You’ve probably made a recipe or two that called for orange zest –meaning, the peel of the orange. How about a about lemon peel?
Eating whole lemon helps to cut back on waste. Plus, there are some great recipes that use up the skin of the citrus fruit, including candied lemon peel. There are many other, healthier uses for lemon peels as well.
For example, using a dried lemon peel, you can put lemon zest in your food easily. The dried zest offers a number of health benefits. It also gives foods and teas just a tiny bit of burst and flavor (or a whole lot of it if you desire!)
Consider these 10 healthy reasons to eat lemon peel:
1. Detoxify Your Body
Used as an anti-bacterial agent often, lemon is included in many cleaning products for a reason. Lemon is excellent at detoxifying whatever it comes into contact with.
Many health experts recommend, for example, crushing dried lemon peels into a powder and making a paste to apply over acne and other skin lesions. That powder can help draw out impurities.
Just think of what those same detoxifying traits can do inside of your body! Consuming dried lemon peel zest detoxifies:
- The uric acid and buildup in your liver
- Your bowels
- Bacteria contributing to malaria, cholera, and typhoid
Due to the ability of lemon zest to fight bacteria, many people include it when completing juice cleanses and other detoxifying diets.
2. Fight Cancer And Disease
Anti-cancer compounds found in lemon peels help both to prevent the disease and fight it off. Some of the compounds in lemon peels are especially known for preventing cancer cells from dividing and thus spreading.
Other diseases that lemon peel zest can help prevent include:
- Arthritis
- Obesity
- Heart Disease
3. Refresh Your Breath
Considered one of the best alkaline foods, lemons are great for balancing your pH levels and helping to reduce apparently stinky breath. The anti-bacterial traits of lemon peels in particular help to reduce levels of the bad bacteria in the mouth. Besides helping reduce bad breath, this can improve your oral health.
4. Stabilizes Your Digestive System
As a citrus fruit, most people think of lemons as strongly flavored and likely to upset the stomach. Instead, lemon peels in particular serve to stabilize the digestive system.
For instance, lemon peel zest can:
- Breaks up stones and deposits in the digestive tract
- Kills intestinal worms
- Improves bowel regularity
- Balances your pH levels
5. Enhance Your Metabolism
Pectin, which is found in lemon peel, is commonly used to help boost metabolism and decrease weight gain. The ingredient is known for decreasing the body’s absorption of fattening stuff like excessive quantities of sugar.
6. Boost Your Immune System
Since lemons are chock full of vitamin C, it is no surprise that lemon peel zest can give a boost to the immune system. Anti-inflammatory and able to help the body build up defenses against infections, the vitamin C found in lemon peels helps to prevent sickness and enables the body to fight off disease more effectively.
7. Give Your Skin A Glow
There is a good reason that lemon is frequently used in skin care treatments. The vitamin C in lemon peels is not only great for boosting the immune system, it also purifies blood vessels. Purer blood vessels contributes to healthy looking skin! Plus, lemon peels have anti-oxidants that fight the appearances of wrinkles and other skin-signs of aging.
8. Soothing Sores
Eating lemon peel zest provides your body with what it needs for health skin in part by acting as an anti-inflammatory agent and by nourishing the membranes. These properties are also helpful for soothing sores. Whether you are trying to soothe a sore throat or swelling around the joints, consuming lemon peel zest can help.
9. Build Stronger Bones
Bone health is more delicate than most people think. Breaking your bones is only one of many risks you face. For instance, bones are worn out by age, by overuse, by joint problems such as arthritis, and much more.
To keep your bones healthy, you need plenty of calcium and vitamin C. These nutrients, found in lemon peels, contribute to preventing bone issues like:
- Osteoarthritis
- Fractures
- Osteoporosis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
10. Replenish Your Vitamins
As powerhouses of many essential nutrients, you can count on lemons to replenish your body and fill up any deficiencies. For example, lemon peels include:
- Calcium
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
- Copper
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Fiber
With a list like that, why not start adding lemon to your regular diet? With dried lemon peel zest, it’s easy. You can add a little (or a lot of!) flavor to salad, meats, sauces, and more. Try adding the dried peels to desserts or teas.