Lemon has long gone into a slimming drink that takes minutes to make. Said to help the body flush out excess water, burn fat and restore some tone, it remains a classic of the folk tradition built around this fruit.
Weight loss and lemon
The polyphenols in lemons are held to act on lipid metabolism and to change the way ingested fat is distributed. Several studies point to an effect of lemon-derived polyphenols on the progression of weight gain in certain subjects, with no change of diet, by stimulating signalling cascades inside fat cells.
The vitamin C in lemon
Lemon is a natural carrier of vitamin C, which the immune system and the blood clotting system need to work properly, and which helps the intestines absorb iron — it is also a powerful antioxidant. In the past, people whose diet was unbalanced, sailors and villagers cut off from supplies, sometimes came down with scurvy, a serious disease caused by a vitamin C deficiency.
Lemon, a natural disinfectant
The natural biocides in lemons work against certain bacteria and viruses, which is why so many detergents and wipes carry lemon extracts. Historically, lemon also appears as a traditional help against waterborne diseases such as cholera, which killed millions of people in the nineteenth century, before antibiotics were invented.
The recipe: a slimming lemon drink
Ingredients
- 125 g horseradish
- 4 lemons
- 3 tsp honey
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 cm of ginger root
Method
Mix the horseradish and the ginger. Slice the lemons without peeling them and take out the seeds. Blend everything together with the horseradish and ginger. Add the honey and the cinnamon, mix well, then keep the drink in a tinted glass jar in the fridge. Tradition takes it a teaspoon at a time, twice a day, with meals.
