of sweetened water.) In the case of diabetes, lemon decreases blood sugar
levels.
While lemons have been used for centuries as a miracle cure for scurvy - not to
mention for mornings after the night before! - it was not until the early 18th
century that lemons received their letters of nobility in the medical world. Tested
in England for their numerous properties, it was only in 1932 that their true secret
was discovered: their high vitamin C content.
Since ancient times in Indonesia, when a woman has a migraine, she is sent to
wash dishes or laundry. Just to take her mind off things? No because in the
islands, it is customary to cut up lemons and put them into the wash water to
clean and cut grease instead of using soap. Local doctors say that by soaking
one's hands for a fairly long time in hot lemony water, some of the blood from the
brain is drained towards the hands and the headache usually departs by the time
the job is done. In the case of severe migraine, doctors recommend attending to
the laundry while standing with one's bare feet in a basin of hot water containing
3 or 4 cut up lemons.
Lemon contains powerful antioxidants that slow the aging process. These days
doctors recommend lemon to fight a wide range of illnesses such as urinary
infections, kidney stones, bronchitis, colds, constipation, heartburn and pyorrhea.
Other properties:
Anti-rheumatismal
Anti-scurvy
Antiseptic
Digestive
Lemons protect the mucus membrane of the stomach, stimulate
pancreas and liver function and reduce cholesterol.
Whitener
To have very white teeth, brush them twice a week with equal parts
of undiluted lemon juice, lime juice and grapefruit juice. This
solution also reduces tartar. However avoid sucking or biting into a
lemon since prolonged contact with the high concentration of citric
acid can damage the enamel.
Painkiller
Apply to insect bites to reduce pain or itching within a few minutes.
Dietetic
Lemon juice is renowned for its dietetic properties. It is a powerful
cleanser that at the same time revitalizes digestive systems
troubled by a poor diet. It dissolves and eliminates fat.