With the flu season in full swing, everyone’s looking for ways to boost immunity and increase the chances of staying well. Many remedies abound, but sometimes it doesn’t take more than looking in your refrigerator to find one of the greatest flu fighters of all: the golden lemon.
Yes, you heard right. The lemon fruit has been a flu remedy since Roman times. Egyptians ate and drank its juice as protection against poisons and it is highly regarded in many folk traditions for its mild antibiotic and anti-nausea properties.
What’s so special about lemons? For starters, lemons are full of vitamin C and flavonoids, well-known infection-fighting substances that promote immunity. Additionally, lemon oil contains significant antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and anti-inflammatory constituents, including some that act as expectorants. Highly effective as a flu remedy, these substances have the added benefit of making mucous membranes distasteful to bacteria and viruses.
Other lemon constituents with important health benefits include calcium, magnesium and citric acid, all great for fighting flu. You'd be hard-pressed to find a pill in the pharmacy that can beat the fruit’s double punch of strong immune-building substances plus so many potent antiviral properties.
Also not to be underestimated is lemon's alkalizing effect on the body. Maintaining a good acid/alkaline balance is essential to good digestion and health, especially when fighting flu. Consuming lemons and their juice helps to restore balance to the body’s pH (the body’s fluids, cells and tissues), while stimulating the liver and dissolving uric acids and other body toxicities.
Why wait? Act now and make yourself a flu remedy:
Recipe
Chop up one lemon, including skin and pulp
Add 1 cup boiling water
Steep for 5 minutes
Strain, add honey to taste and enjoy
Drink this hot lemonade three to four times a day throughout your illness. It also works great during the winter months to help ward off infection.
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