The Difference Between Lemon And Lime!

Many people tend to confuse lemons and limes. These tropical citrus fruits are very similar in appearance, taste, and shape. However, they are very different when it comes to their nutritional information and applications. Both lemons and limes belong to the same genus in the plant kingdom: Citrus. However, they are not the same species. Lemons are referred to as Citrus lemon whereas limes are referred to as Citrus aurantifolia.

Lemons are generally larger when it comes to size (as compared to limes) and tend to possess a sour taste, whereas limes are generally smaller and can possess a sweet or sour taste depending on the type of lime you have come across. Lemons are usually oval in shape, whereas limes are round in shape. Furthermore, lemons are bright yellow in color whereas limes are green/yellow in color, once again depending on the variety of limes that you are inspecting.

Lemons and limes are both great sources of vitamin C since they belong to the genus Citrus of the plant kingdom. On an average, a lime will contain almost 30 mg of vitamin C, whereas lemons can contain as much as 50 mg of vitamin C. Lemons and limes are an excellent food to consume in order to help boost your immunity, avoid cardiovascular diseases, prenatal health problems, skin wrinkling as well as eye diseases. In fact, doctors believe that vitamin C is one of the safest vitamins to consume (1). If your body possesses high levels of vitamin C, then you are bound to stay healthy and fit.

Another way in which lemons differ from limes is that they contain potassium and folate, while limes contain vitamin A. This means that if you want to improve your vision, strengthen your bones and improve the health of your skin, you should increase the number of limes you consume in your diet. On the other hand, if you want to improve your body’s synthesis and repair of DNA, reduce your chances of heart and kidney disorders, or improve your muscle strength and water balance, then you should increase the number of lemons that you consume in your diet.

Lemons and limes, although acidic by nature, are actually alkaline in our bodies. This is because of the fact that once our bodies metabolize the citric acid, the remnants of the lemon or lime have an alkaline pH. Furthermore, both lemons and limes contain limonoids that are extremely useful in fighting carcinogens (2). If you happen to be consuming foods that may contain carcinogens such as salted fish (Chinese style), processed meats such as sausages and bacon, food colorings, Chinese salt as well as alcoholic beverages, then you can reduce the harm they cause to you by increasing your intake of limes and lemons.

In addition to these benefits, both lemons and limes are an excellent source of antioxidants (3). When we consume certain foods, during the digestion and metabolic processes, they release free radicals that can cause serious harm, such as chronic diseases, if not dealt with. Our body naturally produces both free radicals as well as antioxidants to help counter their negative effects. Since we imbibe free radicals from several food and external sources, the number of free radicals in our body outnumbers the number of antioxidants that neutralize these free radicals. This is where consuming lemons and limes helps reduce the potential harm caused by free radicals.

Finally, both lemons and limes are great for detoxifying our bodies, which helps reduce our risk of heart disease and diabetes. Certain toxins in our body are not removed during the digestion process and require the aid of food sources such as lemons and limes to be removed efficiently. If these toxins are not disposed from your body, they can lead to inflammation and several health problems.

Now that we have differentiated between lemons and limes as well as explained their health benefits, let us look at some delicious ways of incorporating these amazing citrus fruits into our diets. Lemons are an excellent accompaniment to fish. A recipe consists of grilling a red snapper fillet on a pan with a glug of olive oil and adding the juice and zest of one fresh lemon. The best part of this recipe is that it only takes ten minutes to incorporate all the ingredients in this dish. On the other hand, the sweet-sour taste of lime makes it an excellent ingredient in drinks and desserts. You can incorporate limes in a fresh lime soda or a ginger lime tea.

Lemons and limes are equally important in our diets for the aforementioned reasons. So, make sure that you incorporate them into your daily meals. Please do share this article with your family and friends in order for them to realize the many benefits of lemons and limes while being able to distinguish between the two at the same time!

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Chandrama Deshmukh

   

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