Lemon for colds
Lemon will help strengthen the immune system and make it easier to endure a cold. Not just a fruit – a lifesaver for fever, sore throat and runny nose. An expert will tell you about the effect lemon has on the body

In the cold season, viruses become more active, we often get ARVI. At the first symptoms, you need to start treatment. You can quickly cope with a cold by adding folk remedies to the drugs prescribed by the doctor. One of the popular natural medicines is lemon.

This citrus began to be used for medical purposes three thousand years ago, its positive effect on the body has been tested for generations. How and with what to use lemon for a cold, we deal with general practitioner Svetlana Bozhko.

Is it possible to eat lemon with a cold

A polluted environment, bad habits and malnutrition lead to the fact that a lot of free radicals accumulate in the body, which adversely affect the cells of the body and the immune system. A person becomes more vulnerable to seasonal colds. 

Lemon has a rich chemical composition: vitamins C, P and group B, potassium and essential oil. These beneficial substances help fight free radicals, cope with viruses, get sick with SARS less often, and tolerate the disease more easily (1).

If you didn’t know

One of the important elements in the composition of lemon is ascorbic acid. It has an antiviral effect and makes the immune system work in full force. Ascorbic acid will not eliminate the disease, but at the first sign of a runny nose, it will help reduce unpleasant symptoms (1).

What can you eat lemon with a cold

Lemon for colds can be eaten fresh without any additives. Citrus slices are best eaten whole: the peel contains more healing properties necessary for immunity. And in the pulp, juice has a high value. Ready-made lemon concentrate can be added as a tonic to tea or salad.

You can eat no more than half a lemon a day. This is enough to keep the body in good shape and to alleviate the symptoms of SARS. If you exceed the norm, there is a high risk of getting problems with digestion.

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With a protracted course of a cold, pharyngitis or tonsillitis may develop, for the treatment of which you can prepare a simple and effective drink. Dilute lemon juice with water: you can drink such a cocktail or gargle with it (2). You can also reduce discomfort by chewing a piece of fresh lemon along with the zest. After that, it is advisable not to eat for an hour (3).

The therapeutic effect of citrus is enhanced when used in combination with ginger, honey and raspberries, as well as when added to tea.

Lemon tea for colds

Tea with lemon increases the body’s resistance during a cold, tones and warms. It is better to add a slice of lemon to a hot drink, rather than squeeze the juice out of it. The antimicrobial effect will be enhanced, since the zest contains an essential oil that has a pronounced antiviral activity (2).

Lemon with ginger for colds

With nasal congestion and sore throat, it is useful to drink a ginger drink with citrus. Lemon with ginger will help reduce the symptoms of a cold. To prepare a fragrant drink you will need:

  • 1 teaspoon ginger paste
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 1 teaspoon of honey

Pour the ingredients with two glasses of boiling water, wrap the container and let the drink brew for 30 minutes. After it needs to be filtered. Drink the finished “cocktail” in small sips throughout the day (3).

Lemon with honey for colds

This combination will help soothe an irritated throat. The recipe is simple: add freshly squeezed lemon juice and honey to warm water (4).

Lemon with honey and pepper can be added to warm tea, which has a diuretic and diaphoretic effect and helps to remove toxins (3, 5).

Lemon with raspberries for colds

Raspberry, like lemon, contains ascorbic acid, which has a bactericidal effect, helps cleanse the body of toxins. Lemon combined with raspberries provides double benefits for colds. The most popular recipe is tea with raspberry jam and lemon.

And here is another way to prepare a mixture with lemon and raspberries. You will need the following ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons of honey
  • raspberry jam
  • vodka or cognac
  • juice of one lemon

According to the recipe, you need to mix all the ingredients and drink before going to bed. The drink will give strength and increase resistance to viruses. (3)

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Popular questions and answers

Questions about the benefits of lemon for colds and possible contraindications are answered by a doctor of the highest qualification category, therapist, pulmonologist, phthisiatrician Svetlana Bozhko.

Is it possible to eat lemon with a cold with a temperature?

With acute respiratory infections, accompanied by a high temperature, a person sweats a lot and loses a lot of fluid. Tea with lemon will help to alleviate the condition. It quenches thirst well and replenishes water balance.

Is it possible to eat lemon during a cold during pregnancy?

If a woman does not have individual intolerance, then with ARVI she can eat 1-2 slices a day. Lemon also helps with morning sickness, which is exacerbated in pregnant women during illness (2).

Can children eat lemon for a cold?

Young children are often allergic to citrus fruits, so you should refrain from treating colds with lemon until the age of three. Older children are allowed to give 1-2 slices per day, but you need to monitor your well-being. If skin rashes and itching appear, then citrus fruits should be limited.

To whom is lemon contraindicated for a cold?

Eating lemon is not worth it for kidney diseases, hyperacid gastritis, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, acute enterocolitis. People with problems of the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys should refrain from consuming lemon as a remedy for the prevention and treatment of colds.

Sources of

  • RxList. Healthy living: 15 healthy ways to use lemons and limes. URL: https://www.rxlist.com/lemons_limes_healthy_ways_to_use/article.htm
  • Scientific and practical journal “Traditional Medicine”. Medicinal properties of citrus fruits. No. 2(13) 2008 URL: http://www.tradmed.ru/index.php/tm/article/view/78
  • Dannikov N.I. Healing lemon / 2012
  • MedicForum. How to recover faster from a cold: an expert names 5 available remedies. URL: https://www.medikforum.ru/health/133659-kak-bystree-vosstanovitsya-pri-prostude-ekspert-nazyvaet-5-dostupnyh-sredstv.html
  • The benefits and harms of lemons. Rospotrebnadzor. URL: http://cgon.rospotrebnadzor.ru/content/62/2939/

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