Does this citrus fruit make you lose weight? Does he whiten the teeth? Does it lighten the hair? Our experts unravel the true from the false.
Lemon strengthens our body
True. Do you use 10 tissues a day when you are cold? Draw your bottle of lemon essential oil to heal faster and naturally. According to pharmacist Thomas Kassab, "lemon would fight about twenty germs". "Thanks to its antioxidants and vitamin C, it boosts the immune system. It is an excellent antiseptic, antibiotic and antiviral, "says the pharmacist. Associated with propolis, a resin recovered by bees during foraging, lemon becomes the health asset par excellence. "Pour a few drops of lemon essential oil over a propolis tablet and swallow it. There are also solutions for the throat that you can spray directly on the painful place, "adds the professional.
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Lemon reduces brown spots in the skin
True. If its whitening action on the nails is not certain, its effect on the small brown spots of the hands is proven. "The acids in lemon have an exfoliating effect and help regulate pigmentation locally. Without clearing them, the lemon will detimulate and lighten the stains." Rub a slice of organic and ripe lemon daily on the stains. The results will be visible after three to four weeks. But beware of irritation on fragile and dry skin! “If your skin is irritated, switch to use every other day,” advises dermatologist Nina Roos.
Lemon lightens the hair
True, but be careful. Lemon does not really light up the mane, but citric acid discolors the hair. In addition, "he assaults the hair and dries it," warns Gilles, a technician at Leonor Greyl. Good to know: like vinegar, "lemon neutralizes the limestone of water. It makes it shine and gives volume to the hair, "adds the expert.
In the shower, pour a few drops of a lemon squeezed into the rinse water. You can also prepare your rinse water yourself and mix 10 cl of squeezed lemon juice with mineral water. And what about the traditional hair mask olive oil and lemon? "Lemon is aggressive and olive oil is fat-soluble, so it's very hard to rinse. I do not recommend this mixture, "says the hairdresser.
The lemon whitens the teeth
False. There's no point in soaking your toothbrush in a glass of lemon water to get a "Colgate smile." Just like bicarbonate, citrus has no effect on the whiteness of the teeth: "There is only hydrogen peroxide dosed and used in the dental practice that whitens teeth," explains Brigitte Scotto di Mase-Gossin, a dental surgeon in Marseille. The false beauty reflex would even produce the opposite effect: "the acidity of the lemon attacks the enamel, the protective envelope of the tooth, and allows the coloring to attach. The gums retract, the nerve endings are exposed and this leads to hypersensitivities in the hot or cold, "adds the professional.
For an ultra bright smile, no miracle solution. Brush your teeth three times a day with a soft brush so as not to damage the enamel, limit its consumption of tobacco, coffee and tea and, finally, go to the dentist twice a year for descaling.
Lemon facilitates digestion
True. If you ever succumbed to a Savoyard fondue the night before, make sure you wake up in band. Dietitian Florence Foucaut, a member of the French Association of Dietitians and Nutritionists (AFDN), explains: "The more fatty foods are, the more bile is needed to digest them. Lemon citric acid stimulates the secretion of bile in the liver. The fibers of lemon facilitate intestinal transit."
Each morning, mix the juice with a lemon in warm water or at room temperature. Opt for an organic lemon preferably, and squeeze it yourself without adding sugar. The most reckless can also eat it to take advantage of its fibers. To consume in moderation for people with a fragile stomach, because lemon can attack it. Do not buy juice in a bottle. They are heated at high temperature to kill germs: the virtues of lemon are reduced.
The lemon makes you slim down
False. That Gwyneth Paltrow stop selling us her morning lemon juice as a slimming secret. "No food makes you lose weight," recalls pharmacist Thomas Kasaab. Dietitian Florence Foucaut adds: "Lemon citric acid helps digest lipids but does not prevent storing them. To date, no study has proven that lemon makes you lose weight.”
Lemon is a detoxifier
True. That's no reason to force on the mojito tonight. By stimulating the production of bile in the liver, "lemon cleanses the body. The toxins present in the body and those from the diet are removed more quickly, "says the dietitian. The day after an excess, drink the juice of an organic lemon mixed with a glass of warm water or at room temperature.
* This article, originally published in 2017, has been updated
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