Lemon peel: useful properties and contraindications

Lemon is not just a pleasant, sour fruit, but also very useful. This is a treasure trove of a variety of vitamins, minerals and trace elements. They are treated for colds, it is used to prevent many serious diseases and strengthen the immune system. But not only the pulp has all these unique properties. The dense peel, called the zest, is as valuable as the citrus fruit itself. A knowledgeable hostess will not throw it in the trash, because the zest contains a huge amount of healing substances. Lemon peel will not only heal the body, but also give it strength to recover. When you use the zest in cooking, it will give special flavor and aroma to dishes.

Worth knowing! Lemon peel contains 7 times more nutrients and vitamins than the juice itself!

What is lemon peel?

Lemon peel is the skin which surrounds the flesh of a citrus fruit. It is dense and comes in a variety of colors. In most cases, it is yellow, but there are fruits with green peels. It tastes sweet, a little bitter. For its persistent flavor, the zest has been appreciated by culinary professionals and has remained an indispensable ingredient in the preparation of many dishes. But not only confectioners have been able to recognize the usefulness and importance of lemon peel. It is used in medicine, industrial production, cosmetology, household and other areas.

It should be noted that in the past, lemon peel was simply thrown away and not used anywhere. Only in the Middle Ages was it noticed and appreciated, discovering that lemon peel has disinfectant properties. It was at this time that it became popular and has remained recognized to this day.

Composition and calories

If we consider the chemical composition of citrus peels, it will immediately become clear what is the secret of its value for the human body. Consider the caloric value per 100 grams of zest and nutritional composition.

The caloric value is 47 kcal. Now let's move on to the contents:

• Carbohydrates - 5.4 g
• Protein - 1.5 g
• Dietary fiber 10.6 g
• Fats - 0.3 g
• ash - 0.6 g
• Water - 81,6 gr

The value of zest is that it contains very important for the human body minerals, vitamins, fatty acids, etc. We will not list everything, but focus on the most significant, which in the composition of the citrus shell is sufficiently numerous. These include:

• calcium;
• potassium;
• phosphorus;
• iron;
• magnesium;
• copper, etc.

If we talk about vitamins, the most important element will be C. Its in 100 g of lemon peel - 129 mg. Other vitamins:

• alpha- and beta-carotene;
• vitamin A;
• B vitamins;
• vitamin E;
• vitamin PP;
• lutein;
• beta-cryptoxanthin, etc.

As we can see, the value of lemon peel is undeniable. Even a small piece of peel is enough to get a sufficient amount of useful substances for the body. In addition, lemon peels are rich in essential oils that give the fruit a special aroma and taste.

What lemon peels can do for you

General Benefits

Explain the usefulness of lemon peel can be explained by the presence in it of the necessary elements important for human health, which include vitamins, minerals, trace elements, oils and antioxidants. The peel of the citrus is called a natural antibiotic, and it is. The lemon itself and its zest are indispensable for the prevention and treatment of colds. In addition, the zest:

• Increases the elasticity of blood vessels and improves blood flow;
• removes harmful deposits from the body and cleans the liver;
• prevents the occurrence of thrombosis and varicose veins;
• stimulates the immune system;
• has a positive effect on the nervous system.

Worth knowing! When combined with honey, chocolate, and spices, zest becomes an aphrodisiac that can increase sexual activity and attraction.

Even doctors recognize the value of the product and often recommend that their patients regularly include zest in their diet.

The benefits of zest:

