The vitamins, fiber, and plant compounds in lemons can be part of a healthy diet. It’s not common to actually eat a fresh lemon -- they’re too sour for most tastes -- unless you’re using preserved lemons.
Lemons can also provide important health benefits like:
Vitamin C
Lemons contain about 50 milligrams of vitamin C, which is over half the amount of vitamin C needed in your daily diet. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which helps protect cells from damage. Vitamin C also helps your body make collagen for your skin, helps your body absorb iron, and supports your immune system. Citrus fruits are some of the best food sources of vitamin C.
Lemon also contains a high level of dietary fiber, but you don’t get fiber from juice.
Weight management
The pectin fiber found in lemons expands once it is ingested, making you feel full sooner and longer. Lemon water is often touted as an effective tool in weight loss and weight management. While there’s nothing wrong with drinking water, there’s nothing magical about adding lemon to water for weight control. Also, drinking water may keep you full and help you avoid snacking as effectively as lemon.
Anemia prevention
Lemon can help your body absorb more iron from plant-based foods in your diet. Maintaining proper iron levels helps prevent anemia, which is a lower-than-average number of red blood cells, often as a result of iron deficiency.
Kidney stone prevention
Lemons get their sour taste from their abundance of citric acid. Some studies show that citric acid may help prevent the formation of kidney stones.
Antibacterial effects
Lemon juice has antibacterial and antifungal properties. The plant compounds in lemon juice concentrate effectively inhibited the growth of salmonella, staphylococcus, and candida infections in one study. It was also effective against one particular antibiotic-resistant bacteria that causes pneumonia and blood infections.