Lemons (Citrus limon) are a citrus fruit packed with vitamin C and antioxidants that support heart health and enhance iron absorption. Drinking lemon water may also lower your risk of kidney stones.
Kidney stones (renal calculi or nephrolithiasis) are hard deposits made of minerals that build up in your urinary tract and form in your kidneys.
Two ways to help prevent kidney stones include:
- Boosting your levels of a weak acid called urine citrate
- Making your urine more alkaline
Lemons can address the first—they contain a form of citrate called citric acid, which helps boost urine citrate levels. Citric acid binds to hard clumps of minerals called calcium oxalate crystals, which can prevent them from growing into kidney stones.
Lemons are rich in vitamin C and other antioxidants that support heart health.
Getting enough vitamin C protects your cells from free radicals, or highly unstable atoms. This can help prevent atherosclerosis (plaque build-up in the arteries), which increases your heart attack and stroke risk.
Lemons also have phenolic antioxidants that support blood pressure, improve function of cells in the blood vessels, and decrease low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. High blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol levels, and decreased endothelial function increase heart disease risk.
These benefits aren’t unique to just lemons—a large 2017 study found that higher fruit and vegetable intake in general was associated with decreased risk of heart disease, cancer, and death from all causes.
One lemon contains over 30% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin C, which is important for iron absorption. Vitamin C helps you absorb non-heme iron, found in plants and iron-fortified foods like bread and cereals.
That means pairing foods high in vitamin C with iron-rich foods is a good idea, particularly for vegans or vegetarians who get the majority of their iron from plant sources.
When your body absorbs more iron, you have a lower risk of iron deficiency anemia. This is a condition where the body can’t make enough proteins in red blood cells (called hemoglobin) to carry oxygen through the body.
Several studies have found that citrus fruits are rich in antioxidants.
Antioxidants in lemons help prevent cell damage associated with heart disease, kidney disease, cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is a group of lung diseases that limit airflow and cause trouble breathing.
For an even greater antioxidant boost, eat the lemon peel—this part of the fruit may have more antioxidants than the juice and flesh.
One lemon without the peel has the following nutrition profile:
- Calories: 17
- Fat: 0.2 grams (g)
- Sodium: 1 milligram (mg)
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 1.6 g, or 6% of the DV
- Added sugars: 0 g
- Protein: 0.6 g
- Vitamin C: 31 mg, or 34% of the DV
Lemons are low in calories and contain micronutrients like potassium, vitamin B6, and thiamin. Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals your body needs in small amounts.
Lemon is generally safe to eat in the amounts you typically find in food and beverages.
Experts are uncertain about the safety of consuming lemon in medical amounts, such as from a lemon concentrate supplement.
Potential risks include:
- Allergies: Some people may have a sensitivity to citrus fruits. Symptoms range from mild itchiness around your mouth to anaphylaxis. This is a severe, potentially life-threatening situation.
- Dental erosion: The acid in lemons can break down tooth enamel. It’s best to rinse your mouth with plain water after consuming lemon.
- Digestive symptoms: The acidity of lemons can worsen acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD occurs when your stomach acid repeatedly flows back into the esophagus (the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach).
- Phototoxicity: Skin exposure to lemon oil may cause phototoxicity, a harmful skin reaction to light.
Adding lemons to your diet helps increase your vitamin C and antioxidant intake to support your overall health.
Some tips to eat more lemons include
- Add lemon juice or a lemon wedge to water or tea.
- Make a simple legume (e.g., chickpea) salad with lemon dressing to enhance non-heme iron absorption.
- Marinate meat, fish, or tofu in lemon juice and garnish with lemon slices.
- Use lemon or lemon zest to add flavor to soups, grains, or pastries.
