Health Benefits of Lime.

The posts introduce the fruit, lime, its origin, and uses and describe the nutritional values and the benefits of including it in your foods.  It is rich in nutrition and may help prevent chronic diseases and enhance body health and general well-being.

Limes are round, sour, citrus, green fruits and yellow when ripe.  There are more than twenty varieties of lime, each with unique qualities to qualify for each of your use and preferences in recipes and food benefits.

Some are Mexican, Persian, Australian Desert limes, and Australian finger limes.  They are small but high in nutritional and health benefits.

Lime may have originated in Indonesian islands or the nearby mainland of Asia.  Arabian traders may have taken it from India to the eastern Mediterranean countries and Africa by around 1000 CE and to the Western Mediterranean nations by the Crusaders in the 12th and 13th centuries. 

Lime's Nutritional Values  

What are lime's nutritional values?  

One medium size lime provides,

Calories:  20.

Carbs:  7 grams.

Protein:  0,5 grams.

Fibre:  1,9 grams.

Vitamin C:  22 % of the Daily Value.

Iron:   2% of the DV.

Calcium:  2% of the DV.

Thiamine: 2% of the DV.

Potassium:  1% of the DV.

Limes also amounts tiny amounts of riboflavin, niacin, folate, phosphorous and magnesium.  Lime is consumed in several ways: eating raw, cooked, marination, lime juice, etc.,

Health Benefits of Lime.

1.  Lime is a reliable source of antioxidants that helps defend your body cells against unstable molecules called free radicals.  These free radicals cause chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.  

2.  Can Boost Immunity.

Limes are rich in vitamins that may help your body develop immunity.  Studies showed it helped shorten the duration and the severity of colds.

Vitamin C helps recover wounds faster by reducing inflammation.  It can stimulate collagen production, an essential protein that aids wound repairs.

3.  Promotes healthy skin.

Lime has several properties that aid healthy skin.  Antioxidants can help reduce age-related skin changes.   

4.  Lime may reduce the risk of heart disease.

Research showed lime may help reduce certain risk factors in heart health.  Vitamin C in them can help reduce high blood pressure.

5.  It May prevent kidney stones.

Kidney stones are tiny mineral crystals that can cause severe ailments and aches.  Citrus fruits are high in citric acids that may prevent kidney stones.

6.  Increase iron absorption.

Iron is needed to produce red blood cells to transport oxygen around your body.  Food like lime, high in vitamin C, help prevent deficiency in iron that causes anaemia.

7.  Lime can lower the risk of many cancers. 

Uses of limes

Limes have been used in foods since earlier times.  India has a regular presence in every household, preparing a zest drink on hot days, entertaining guests, pickles, chutneys, and confectionaries. 

In South Africa, due to their sour taste, limes are not eaten fresh; the juice and zest, however, are used in cooking, while slices of limes are a popular garnish for cocktails and other drinks.

This post is for the letter L in the series of my A2Z blog posts, lasting for the entire month and is part of the A2Z Blog chatter challenge.  To read earlier posts, click on these letters.  A B C D E F G H I J K