Are Lemons Good For Diabetes? 5 Impressive Benefits

5. Lemon Is Also A Low-Calorie Ingredient To Meet Nutrient Needs

As a diabetic, you may sometimes struggle with finding ways to get your nutrition without consuming too much sugar, carbs, or calories. Lemon is one of those low-fat and low-calorie foods that you can consume freely as salad dressing instead of greasy sugar-laden mayo or as a base for homemade lemonade in lieu of sugary soda.

It may not seem like it, but lemons do have a lot of vitamins and minerals like most citrus fruit. The flesh of an 84 gm lemon contains 44.5 mg of vitamin C (49.4% DV), 2.4 gm of fiber (9.6% DV), 22 mg of calcium (1.7% DV), 116 mg of potassium (2.5% DV), and 9 mcg of folate (2.3% DV).1718 You can even eat the lemon segments in a salad or tagine – an entire fruit has 17 to 24 calories. Lemon does contain 7.8 gm of carbohydrates and 2 gm of sugar.

The juice of one lemon, on the other hand, has just 3.3 gm of carbohydrates, 1.2 gm of sugar, and 11 calories. While it has virtually no fiber, it does have 18.6 mg of vitamin C (20.7% DV), 10 mcg of folate (2.5% DV), 49 mg of potassium (1% DV).20 21 So go ahead and use the lemon in your food and drink, just for the love of its tangy flavor or for the health benefits it could offer.

How To Use Lemons In Your Diet

Here are some ways you can use lemons in your diet. You’ll see that the citrus fruit is quite versatile and really freshens up any meal with its zingy flavor.

• Go for the simplest lemon juice or warm lemon water.
• Low-calorie dressing for salads instead of mayonnaise. Simply add in a splash of olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Increase the spice by adding mustard or herbs.
• Use it to season and flavor grilled meat, fish, or poultry – it is much lower calorie and virtually fat-free compared to barbecue sauces.
• Toss steamed or roasted vegetables in lemon juice for some tang and without a calorie burden that comes with other sauces.
• Make up some preserved lemons and add them to tagines or other exotic Moroccan inspired recipes.

Too Much Lemon May Cause Problems So Don’t Go Overboard

As with any natural remedies, lemon too must be had in moderation, because of some potential side effects.

• Too much lemon may cause heartburn for some people though there isn’t scientific evidence to back this up. Diarrhea and mild nausea have been associated with vitamin C supplement intake, although the same may not result from lemons.
• A citrus fruit allergy is also not uncommon, so do test to see you don’t have any adverse reaction to the juice or fruit.
• The acidic nature of lemon can also cause tooth enamel to erode, so if you’re having lemon on a regular basis, rinse with water immediately after or drink your lemon juice diluted.
• Consuming high quantities of vitamin C has been linked to increased risk of kidney stone formation in those who are at risk of calcium oxalate stone formation.
• Vitamin C boosts iron absorption, so if you are at risk of iron overload (too much iron in the body), you may want to limit intake or avoid lemons altogether, depending on what your doctor suggests.

And last but not least, don’t use lemon or lemon juice as a substitute for treatment with medication your doctor has prescribed.