When life gives you lemons, feel smug about the fact that what you’ve got is a wonderfully healthy fruit. This sour sucker contains a whole host of beneficial compounds and nutrients, and there’s a reason why many of us are drawn to lemon drinks when we’re feeling run down or fluey.

In this post, we’ll be exploring the various lemon health benefits, as well as whether there are any differences between homegrown and store-bought lemons.

Jump to:

• Lemon nutrition
• Lemon calories
• Lemon sugars
• Health benefits of lemons
• Differences between homegrown and store-bought lemons

How healthy are lemons?

When we look at the breakdown of lemons, the proportion of water and macronutrients is similar to that of other fruits, with roughly 88-89% water, 10% carbohydrates and virtually no protein or fat. Now, this gives us a big-picture idea of how the humble lemon is made up, but we want to get into all the pithy detail – with that in mind, below we’ve compiled a list of the key minerals and vitamins found in lemons.

Lemon nutrition

100g of lemon juice contains roughly the following quantities of these selected vitamins and minerals (per data from the US Department of Agriculture).

The standout piece of data from the above table is, of course, the huge vitamin C content (with just 100g of juice having almost an entire day’s worth of the vitamin. And, as we’ll come onto, it’s this that might explain just why a hot honey and lemon tea could be such a help when you’re feeling under the weather.

Lemon calories

Lemons aren’t particularly calorific – and, even if they were, their sourness prevents most people from chowing down on them in any great quantity. In 100g of lemon juice, there are just 22 calories.

Sugars in lemons

Lemons (like most other citrus fruits) aren’t naturally high in sugars, with 100g of lemon juice containing only 2.52g of sugars. That equates to just 8.4% of your recommended daily intake. With their low glycaemic indices, you can see just why citrus fruits are so favourable for people with diabetes, who need to be careful when it comes to their blood sugar levels.

What are the health benefits of lemons?

Vitamin C

Vitamin C has long been touted as an important vitamin as regards the immune functioning of our bodies. Studies have shown its worth in bolstering the immune system, combatting oxidative cell damage and aiding wound healing.

Heart health

Lemons also contain chemicals called flavonoids (namely hesperidin and hesperetin) which are “likely to confer protection against cardiovascular disease” by reducing oxidative stress and improving arterial blood pressure. 

Digestion aid

Regular consumption of lemon water is thought to potentially also help with digestion, with anecdotal evidence suggesting that a glass of lemon water in the morning before breakfast is a good time to take it.

Reduced risk of kidney stones

Kidney stones can be incredibly painful and so any dietary supplement – a glass of lemon juice, for instance – that mitigates against the formation of these stones, is to be recommended. In 2022, it was found that the nanoparticles found in lemons can help block the formation of kidney stones.

Improved iron absorption

Lemons can help your body absorb more iron, a mineral which is crucial in the production of haemoglobin – a chemical that helps your blood carry oxygen – as well as preventing the development of conditions like anaemia.

Differences between homegrown and store-bought lemons

There aren’t any major differences between homegrown and shop-bought lemons when it comes to their nutritional makeup, however homegrown lemons are always going to be fresher, and you can be sure that they’ve not been grown using any artificial fertilisers or synthetic pesticides. Of course, you can mitigate this risk by buying organic lemons from the store, but you might need to donate an organ to stump up the money for these…

Final thoughts

Hopefully, having read this you’ll understand that lemons are a citrus fruit with some serious health credentials, but they’re not the only fruit to boast such healthy benefits. We’ve previously written about the nutritional breakdown of apricots, cherries, grapes and plums, so make sure you check those out!

Plus, if you’re looking for a good way to use up your homegrown lemons, why not check out this preserved lemons recipe from Chef Jess? We’ve also written about how to grow your own lemon tree, so don’t worry if you’ve not tried growing a fruit tree before. You’ll find everything you need to know in there.