1. The potassium and polyphenols in the citrus peel can strengthen the heart muscle and support heart function. The flavonoids in it reduce cholesterol levels.
2. Citrus peel contains salvestrol and limonene, which help fight cancer cells. Therefore, regular consumption of lemon peel will be a great way to prevent cancer.
3. The high fiber content improves the function of the gastrointestinal tract. Fiber not only stimulates the intestines, but also gets rid of cramps, colic and flatulence. And due to the antibacterial substances contained in the zest you can easily fight pathogenic intestinal microflora.
4. The high content of vitamin C helps the human body to cope with colds. Although many people prefer lemon juice, you should know that it is in the peel that the valuable source is concentrated. For this reason, it is necessary to prepare drinks or dishes with citrus peel during the danger of acute colds.
5. Lemon peel is used in cosmetology for skin rejuvenation. It contains a lot of essential oils and riboflavin, which stimulate metabolic skin processes. Due to this improves blood circulation and the skin is saturated with enough oxygen. If you mix the zest with olive oil, you get an excellent cleanser (scrub).
6. The zest is also good for your bones. Thanks to vitamins C and A reduces the risk of arthritis. And iron, calcium and potassium support bone tissue and strengthen it.
7. Lemon zest is an excellent remedy for diseases such as scurvy. It takes good care of the mouth and can prevent bleeding gums and gingivitis.
8. Lemon peels can help diabetics. The fiber in the peel will slow the absorption of sugar and provide a gradual increase in glucose in the body. It will saturate the body with beneficial and nutrients and help solve the problem of extra pounds.

For Women

For the female body, lemon peel is simply indispensable. The spectrum of active substances it contains combines all the necessary and useful elements for the beauty, youth and health of women.

Citrus peel will help to make the skin firm, and it is also a great way to prevent wrinkles. For those who have oily skin, the peel can replace the toner and get rid of the constant unhealthy shine. It can eliminate pimples, acne, clean the skin. If you prepare a scrub from lemon peel, the body will not only become firm, but also will be saturated with a pleasant aroma.

Citric acid will whiten the skin and remove age spots. In addition, citrus peel is excellent for toning and soothing the skin.

Lemon peel is an excellent tool for weight loss. Its natural elements normalize the work of the intestine and slow down the absorption of fats and sugar.

For men

In ancient times, lemon was considered a means of combating infertility. And if we consider that the citrus peel contains 7 times more useful substances than the pulp, then its application will be much more effective.

Lemon peel can support the strength of the man. You can increase your sex drive in combination with chocolate, spices and honey.

Gels for men containing lemon perfectly tonic skin and protect against irritation.

When pregnant

Even in ancient times, healers used the citrus fruit. It was used to treat various female illnesses and prescribed to pregnant women. The famous ancient doctor Avicenna was sure that lemon will help the future mother to cope with toxicosis.

Many pregnant women crave sour, and this can be explained. The body of a woman carrying a child requires additional protection. This can provide a fruit rich in C-vitamin. Lemon peel not only protects the body of the pregnant woman, but also strengthens her immune system.

Drinks with the addition of citrus peel will work as a diuretic and will save the expectant mother from swelling.

The useful minerals, vitamins and trace elements contained in the zest are necessary for the future baby, so regular consumption of lemon peels will be able to help in the formation of bones, brain cells and the nervous system of the child.

We should not forget that lemon peels help with toxicosis. Consumption of the peel will calm the nerves and relieve back pain. It should be taken to avoid varicose veins, stretch marks and cellulite.

When breastfeeding

Lemon peel during breastfeeding is acceptable only if the baby has no allergic reaction to the product. This is a valuable source of vital useful vitamins, nutrients and trace elements.

Lemon peel will not only improve the health of the mother after childbirth, but also enrich the child's body. According to scientists, citrus has a positive effect on the baby's immune system and virtually eliminates the development of infectious diseases.

For kids

Since the zest has a sufficient amount of C-vitamin, as well as calcium, iron, potassium, etc., it is simply necessary for the baby. But we must understand that excessive consumption of citrus fruit can cause allergies and have a negative impact on the health of the baby. To get positive results, you should take it in moderate doses. Lemon peel has antipyretic and antiseptic properties that are difficult to find in other fruits.

With the help of citrus peel you can:

• disinfect the oral cavity;
• Treat constipation, prevent diarrhea;
• treat acute respiratory infections;
• Get rid of worms;
• Quench thirst in summer and refresh your body with citrus drinks;
• Strengthen the bones.

It is useful to use the zest for children with hypovitaminosis, infectious diseases and gastrointestinal problems.

