Genetically, The Lemon Is A Hybrid Between Bitter Orange And Citron

It’s Lemon Juice Day. As the old saying goes, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. Lemons have been used for a variety of purposes over the years, but none more delicious than lemon juice! It can be used in people’s favorite drinks, wellness products, and even some of the tastiest dishes out there.

• The pulp and rind (zest) are also used in cooking and baking.
• The juice of the lemon is about 5% to 6% citric acid, which gives a sour taste.
• Lemon trees can produce up to 600lbs of lemons every year.
• Lemon trees produce fruit all year round.
• The origin of the lemon is unknown, though lemons are thought to have first grown in Assam (a region in northeast India), northern Burma or China.
• A study of the genetic origin of the lemon reported it to be hybrid between bitter orange (sour orange) and citron.
• Lemons entered Europe near southern Italy no later than the second century AD, during the time of Ancient Rome.
• Lemon oil may be used in aromatherapy. Lemon oil aroma does not influence the human immune system, but may contribute to relaxation.
• The top producers of lemons are India, Mexico, and China, with significant production by Argentina and Brazil as well.
• The most common types of lemons are the Meyer, Eureka, and Lisbon lemons.
• The Bonnie Brae lemon is oblong, smooth, thin-skinned and seedless. It’s mostly grown in San Diego County, United States.
• The Eureka lemon is also known as the Four Seasons lemon because of its ability to produce fruit and flowers together throughout the year.
• The Femminello St. Teresa or Sorrento lemon is native to Italy. It’s zest is high in lemon oils which is why it’s been traditionally used in the making of limoncello.
• During the Renaissance, women used lemon juice to redden their lips.
• Lemons came to the New World in 1493, when Christopher Columbus brought lemon seeds to Hispaniola
• In the 19th century, lemons were increasingly planted in Florida and California.
• California and Arizona produces most of the United States’ lemon crop.
• The first place to cultivate lemons in Europe was in Genoa, Italy.
• A whole raw lemon contains 139 percent of the daily recommended vitamin C intake and has 22 calories.
• The health benefits of lemons are due to its many nutritious elements like vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin A, vitamin E, folate, niacin thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, copper, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, phosphorus and protein. Lemon also contains flavonoids, which are composites that contain antioxidant and cancer fighting properties. It helps prevent diabetes, constipation, high blood pressure, fever, indigestion, as well as improve the skin, hair, and teeth.
• According to The Reams Biological Ionization Theory (RBTI), the lemon is the ONLY food in the world that is anionic (an ion with a negative charge). All other foods are cationic (the ion has a positive charge.) This makes it extremely useful to health as it is the interaction between anions and cations that ultimately provides all cell energy.
• “When life gives you a lemon… squeeze it, mix it with six ounces of distilled water and drink twice daily.”– Jethro Kloss in his book Back to Eden.
• The demand for lemons and their scurvy-preventing abilities hit a peak in the California Gold Rush of 1849. Malnourished miners were willing to pay a lot for a single lemon. Today, California is still full of lemon trees as a result.
• The origin of the word “lemon” might be Middle Eastern. The word draws from the Old French “limon”, then Italian “limone,” from the Arabic “laymun” or “limun”, and from the Persian “limun”, which was a generic term for a citrus fruit.
• In February and March, Menton in the French Riviera celebrates an annual Lemon Festival.
• The scent of a lemon can make you feel better when you are feeling blue.  Studies reveal that people often associate it with cleanliness and pleasantness. Experts say that citrus smells can lift your mood up; but that of a lemon is particularly effective. The fragrance of lemon affects the brain’s neurotransmitters. Breathing in a lemony aroma increases the levels of feel-good hormones in the brain called serotonin, at the same time decreasing the levels of stress hormones.

Sources:

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