The Miracle of the Lemon

Most people don't rank lemons very high on their list of favorite fruits. Yet lemons do have a lot of redeeming, and even health giving, qualities.

For starters, the lemon has been found to contain a new vitamin, Vitamin P, which the body needs. This is in addition to an already healthy dose of Vitamin C.

While the lemon seems acidic in content, when put in the body it quickly turns into an alkaline substance. This is important, as the body needs more alkaline foods. One person I know said squeezing some lemon into glass of water once each morning cured a stubborn case of acid reflux, once and for all. It's worth a try, anyway!

Lemon also has a heavy calcium content, which is good for the bones, teeth, nervous system, and basic nourishment. It contains phosphorous also, and one of its grandest properties is it's ability to "digest" proteins when put on meats, fish, bones and eggs.

Physicians and healers alike have relied on the lemons antiseptic properties for hundreds of years. The lemon has been reported to help with such diverse health conditions as athlete's foot, eczema, asthma, and even halitosis (bad breath).

Lemon helps with halitosis by being an internal alkalizer. During the roaring 30's and 40's many movie stars drank lemon juice drinks sweetened with a little honey 2-3 times per day to guarantee sweetness of breath.

Another age-old remedy for coughs and cold would roasting a lemon until it cracks open. When the lemon cracks, the juice is given to the patient, together with brown sugar and fresh pineapple juice. (The pineapple juice adds its powerful "digestive" enzymes to those of the lemon, for disintegrating the mucous in the throat.)

Chinese healers are reputed to have used the lemon to heal infections in the end of a finger. They would cut a lemon in half, push the tip of the finger inside, and bind it up for the night. In the morning, the infection would be much better-if not completely healed.

The lemon is also a folk remedy for indigestion. In years past, some physicians have instructed their patients to take nothing but lemon juice (water with lemon squeezed in) for at least one day, to clear up their indigestion.

Lemon juice is also great at tartar removal, making a delightful dentifrice all by itself. You might even try keeping your tooth brush immersed in diluted lemon juice, which will help to keep them clean as well as your teeth.

There are many other healthful uses of this delightful-though sour-fruit. Many restaurants offer lemon wedges along with water, so if you want to get started, begin by squeezing the juice into that cup of water and drinking it down next time you go out to eat.