For weight loss

Lemon zest, thanks to its valuable composition of useful elements, can help in weight loss. Even doctors agree that the citrus has the properties of stimulating metabolic processes that lead to a person's weight loss.

Lemon peel is capable of:

• dull the feeling of hunger;
• remove harmful substances and toxins from the body;
• break down fats;
• Activate metabolic processes;
• saturate the body with all the necessary minerals, trace elements and vitamins for life.

Lemon peel in medicine

In medicine, lemon peel is used as a preventive measure. It can improve the state of the intestines, cleanse the liver, strengthen bone tissue, calm the nerves. And for the treatment of acute respiratory infections and infectious diseases she has no equal. Do not forget that with the help of citrus peel you can prevent the occurrence of cancer, as well as eliminate oxidative processes.

Lemon peel easily fights viruses and bacteria and helps a person to get rid of a cold or other infection in a short time. It is able to:

• restore the processes of the gastrointestinal tract and normalize them;
• eliminate toxins and detoxes;
• eliminate skin rashes;
• relieve fever;
• Strengthen the immune system and restore body function;
• Relieve headaches, especially migraines;
• dilute the blood, thereby preventing blood clots and varicose veins.

Not everyone knows that putrefactive processes in the liver can be avoided if you regularly take drinks and dishes with zest. In addition, citrus peel is recommended for patients with tuberculosis, jaundice, dropsy, and scurvy. It will help get rid of rheumatism, hemorrhoids, gout, atherosclerosis.

Let's consider folk recipes for eliminating some ailments with the help of lemon peel.

Malaria treatment

For a week, you should eat one lemon with the peel every day. You can add a grapefruit, which contains quinine.

Worm control

Remove the skin from the citrus fruit and grind it thoroughly. Add some pulp and seeds to the mixture. Pour it all with boiled water, put a couple of spoons of honey and insist the resulting mixture for two hours. Then strain it and drink it at night.

For the heart

Wash a lemon thoroughly and take off its peel. Chew it without any additives. It is quite edible and even pleasant to the taste. The essential oils it contains help improve heart function.

To lower cholesterol

Grate the zest of one lemon and add half a glass of plain water (100 ml). Add 10 ml (1 tablespoon) of lemon juice and mix everything thoroughly. Use the prepared mixture at once in the morning on an empty stomach. The course of 7 days.

Cooking applications

Lemon peel is very popular in cooking. Lemons can be used for soups, meats, salads and even made into desserts.

1. Lemon peels are added to soups and broths to enhance their flavor. You can use pre-cooked powder or fresh powder. Add it at the end of cooking, like all seasonings.
2. Lemon peel is also used in salads. It adds zest to the finished dish. Grate the zest, preferably on a grater with fine teeth, then add there ground pepper. The seasoning is ready and you can use it.
3. For meat dishes and chicken, citrus zest will be indispensable. Before roasting chicken or meat, rub the citrus peel on it and put lemon pieces inside. The finished meat will have a tangy flavor and exquisite aroma.
4. Instead of candy, you can make candied fruits. It is much tastier and healthier.

How to use for cosmetic purposes

For beauty and health, lemon peel for women is a salvation. With its help, you can get rid of problematic skin and even make it brighter.

1. Mix olive oil with sugar and add there grated and crushed zest. You will get a natural scrub for your body and face. And it will not only thoroughly clean the skin and remove the keratinized particles, but also saturate your whole body with flavor, as well as normalize the increased oiliness of the skin.
2. To remove yellowing from the heels, rub them with lemon peels.
3. If you regularly use the peel as a tonic, i.e. wipe your face with it every day, after a while the skin will be firm and acne-free. The color of the skin will also greatly improve.
4. To get rid of acne, take cucumber juice with sugar and mix it with the zest. Apply it daily to the problem areas for 20 minutes, then rinse it off with water. Gradually, the acne will go away.
5. If there are pigmentation problems, put a lemon peel on the spots and wait 30-40 minutes. You can repeat the process regularly and stretch it to 1 hour, until the pigmentation is gone.
6. If there are problems with hair, you can make a mask of zest with the addition of coconut milk or oil. Apply the mixture to the skin and leave it for 30 minutes. Then rinse off with water. The remedy will get rid of hair loss and give them volume.

