AILIMPO: Three benefits that make lemon a key food in the Mediterranean diet

• Natural, fat-free, salt-free and low in sugars, lemon perfectly combines the concepts of health and nutrition. Therefore, it is positioned as a good option to follow a healthy lifestyle.
• In addition, science supports that vitamin C can be a very effective ally through three benefits experienced by those who include lemon in their regular diet.

MADRID, March 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Absolutely everything is used from the lemon, from the peel to its juice, a quality that gives it great versatility in the kitchen. But the real treasure of this citrus fruit is hidden behind its health properties, which are highly appreciated by sports and nutrition professionals. In fact, this particularity has made it a key food in the Mediterranean diet, considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the healthiest, most complete and balanced diets in the world.

Natural, fat-free, salt-free and low in sugars, lemon perfectly combines the concepts of health and nutrition. Therefore, it is positioned as a good option to follow a healthy lifestyle. In addition, it is an important source of vitamin C, since 100 g of lemon contains about 50 mg of this nutrient; that is, half of the daily consumption recommended by experts, which in adults ranges between 95 and 110 mg per day, as advised by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) in the document "Dietary reference intakes of vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium and carotenoids". The amount even goes up to 120 mg for nursing mothers.

Therefore, anyone over the age of 18 should try to consume between two and three lemons a day in order to cover the need for nutrients required by their own body.

Three benefits backed by science

In this way, science supports that vitamin C can be a very effective ally through three benefits experienced by those who include lemon in their diet on a regular basis:

1. The vitamin C in lemon contributes to the formation of collagen for the normal functioning of blood vessels, bones, cartilage, gums, skin and teeth. For this reason, before this attribute was scientifically certified, lemon was used by Spanish explorers on their voyages to the New World because of its scurvy-fighting properties.
2. It also contributes to normal energy metabolism, to the normal functioning of the nervous system and improves iron absorption, as well as reducing fatigue and tiredness.
3. Finally, it is also worth noting the contribution of vitamin C in lemon to the normal functioning of the immune system and thus to protect cells against oxidative damage.

However, if there is a lemon in the world that perfectly combines these singularities, it is the lemon grown in Europe, where the product is pampered and cared for until it reaches the consumer's hands. This is because the European production model ensures that all fruit is marketed completely fresh, whatever its destination, and under the maximum guarantees.

These and other characteristics of the lemon with European origin are disseminated by the Interprofessional Association of Lemon and Grapefruit (AILIMPO) in the information campaign Welcome to the Lemon Age, with the support of the European Union, with the aim of promoting its consumption among the new generations of U.S. and Canadian consumers; and that they value and appreciate more differentiating properties, for example, its quality, freshness, sustainability, traceability and food safety compared to non-EU lemons.

- Cross reference: Picture is available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) -

About AILIMPO

AILIMPO is a Spanish interprofessional, based in Murcia, officially recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Spain and the European Commission, which represents the economic interests of producers, cooperatives, exporters and the industry of lemon and grapefruit. A sector in which Spain is the world leader in fresh exports and ranks second as a processing country, with an annual turnover of 700 million euros, generating 20,000 direct jobs and transferring more than 250 million euros to ancillary industries.

More information:
www.thelemonage.com

Contact:
Luis de la Osada
luis.osada@thetacticsgroup.com 
+34 647 98 35 00