium and other minerals.
Lemons have many health benefits. In fact, the power of lemons dates back to the 1700’s when James Lind found that lemons and oranges were very useful in treating a medical condition called scurvy (caused by low levels of vitamin C in the body). Scurvy is caused due to vitamin c deficiency.
Health benefits of lemons
There are several health benefits of lemon fruit and let us see how it is useful for heart health and for skin.
Lemons for heart health
Consuming lemon juice everyday is very healthy for our heart because it contains vitamin c. Vitamin c keeps our heart healthy. How?
Vitamin c lowers high cholesterol levels. It acts as a natural HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor similar to satains. It inhibits the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme during cholesterol synthesis and prevents the synthesis of excess cholesterol.
- It lowers Cholesterol levels
- It increases HDL levels
- It also lowers lipoprotein(a), a type of cholesterol which is highly atherogenic than LDL.
- It prevents heart disease.
- It promotes collagen synthesis and keeps the blood vessels & arteries clean and healthy.
- It boosts our immune system
There are several vitamin c supplements in combination with amino acids like lysine and proline which are known to remove plaque from arteries and reverse heart disease. These types of supplements lower cholesterol naturally and support healthy heart and is better method to keep your cholesterol levels in normal range. Such supplements address the root cause of heart disease.
Lemons for skin health
The vitamin c present in lemons helps in toning the wrinkles on your skin. This is because vitamin c promotes collagen synthesis. Due to collagen synthesis the wrinkles on your skin disappear.
Vitamin c can also be applied externally on the skin. These types of formulations are called as vitamin c serum. You can also take vitamin c tablets as it is very essential for collagen synthesis. If collagen synthesis is affected in the body due to deficiency of vitamin c then your skin becomes uneven and wrinkles develop. Taking tablets of vitamin c is beneficial because from lemons and other citrus fruits the quantity of vitamin c may not be sufficient.
You can mix lemon juice and mix it with some honey and apply it on your face. After ½ hr of application, wash your face. Your skin starts glowing.
What happens if we are vitamin c deficient?
Vitamin c is involved in a number of biochemical reactions in the body. It helps us in wound healing and prevention of most of the chronic diseases. Almost all chronic diseases like:
- High cholesterol levels
- Elevated Lipoprotein(a) levels
- Atherosclerosis
- Low HDL levels
- Coronary Artery Disease,
- Diabetes,
- Cancer
- Joint Pain
Are all caused due to chronic deficiency of vitamin c over a long period of time.
Does our body make vitamin c?
Our body requires large amounts of vitamin c than the recommended RDA of 50mg/day. Vitamin c is an essential vitamin which means that our body does not make its own vitamin c and is dependent on the foods we eat. Therefore it is essential to increase your the quantity of citrus fruits in your diet or take supplement so that you get ample amount of vitamin c.
Is taking lemon juice daily healthy?
Yes, taking lemon juice daily helps keep our body healthy. Taking lemon juice is the right way to lower cholesterol. It also improves digestion. Adding a little honey and ginger to lemon juice makes a healthy drink.. Thus lemon fruit is good for heart and skin. It also improves our immunity. You can also add other citrus fruits like oranges and kiwi.
Summary
Lemon is a fruit rich in vitamin c and is good for heart health and skin. As a home remedy it can be used as a face wash to make your skin glowing. To keep yourself healthy it is very essential to take plenty of vitamin c either by consuming fruits rich in vitamin c or in supplement form