Scientific name: Citrus lemon (L.) Burm.f.

Common name: Lemon tree

Botanical family: Rutaceae

Characteristics: Shrub or small tree (2 to 5 m high) perennifolio of thorny branches and alternate sheets, lanceoladas and coriaceas, with a petiole that presents 2 wings joined in all its length.

Varieties: Four commercial varieties exist: Eureka, Dry sherry, Lisbon and Verna.

Flowers: Calls as those of the orange tree orange blossom, that appear in the armpit of the sheet with 5 white petals and of perfumed smell.

Fruit: Ovoid and beefy, named in botany HESPERIDIO: Its crust is thick and formed for two differentiated layers: the first one is the epicarpio, yellow and aromatic and the second one is the mesocarpio, which is the white fiber that surrounds the endocarpio. The segments split into several cells are the endocarpio for telillas membranous and it contains the seeds. The coloration goes from the green silver-plated in early phases up to yellow intensely when it matures.

Origin and Habitat: The lemon tree is original of the Asian southeast and it was not known by Greeks and Romans. His culture was developed in Occident after the Arab conquest of Spain, it was these who introduced it for the whole Mediterranean coast and where thanks to the gentleness of the climate he could adapt oneself perfectly, since he does not tolerate the frequent freezes. In the tropical climates from which it comes, the fruits that it produces, they do not have good commercial quality on having been too thick and to have acidity small. The climate most adapted for the culture of the lemon tree is of Mediterranean free type of freezes. The periods of drought followed by precipitations play an important role in the flowering. At first it was cultivated by his ornamental character and was in the XVth century when they were started valuing as fruit trees.

IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS

It is the fruit with less calories, although it is necessary to bear in mind that is not consumed as a fresh fruit, but its juice. So that it produces more the juice, it is recommended to warm them a little to the fire, since drawing dilates more the textiles and detaches more water. He emphasizes its content in vitamin C, citric acid, flavonoides, substances of astringent action and potassium, its most abundant mineral.

In the epicarpio and mesocarpio (crust), they are:

a) Pigments as the caroteno, person in charge for its yellow color.
b) The essential oil responsible for the characteristic aroma of the fruit. The essential oil is a miscellany of volatile components as terpenos, the most abundant the d-limoneno, of proven action desintoxicante, although they turn out to be different great in minor proportion as citral, canfeno, pineno, felandreno, citronelal or terpinol.
c) Finally the flavonoides called in a beginning Vitamin P, between those that the hesperidina and the diosmina emphasizes, with effects antirust and capable of regulating the permeability of the capillaries.

The first flavonoide was identified in 1930 by the first Nobel at Fisiology and Szent-Györgyi Medicine, who identify the peal of the lemon a sustance, the citrinn.

In its endocarpio (pulp):

a) The vitamin C antirust acid and cofactor of several enzymes.

b) Organic acids (between 6-8 %), between which he emphasizes the citric acid, and in minor quantity, the malic, acetic and formic.

PROPERTIES

In addition to being a valuable source of vitamin C, the citrus fruits are the extraordinary antirust some. They help to reinforce our immune system turning into important Allied Forces into the daily diet, especially in winter. The orange or the tangerine are the popular ones for its least acid flavor; nevertheless, the lemon is the citric one that more vitamin C possesses. The lemon does not acidify the stomach and neither it harms the dental enamel, like supports popularly, on the contrary it fortifies the gums and the roots of millstones and teeth.

Between its benefits they are:

1. Stimulates the blood circulation.

2. Activates the stomach segregations helping to the digestion (if it takes in moderation)

3. It is a whiter for teeth.

4. It is astringent (opposite to laxative) from what it is useful in diarrheas and to clean impurities of the skin as blackheads or acne.

5. Helps to prepare cold and to strengthen our immune system.

6. Anti-inflammatory and it helps to reduce the blood pressure.

7. Antiseptic and healing of hurt much used formerly.

The vitamin C helps in the formation of colágeno, bones, teeth and red globules, favoring the absorption of the iron of the food and the resistance to the infections.

Organic acids that promote the action of the vitamin C and possess a notable antiseptic, fungicidal effect and disinfectant.

The potassium is necessary for the transmission and generation of the nervous impulse, for a muscular normal activity and for to support the normal balance of water inside and out of the cell.

The flavonoides are antirust substances that they protect from the beams UV, they prepare the cancer and improve the resistance of the capillaries on having favored the fact that these do not break, for what they turn out to be adapted to prepare the bled one. The flavonoide with better results in this field is the hesperidina.

