This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.
The health benefits of lemons and lemon juice are pretty well known. But if you’re like the majority of people, you are probably squeezing out the lemon juice and tossing the left over lemon peel in the trash! I used to do that too!
But wait, wait, wait, that lemon peel contains even more nutrients, vitamins, and health benefits than the lemon juice.
Nutrients and Health Benefits in Lemon Peels
Lemon peels contain about 5 to 10 times more vitamins than lemon juice! Yep, that’s what you’ve been wasting!
They are also an excellent source of fiber, potassium, magnesium, calcium, folate, and beta carotene. Lemon peels improve bone health too! Since they contain high amounts of calcium and vitamin C, lemon peels have been shown to aid preventing osteoporosis, inflammatory polyarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Don’t forget all the fiber you will get from lemon peels! 3.5 oz of lemon peels contains 10.6 grams of fiber.
Reduce Oxidative Stress
We all want to reduce our levels of oxidative stress. Lemon peels contain citrus bioflavonoids which are very powerful at reducing your levels of oxidative stress . This portion of the lemon also aid in eradicating toxic elements in the body and removing carcinogenic elements.
Help Fight Cancer
Lemons have been used to prevent and treat cancer. Lemons are anti-microbrial and ward off against bacterial infections and fungi.
When lemon peels are consumed, they have been shown to prevent various types of cancers, including skin cancer, colon cancer, and breast cancer.
A study found that the consumption of lemon peels in tea was beneficial in preventing the development of cancer cells.
Lemons are also very alkalizing! Cancer thrives in an acidic body, by making your body alkaline this will prevent cancer. Take advantage of the whole lemon and don’t just juice and toss!
Lemon peels contain salvestrol Q40 and limonene, which have been shown to prevent and treat cancer. These components fight against present cancerous cells in the body.
How to Eat a Lemon Peel
There are a couple different ways you can prepare your lemon peels.
- Place your lemons in the freezer for a couple of hours. Then take them out and grate them. You can sprinkle the grated lemon peel on your meals or in your drinks.
- Grate the outside of your lemon (without freezing). Sprinkle the lemon peel pieces on your meals or in your drinks.
- Or you could just bite right into one.
Grated lemon peels make a great addition to salads and teas! They add amazing flavor to any meal!
Do you usually throw out the lemon peel?
Sources: http://www.naturalnews.com/033649_citrus_bioflavonoids_oxidative_stress.html
Thanks this has helped me and now I am also making use of the lemon peel which I used to throw, your article is very informative.
Hi, when you describe consuming the peels by zesting or grating, do you discard and throw away the white part which is the layer below the yellow part?
I use that layer too!
Awesome. Do you grate it as well?
Yes, I grate it all the time on salads.
Thank you for both replies!
James ask does ,is there anything i can put in the lime juice ,as if i have lime juice with water it makes my thoat
tickle and i end up me coughing all day ?
10 may 2019
Can you eat the white part of the lemon peel too?
Yes, I put entire lemons in my juicer. Lemons are so great for boosting your immune system, preventing cancer and illness.
Do I have to buy organic lemons? Can I do this with regular lemons? Is there a way to just clean regular lemons so I can use them? I wanna try the peels for my face and in my smoothies I make.
You can do it with regular lemons. Organic is always best, but sometimes not available.
Let me tell you the AMAZING benefits that I am receiving from this lemon rind tea 1)no muscle cramps 2)forget about cold flue 3)no teeth issue or gum issue (I have severe gum disease), I am enjoying my best teeth and gum ever and I will let you know even many more benefits on my way…I can tell you now, you never want FLOURIDE to consume…I quit FL for a long time. If you use the regular tap water and make your tea out of tap water, then you will NOT get these benefits. You have to hunt the best FL free water in glass bottle to make that tea everyday morning for the benefits. Also if you live next to the cell phone towers, then GET OUT of that place as far as you can go. Cell phone towers or microwave radiation ultimately will kill us. So fix your environment, get FL FREE water and take lemons for the best result. May God bless us all.
That’s fantastic!
I just discovered lemons and mineral water. I put zest from wedge rind and squeeze juice of wedge in glass of ice water. Am I consuming enough of the peel to enjoy health benefits? I am fascinated by this and I suffer from auto immune so this is also good boost to immune system. I try to drink at least 3 pints day of this. Its been a really refreshing way get your daily h20 and the mineral water has calcium in it. How much lemon zest is good to receive the health benefits?
I use the zest to put on boiling water and let it to be cooled down , then I put raw fresh lemon and lime juice in a lukewarm spring water…It is the best
That’s great! The lemon peel is the best part.
Freshly made lemon rind’s tea daily in the morning along with lemon juice fixed my gum disease, and no cold or flu for entire year….Amazing lemons!!!
That’s great! I’ve been adding an entire lemon (peel too) to my daily green juices.
I have suffered from stomach pain for 3 months. All treatments prescribed by physicians failed to work on the suspicion of ulcers and amoeba. Just yesterday out of curiosity, I ate lemon peels and realised a big change and I have taken more today. I hope this will for me this time .
That’s fantastic!
Is is idle to drink hot lipton tea raw?
Or also is it idle to take raw hot lipton tea and slices of lemom added to it
Thank you
Adding lemon slices is a great idea!
Do you still get the most nutrition benefit by peeling off the outer layer of the peel with a peeler? Since I don’t always be to find the organic one, I wonder if I can still get 90% of the nutrition this way.
Thanks,
The peel contains the most benefits, but the under layer is great too.
I’ve always had fresh lemon squeezed into warm filtered water every morning. But a naturopath told me I should not squeeze more than half the juice as it is too acidic for the stomach. So I use a zester on the peel to add to the 1/2 lemon juice now. Do you think I’m still getting enough of the health benefits or should I ignore the advice and use a whole lemon?
A half lemon is a good amount. I usually use half and use the second half for the next day.
What if I slice some lemons with the peel still on and put it in a grinder and add water and drink it .
That’s what I do 🙂
I live in Chile where we consume a lots of avocado (i am Polish but i am in a process of getting used to eat local foods:) …usualy we just put avocado on the fresh bread an we eat a sandwich like that with a little bit of salt. Some time ago i started to add different things to my avocado pasta 🙂 the product of today was: avocado, chopped red paprika, sesam seeds, hot chili powder, a little bit of olive oil, salt aaand… Wait for it…. Lemon peels from entire lemon!! amazing and nutritive…put on a fresh bread, still warm from the bakery… Oh… I used the lemon juice with stevia and hot water as a drink after my meal. Tomorrow i will try avocado, lemon peels, honey and fresh gignger… As a sweet desert:)
Wow, that sounds amazing!!
I cut my lemons into pieces before juicing and repeat the process (about 4 X). The juice turns very thick and I keep the fridge and I drink it with my children everyday… Do I get the same benefits as eating peels.
I would think so because you’re using the entire lemon.
Also is it okay to sprinkle lemon zest over nonveg
What is nonveg?
I want to enjoy the benefits of lemon but dont want to lose weight please reply
When I use it occasionally, I haven’t noticed a change in my weight.
I put my cut up seeded whole lemon in my Vitamix, add a small amount of sweetner and blend. I put in icecube trays, and freeze. I always have it ready for my water. It is so tasty!
That’s a great idea! I wonder if it would work with a dot of raw honey.