How Lemons Improve Health

Making dietary changes plays a significant role in improving health.  Lemons are a good choice to add to your diet because of their numerous health benefits.

How Lemons Help the Digestive System

In my previous blog post, I explained that most people have acidic digestive systems, and acidity can cause problems such as inflammation, toxicity, and decreased nutrient absorption. Lemons are highly alkalizing. Although lemons are acidic, when they are broken down, they deposit alkaline mineral salt compounds. When you drink lemon water before eating something that is acid-forming, such as protein, it can help your body maintain a more alkaline pH level.

Lemons not only alkalinize the gastro-intestinal tract, but also the urinary tract. This prevents build-up of the bad bacteria. In addition, they act as a diuretic so toxins can be eliminated at a faster rate.

The composition of lemons is similar to the hydrochloric acid of digestive juices. Therefore, they aid with digestion by stimulating the release of gastric juices and flushing out waste more efficiently when taken regularly. This helps prevent constipation. Lemons also relive indigestion, heartburn, and bloating.

Other Benefits of Lemons

Here are some other benefits of lemons:

• They reduce phlegm throughout the body.
• They stimulate the production of bile, which is helpful for detoxification. They also control excess bile flow.
• They are high in potassium. Low levels of potassium are associated with depression, anxiety, brain fog, and forgetfulness. Potassium also assists with steady heart rhythms, maintains brain and nerve functioning, and controls blood pressure.
• They are high in vitamin C, which supports the immune system, fights off colds, maintains healthy bones, and neutralizes free radicals.
• They freshen breath by killing off bad bacteria in the mouth.
• Lemon water can be gargled to soothe sore throat.

How to Take Lemons

The best way to get your daily dose of lemon is to squeeze at least half of a lemon into half a glass of warm water. Using a lemon squeezer will allow you to get the maximum amount of juice with minimal effort. Take the lemon water without sugar or artificial sweetener. If you must add something, then try either raw honey or stevia. Drink the warm lemon water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. For best results, wait one hour before eating.

 

http://www.naturalnews.com/033383_lemon_juice_digestion.html

http://www.quantumbalancing.com/news/lemon%20water.htm

Is Your Body Too Acidic?

A healthy digestive system requires the right pH level. The pH level indicates how acidic or alkaline something is, with 1 being highly acidic, 7 neutral, and 14 highly alkaline. The digestive system has to work harder if the pH level is off. A digestive system that is too acidic may be the source of unexplained health complaints.

Why an Acidic Digestive System Is Problematic

Different parts of our digestive system require different pH levels. The stomach requires an acidic environment with a pH level ranging from 1-4. The small intestine requires an alkaline environment, with a pH ranging from 7 to 9.  The colon has a pH range of 5.5 to 7.

When the digestive system is too acidic, proteins and carbohydrates are not digested well, which can lead to fermentation, putrefaction, toxicity, inflammation, and weight gain. Too much acidity also decreases nutrient absorption.

The right pH level is especially important in the colon. When the environment in the colon is too acidic, oxygen gets used up and the environment becomes anaerobic (without oxygen). When this happens, the colon slows digestion and creates acidity, toxicity, and fat gain. An anaerobic environment is also ideal for the growth of the bad bacteria. The bad bacteria thrive in an environment where there is no oxygen, and the good bacteria thrive in an environment where oxygen is present.

In addition, cancer does not thrive in an alkaline environment. As our diets have become more acidic, incidences of colon cancer and ulcers have risen.

The body can become too alkaline, but when we eat alkaline-forming foods, the body is equipped to raise acid levels as needed. However, most people’s bodies are too acidic, and the body isn’t equipped to lower acid levels.

You can easily confirm whether or not your digestive system is too acidic by purchasing pH strips. These pH strips are inexpensive and require either saliva or urine. The paper will change color immediately and you can easily compare the color to the enclosed chart to determine your pH level. It is best to test your pH for an entire week.

Correcting the Problem

What we eat strongly influences the digestive system’s pH level. The typical American diet is a recipe for an acidic digestive system. The most offending foods are grains, sugars, and milk. Other acid-forming foods include corn, beans, and meats.

Protein requires large amounts of alkaline minerals for digestion. This is especially true of red meat. The digestive system will first look for minerals that are present in the digestive tract. If it doesn’t find any alkaline nourishment there, it draws on calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium minerals stored in our bones. Over time, this will affect overall health, and can lead to osteoporosis. Eating a diet that is rich in nutrients keeps the body from having to draw on minerals stored in bones.

It is impossible to completely restrict acid-forming foods. In addition, consuming antacids throws off the pH balance, as well as the digestive system’s ability to correct it. This could result in malnutrition and weight gain. Instead, ensure that plenty of alkaline-forming foods are consumed at each meal. However, some foods that we think of as acidic actually make our digestive systems alkaline. That is why I say alkaline-forming. Citrus fruits are acidic, but when they are consumed, they break down and deposit alkaline mineral salt compounds. In short, they are alkalizing. The best alkaline-forming foods to eat are raw, dark leafy green vegetables, lemons, limes, sweet potatoes, onions, and leeks.

For a more comprehensive list of acid-forming and alkaline-forming foods, click here http://www.womentowomen.com/digestionandgihealth/acidalkalinefoodchart.aspx

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/01/06/what-you-need-to-understand-about-your-digestive-system-to-improve-your-health.aspx

http://www.womentowomen.com/digestionandgihealth/phbalance.aspx