Health Hazards and Contraindications

Lemon fruit is used by cooks and confectioners around the world. They are used to make drinks, add to soups, salads, meat and other second courses. Many people even like lemon desserts. The subtle, unique flavor of lemons is not to be confused with anything else. It is not only tasty but also healthy. But we must realize that excessive consumption of the fruit, even for a healthy person is not safe.

Despite all the usefulness of the fruit, lemon can cause allergies in a person. The reasons can be different, but the main one is the intolerance to the acids or protein, which are enough in the lemon peel. The immune system begins to fight them, reacting in this way. When there is a rash on the skin after consuming a lemon that begins to itch, it means that the fruit is not suitable. It is not recommended to consume it in this case.

In addition, the zest and the lemon itself should not be consumed:

1. People who suffer from peptic ulcer disease and GI tract. This can lead to complications and increase the release of acid in the body.
2. In inflammatory diseases of the mouth.
3. People who suffer from hypertension. The zest can increase blood pressure, so you should be careful about it and not risk your health.

How to store lemon zest

To preserve the zest and all its useful qualities, you can resort to several ways:

• dried;
• freeze it;
• Place in the refrigerator.

You can freeze it.

This is the easiest and longest storage method. The zest will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. The zest should be carefully wrapped in cellophane so that no air gets inside, and put in the freezer.

If stored in the refrigerator, the zest should be used within 2 weeks.

Can you dry it.

Dried zest, if stored properly, can be usable for up to a year.

1. Method 1. Grate the zest or cut it into thin slices. Spread out on a piece of paper and leave to dry thoroughly. Put in a glass or tin cans and cover tightly with any lid.
2. Method 2. Remove the thin peel of a lemon and dry it, first covering it with paper. Paper is needed to ensure that excess moisture is pulled out. After that, grind the dried peel into a powder or grind. Grind the skin by hand or with a spoon. The resulting powder is placed in a jar and stored as in the previous method.

How to choose a good lemon for peeling

The choice of lemon for the zest makes a difference. For example, if you take the citrus not for preserves, but to use it immediately, you can choose an unripe lemon. But for making pickled lemons or zest, you will need a ripe fruit.

How can you tell the difference between unripe and ripe citrus? After all, they all have the same coloring. You should know that there are secrets with which you can find the differences. A ripe lemon will be shiny unlike an unripe fruit. An unripe lemon has a matte skin and is not shiny.

There is a danger of buying overripe fruit in the store. To prevent this from happening, you need to press on it lightly. If the ripe fruit will spring but remain hard, the overripe one will remain soft and will not spring.

For the zest, a knobby lemon is better suited. It is believed that it has a thicker peel, which will be needed for harvesting.

How to make the zest

Many people think that the zest is bitter. It is not. Lemon peels will not be bitter if they are cut correctly. To do this, you must not take the white layer of the peel, which gives a bitter taste.

1. Rinse the fruit thoroughly and rinse it with boiling water.
2. Using a thin layer with a knife or vegetable peeler, cut off the skin of the lemon. Be careful not to graze the white dense layer of fruit.
3. The rest is up to you and your wishes. The peel can be grated and used immediately, or dried for future use.

The second option for cooking zest is with a grater. Also rinse the fruit and rinse it with boiling water. Carefully start rubbing the peel in a circle. You don't want to squeeze and go over reused areas. Remember that the white rind of the lemon will give the zest a bitterness!

Using lemon peels in the home

Enterprising housewives will never throw the zest in the trash, because they know the usefulness of lemon peels. With its help, you can do a lot of useful things in the home, thereby saving on expensive detergents and powders.

