Natural dehydrated lemon without added sugar

Dehydrated natural lemon

There are many health benefits attributed to dried lemon, as well as fresh lemon juice. This citrus fruit, famous for its properties for centuries, has always been considered in different ways over time and in different cultures. Let's see how and why...

Natural dried lemon: properties and benefits

In ancient times, this citrus fruit was used as a natural antiseptic and disinfectant, for the body and for commonly used objects. For some centuries, however, studies have revealed its high vitamin C value.

This substance is contained in lemons, which allow us to use ascorbic acid in our body, effective in the prevention of the disease scurvy, and as an antioxidant.

Other beneficial substances contained in natural dehydrated lemon are lutein and zeaxanthin, naringin, hesperetin and naringenin. The latter element has been discovered to have an excellent effect on human health as an antioxidant, to counteract the harmful action of free radicals.

For these reasons, lemon is also considered beneficial for the immune system.

In the past it was used as an anti-inflammatory, and today it is considered an excellent food for defense against flu and cold attacks. In particular for the anti-allergic function, given that lemon lowers the levels of histamine, an organic compound that makes the eyes red and the nose run.

In addition to vitamin C, lemons possess substances such as the vitamin B complex such as folate, pyridoxine and pantothenic acid.

Even in the dehydrated natural lemon version without sugar, it makes available minerals such as calcium, iron, copper and potassium – elements that help the body regulate blood pressure and are beneficial for musculature.

For digestive well-being, lemons are rich in dietary fibre, which helps the assimilation of food together with citric acid, a natural preservative also excellent in the stages of digestion.

This acid helps the intestines function properly, and is also considered valid in the prevention of kidney stones (it has a corrective effect on the kidneys). Its acidic taste, also present in the version of natural dried lemons, also derives from citric acid.

In natural lemon, citrates (salts) also promote digestion by regulating natural acidity.

These alkalizing citrus fruits purify the walls of the stomach from an accumulation of acid, reducing symptoms such as heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux.

Other substances that characterize particular lemons are D-limonene and pinenes, contained in the essential oil of lemon and in the peel. D-limonene has long been the subject of research for its anti-inflammatory properties, and as a natural element suitable for the prevention of stomach acid - since it regulates the production of gastric juices.

Regularly taking natural dried lemons without added sugar is an excellent snack idea in a slimming diet, since lemons, in addition to not having sweeteners in addition, do not they have neither cholesterol nor saturated fats.

Origins and History of cultivation

This citrus fruit is probably native to the Orient, between China, Burma and the Indian region of Assam. In any case, the testimonies that speak of the lemon in China date back to 500 BC.

According to other scholars, lemons originated in the foothills of the Himalayas and then spread throughout the Middle East, Europe, Africa and even the Americas via travel of Christopher Columbus.

Already with the ancient Romans, and more so in the Middle Ages, the lemon plant arrived in Persia and Egypt. It is precisely from the Persian term līmū, used for all citrus fruits, that the term lemon derives.

In Italy they were first cultivated in Sicily, in the 10th century, and later in Genoa during the Renaissance period. Regarding Australia, it seems that Captain Cook introduced the lemon at the end of the eighteenth century.

It is important that in the mid-eighteenth century, the physician James Lind consighe introduced the use of lemon juice as a cure for scurvy, especially to sailors who risked food shortages due to their scarce supply of fresh food.

In every culture that has known them, lemons have been used as food both for their antiseptic and fluidifying characteristics. In popular traditional medicines, lemons were also used for their haemostatic and vermifuge properties and to aid digestion.

Currently, among the fruits that the earth gives us, lemons are among the most cultivated in the world.

Plant and Fruit

The lemon plant is the Citrus limon, originally from Asia, part of the Rutaceae family.

Its young leaves are reddish and mature to green; the plant, in fact, is an evergreen deciduous tree that is not very tall.

The fragrant flowers are white above and slightly purple below, and the fruit known to us, the lemon, is later oval. It turns in the skin from a light yellow color to warm yellow, always dotted with sebaceous glands.

The lemon plant prefers tropical and semi-tropical climates for cultivation, in fact commercial production is more developed in these areas of the planet. It requires a slightly acidic soil for cultivation.

Nutritional values of natural dried lemon

It is very rich in nutrients, and has a low calorie content compared to other dried fruit (346 kcal),

In its natural lemon version with no added sugar, it contains almost no fat (0.1%), and provides minerals, vitamins, proteins and fibers (about 1.6 g / 100 g).

The nutritional properties of lemon show good levels of vitamin C (about 53 mg / 100 g) and vitamin A (22 IU), as well as the presence of phytonutrients such as folate ( 11 µg), niacin, pantothenic acid (about 0.190 mg / 100 g), pyridoxine (0.080 mg / 100 g), riboflavin (0.020 mg / 100 g), thiamine (0.040 mg / 100 g).

Also as a natural dehydrated fruit, lemon makes available minerals such as potassium (about 138 mg / 100g), calcium (about 26 mg / 100 g), magnesium (about 8 mg / 100 g), phosphorus (about mg / 100 g), copper (about 37 µg / 100 g) and iron (about 0.60 mg / 100 g).

Other beneficial substances are beta-carotene (3 µg / 100 g), crypto-xanthine (20 µg), lutein-zexanthin (11 µg).</p >

How to consume natural dehydrated lemon in the kitchen or as a snack

Dried lemons are excellent hunger-busting snacks due to their savory taste, in particular due to the fact that as natural lemons with no added sugar, they can be useful as snacks in slimming diets or maintenance.

Thanks to the shape of dried slices, they are used for cocktail decorations, but also to decorate the tops of ice creams, cakes, cupcakes, muffins and other sweet specialties - or sweet and sour.

Those who prefer the sour taste of dried lemons insert them as ingredients in some exotic salads, or in refined dishes.

Natural dehydrated lemon is perfect for adding to yoghurt and mixes of dried fruit and cereals, appetizing for breakfast or as a snack. Dried lemon slices could also be useful elements for creating energy bars. They are excellent dehydrated citrus fruits without sugar to add to teas and infusions – a way to protect the body for digestive purposes or against cold symptoms.

Dried lemon: side effects and contraindications

There are no particular contraindications for the consumption of dehydrated lemon, in moderate doses.

In any case, as with other dried fruit, even if these are dried lemons with no added sugar compared to natural ones, in any case in excessive doses they are not recommended for those with high blood glucose levels and suffer from diabetes.

A disproportionate consumption of dried lemons is not recommended, even for those suffering from stomach pain or gastric reflux, and logically for those with citrus allergies.