Lemon is one of the healthiest and most popular citrus fruits out there, but there are many misconceptions about lemon juice acid that needs to be dispelled.
Lemon juice is an ingredient people use all over the world in both professional and home kitchens. It’s also a key component of many processed foods and beverages.
In many ways, it also works as a remedy, as it’s good for fighting off diseases. So, everyone should learn more about lemon and its properties.
Lemon — Acidic or Alkaline?
When we talk about acidic and alkalizing foods, it’s important to understand what pH is. Essentially, pH value is determined based on how acidic or alkaline the solutions are. The scale goes from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral, everything above 7 being alkaline, and everything below 7 being acidic.
Now, everyone rightfully thinks that lemon is acidic. Lemons contain a large amount of citric acid, which is why their pH value is acidic. More precisely, lemon juice is 10,000–100,000 times more acidic than water.
However, some believe that lemon also has alkalizing effects. That is the reason lemon juice acid is so popular in alternative medicine, although scientists still haven’t found proof to support that claim.
Now, let’s find out why pH value is so important in lemon juice acid and how it affects people who consume it.
Lemon Juice Acid: Pros and Cons
Most people think that lemon can only be beneficial to their health. However, there are cases in which lemon can be bad for you. Fortunately, there are more pros than cons.
Let’s take a look at all the ways lemon juice can affect your body.
Urinary Tract
It is common knowledge that lemon juice acid is useful in the treatment of some urinary tract diseases. One of the goals when treating these diseases is to achieve the optimal citrate concentration in the urine.
Lemon contains citrate, which is a key ingredient in the process of urine crystallization, which, in turn, helps achieve the wanted concentration. For this reason, beverages containing lemon juice acid are often used as nutrition therapy in urinary tract problems.
Oral Health
Although you feel nice after drinking a fresh glass of lemonade, lemon juice acid can be devastating for your teeth.
It’s not only the acidity that can damage the tooth enamel. Lemon, surprisingly enough, contains a large number of natural sugars. When you combine sugar and acid, you get corroded tooth enamel.
Acid Reflux
People often have acid reflux, or, what’s commonly known as heartburn. There is a popular misconception that lemon juice can only make things worse, but the exact opposite is true.
Small amounts of lemon juice acid can have an alkalizing effect when mixed with water. Because of that, when you digest those small amounts of lemon acid, the pH in your stomach becomes alkaline. This way, lemon can help neutralize the acid that’s causing acid reflux.
Skin
Lemon contains plenty of antioxidants that can help you detox. With these detoxing properties, it makes your skin smoother and healthier.
Additionally, lemon juice acid can help with blemishes and acne problems. In addition to drinking some homemade lemonade, you can take a bit of fresh lemon juice and apply it directly to your skin. That is a natural remedy that works almost instantly.