1. Cleaning kitchen utensils and removing greasy stains. The citron is great for dealing with oily stains. Take half of the fruit and pour salt on it. Wipe the spot of dirt with it, and remove the rest with a rag. Remember, there are surfaces that are particularly sensitive to acid. So start by experimenting on a small area so as not to ruin the entire surface.
2. Cleaning the microwave. Take a small container, fill it with water and place the zest in it. Put it in the oven and turn on the microwave for 7 minutes on the highest power. The liquid will boil and release condensation, which will settle on the walls of the oven. Next, wipe the walls with a damp cloth or sponge and remove any remaining moisture and dirt.
3. Cleaning the kettle. Finely chop the lemon peel, place it in a kettle, pour water over it and put it on the fire. Once the water boils, turn off the gas and let it infuse for one hour. Then drain the water and rinse the kettle. The scale will disappear.
4. Coffee maker. To clean the coffee maker you will need ice, some salt and zest. Place everything in a container and shake the contents vigorously for a few minutes. Then remove everything and rinse.
5. Aromatize unpleasant odors. Take the peel of 2 lemons, a few sprigs of rosemary, 5 ml of vanilla essence (1 tsp.) and half a liter of water. Stir everything and put it on the fire. Once it comes to a boil, remove the mixture from the heat and leave it to infuse for 15 minutes. When it cools, pour the liquid over it and use it as an air freshener. To get rid of the unpleasant smell of the garbage can, you can put a few lemon peels on the bottom of it.
6. Insect control. Most insects do not tolerate the citrus smell. So you can easily get rid of mosquitoes and flies in summer and moths and ants in spring. To do this, place grated peel in bags or dried peels on windows, near doors, in cabinets or prepare a special spray and spray it on bedding and curtains.
7. Bleach fabrics. With the help of lemon peels added to the washing machine, you can make the fabric look fresh and presentable.

To eliminate unpleasant odors from the cutting board, it is enough to wipe it with half a lemon. This will disinfect the board and clean it.

How to remove the bitterness of lemon zest

Lemon zest is valued not only for its useful medicinal qualities, but also for its pleasant aroma and taste. It is used in the preparation of many dishes and drinks. But what to do if the zest is bitter, is it possible to get rid of the bitter taste?

There is a simple way to get rid of bitterness. Pour boiling water over the zest and let it steep for 5-10 minutes. After this time, the bitter taste should disappear. Then drain the water and spread the peels out on a towel or paper towels. When the peels have dried, they can be used again without the bitter aftertaste.

Interesting facts about lemons

What do we know about lemons? At its mention, it immediately presents an acidic fruit with a pleasant aroma. It is known that when you have a cold, it becomes an indispensable helper and contributes to a quick recovery and relief of fever. Tasty lemon tea with sourness is loved by many people. But there are facts about which many people know nothing. It is about them that the following will be discussed.

1. Did you know that if the food is over-salted, it can be corrected. It is enough to drop a little lemon juice into the food. It's clear that the excess salt and acid can't be called useful, but the taste of food will be pleasant.
2. The presence of a decorative lemon in the room has a positive effect on its inhabitants. Citrus disinfects harmful germs in the room. If there is a sick person in the family, put a pot with the plant in his room, and he will recover faster.
3. The drink is called lemonade because it was first made with lemons.
4. In the Middle Ages, lemons were considered an effective remedy for snake poison and plague.
5. The citrus is native to China. Some say India is the home of the lemon. Probably both are correct. But there is an undeniable fact that in Greece the fruit came with the warriors. They called it the apple of India. Some believe that the lemon reached Europe with the Arabs.
6. In Russia, the lemon became known in the 17th century. At that time, ordinary citizens could not afford it. Only the noblemen knew its taste. At that time it was customary to order the citrus in pickled form from Holland.
7. A simple Israeli farmer managed to grow a 5 kg lemon fruit on his property. This was recorded and entered in the famous book of records. It should be noted that this was almost 15 years ago, and so far no one has yet succeeded in outbidding him.
8. There is even this suggestion that it was not the apple but the lemon that caused the strife in the Bible.

Now you know a lot about the lemon and its zest. It's worth thinking about why you should throw away a lemon peel when there are plenty of uses for it. The main thing is to observe the measure and not to abuse the fruit. Then it will really do good and not harm your health.

Photo of lemon zest