MORE COMMON USES

- Cold and flu: So much in prevention as to recover. One must take juice in good doses, trying to sweat generously, the lemon also is a way to treat the cough in all its grades.

- Hepatoprotector: To strengthen our liver we must add to our salads streaky rind of lemon, this also will improve our stomach.

- Properties cardiotonic: They have a tonic effect on the heart, promoting the cardiac muscle and improving the circulation and also it stimulates the eritropoyesis (formation of red globules).

- Dehydration: Mixed with water it helps to recover liquid and mineral.

- Headache: The headaches are avoided taking the juice before the breakfast, lunch and dinner.

- Alcoholism: Taken in big quantity, he fights and avoids the alcoholism; it treats its harmful effects and avoids it, because the one that is used to taking juice of lemon pushes all alcoholic drink back.

- Pyorrhoea: It is the most effective remedy to fight her, it is the most powerful agent of destruction of the fermentation microbiana of the mouth and the gums.

- Avoids the arteriosclerosis taken on time, when young man is and in case of to endure it, the lemon corrects it in good grade, the age does not matter.

- Hiccup: Taking a good dose of lemon well ensalivado and next doing deep respirations with the closed mouth.

- Healing: It acts like as healing in all kinds of wounds of the skin and mouth.

- Teeth: It is the excellent toothpaste; it cleans and whitens the teeth always preserving the teeth.

- Stings of insects: On having put ourselves on her on a track of lemon, one calms the annoyance and the pain.

- The perfume of orange blossom, or cologne believes by means of the maceration of petals of the flower in alcohol; it has tranquilizing effects that help to eliminate inconveniences caused by nerves, like colics, headaches, faints and menstrual inconveniences. Also it can help in the insomnia. It is used in confectionery and making of sweets.

- The crust rejuvenates and smooths the skin

- It fights the premature old age, since its antirust action rejuvenates the cells of the blood and the textiles. Taking at least the juice of a lemon in the mornings, it removes the bad taste of the mouth and the pastiness. He clarifies the voice and solves the complaints of the gullet. The lemon is sedative, it diminishes the pressure and optimizes the functioning of the heart. The juice of lemon is agreeable to the palate, it sharpens the secretions you will salivate and it strengthens the glands of the stomach, for what it stimulates the appetite.

- Depurative: Powerful depurative, the blood fortifies and it mobilizes toxins of the organs.

RECOVERS FROM LEMON: It is a method to treat many illnesses and it consists of the consumption of a dose of lemons that is on the increase gradually, then to decrease. The patient must take the juice of two or three lemons the first day, the second day will take four, this way successively up to reaching the quantity of ten twelve lemons in one day. When it has gone over to this quantity it is diminishing every day in one or two lemons, up to coming to the initial quantity, with what the remedy has ended. But in this case to assure the success and not to increase the evil, the lemon has to take on an empty stomach. In winter there takes less quantity than in summer. It is possible that when a remedy of lemon is realized, this one provokes certain eruptions in the skin seemed the hives, which he does not want to say that the lemon should be harm, it is a sign of that is purifying the blood, eliminating the toxins.

Other uses

1. It removes you stain of oxide:
To prepare a miscellany of lemon and salt, to intersperse-asegurándote a good absorption - on the affected zones and allow it to rest half an hour.

2. Silver cleaner, copper and lead:
To spend on the surface of the object two lemons divided in halves, allow it to dry and extract sheen with a flannel.

3. Shampoo for the greasy hair with lemon:
Any type of hair, the most advisable thing is that you treat it with natural products, which will protect better its beauty. There exist very good home-loving recipes of shampoos and capillary rinsings for greasy hairs, which expire with this requisite, thanks to the powerful astringent properties of this citric one, your greasy hair will show its sheen and natural beauty again.

Ingredients:

- water, 1 cup.
- rosemary, 15 grs.
- lemon juice , 1.
- neutral grated soap, 1/2 cup.

Preparation:

- In a receptacle, he places the rosemary with the water, leads to the fire and allows to boil during 10 minutes.
- Strains and adds the grated soap. It leaves that dissolves and waits until it should cool down.
- Add the juice of lemon

Way of application:

- Applies this preparation, using her as shampoo to wash your greasy hair.
- Massages the scalp so that it acts in depth.
- Rinse in a habitual way.