Lemon: calorie content, BZHU, chemical composition and what substances other than vitamin C are contained, how many kcal per 100 grams of pulp and juice, alkalize or oxidize the body?

What is known about the chemical composition of lemon, in addition to the fact that it contains citric acid and vitamin C (C), what other substances are contained in it and how many are in citrus? This citrus is extremely rich in content.

Of course, the lion's share of the mass of lemon is water - about 88 grams per 100 grams of product. Citric acid is in second place in terms of lemon content (up to 8%).

100 grams of lemon also contain:

Vitamins:

Vitamin	Content in 100 grams of lemon (zest + pulp)	Percentage of daily allowance for an adult with an average body weight
C (ascorbic acid)	40 mg	50%
E	0.2 mg	1,4%
B3 (Vitamin PP, Niacin)	0.2 mg	1%
B5 (pantothenic acid)	0.2 mg	0,25%
B1 (thiamine)	0.1 mg	5,9%
B2 (riboflavin)	0.1 mg	5%
B6 (pyridoxine)	0.25 mg	13%
B9 (folic acid)	25 mcg	6%
Beta carotene	10 mcg	0,3%

Macronutrients:

Chemical element	Content in 100 grams of lemon (zest + pulp)	Percentage of daily allowance for an adult with an average body weight
Potassium (K)	163 mg	12,4%
Calcium (Ca)	40 mg	14,6%
Phosphorus (P)	22 mg	3,8%
Magnesium (Mg)	12 mg	5,8%
Sodium (Na)	11 mg	0,7%
Sulfur (S)	10 mg	1%
Chlorine (Cl)	5 mg	0,2%

Trace elements:

Chemical element	Content in 100 grams of lemon (zest + pulp)	Percentage of daily allowance for an adult with an average body weight
Iron (Fe)	0.6 mg	9%
Zinc (Zn)	0.125 mg	3,6%
Manganese (Mn)	0.04 mg	1,8%
Copper (Cu)	240 mcg	14,1%
Selenium (Se)	1.1 mcg	1,5%

Fluorine (F), boron (B), aluminum (Al), molybdenum (Mo), lithium (Li) and a number of other trace elements are contained in lemon in an insignificant amount.

Essential amino acids - amino acids that are not produced by the human body (found in the pulp of lemon):

Amino acid	Content in 100 grams of lemon (zest + pulp)	Percentage of daily allowance for an adult with an average body weight
Lysine	25 mg	0,6%
Valine	18 mg	0,7%
Phenylalamine	18 mg	0,6%
Isoleucine	14 mg	0,7%
Leucine	12 mg	0,3%
Histidine	7 mg	0,3%
Methionine	7 mg	0,4%
Threonine	7 mg	0,3%
Tryptophan	2 mg	0,2%

Essential amino acids (found in lemon pulp):

Amino acid	Content in 100 grams of lemon (zest + pulp)	Percentage of daily allowance for an adult with an average body weight
Aspartic acid	69 mg	0,6%
Glutamic acid	57 mg	0,4%
Glycine	48 mg	1,3%
Arginine	30 mg	0,5%
Alanine	29 mg	0,4%
Proline	26 mg	0,6%
Serine	14 mg	0,2%
Tyrosine	10 mg	0,3%

In lemon, there are phloanoids (diosmin, citronin, hesperidin) - substances that activate the body's work of enzymes, so that a person becomes calm, healthy and alert.
Another component of lemon is volatile - substances that kill bacteria and microbes. In this regard, lemon has an excellent antibacterial effect (antiseptic).
In addition to citric acid, lemon also contains another organic acid - malic acid, but in a much smaller proportion.
The chemical composition of lemon also includes glucose, sucrose and fructose in a concentration not exceeding 0.08% each.
Both the peel and pulp of the lemon contain pectins - polysaccharides, which are used in the food industry as thickeners, and in pharmaceuticals as biologically active substances.
The composition of lemon seeds includes fatty oil (triglyceride) and limonin, which gives the seeds a bitter taste.
Lemon weighing 100 grams contains 2 grams of fiber (dietary fiber), useful for intestinal motility.

Energy and nutritional value

Consider how many calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates (BJU) are contained in one lemon weighing 100 grams. Calorie content of 100 grams of lemon slices with peel is 34 kcal. How many calories in pulp without zest? The calorie content of only the pulp of a lemon will be 29 kcal.

100 grams of lemon contains:

protein - 0.9 grams;
fat - 0.1 grams;
carbohydrates - 3 grams.

In lemon without zest:

protein - 1.1 grams;
fat - 0.3 grams;
carbohydrates - 6.5 grams.

What is included in the chemical composition of lemon peel?

The chemical composition of lemon peel is slightly different from the lemon as a whole. The top layer of lemon peel contains 0.6% of essential oil, the main components of which are terpen limonene (90%) and citral aldehyde (6%). Lemon essential oil has a light yellow color, a pleasant characteristic odor and obvious bactericidal properties.

The zest also contains many useful substances, vitamins and minerals, but the concentration of some of them, for example, calcium, copper, is several times higher than in the rest of the tropical fruit.

So, 100 grams of lemon peel contains 184% of the daily intake of vitamin C, which is three times more than in the pulp. Moreover, vitamin C contained in lemon, almost does not change its properties and concentration when heated (tea with lemon).

Vitamin B6 in the zest contains up to 9% of the daily intake (2.3 times more than in the pulp). The main share of flavonoids is also found in the zest.

But, as you know, a lot is not always good, therefore it is necessary to eat lemon zest with caution. Calorie lemon zest - 47 kcal per 100 grams (proteins 1.5 grams, fats 0.3 grams, carbohydrates 5.4 grams).

The chemical composition of lemon juice

The chemical composition of lemon juice individually is close to the composition of the whole product, that is, it has an invaluable treasure of nutrients.

How many calories are in lemon juice? The calorie content of 100 ml of juice is 22 kcal, because 90% of its composition is water.

Among the variety of chemicals that make up lemon juice, citric acid takes first place. The juice of one lemon covers 30% of the daily intake of vitamin C and is recommended as a therapeutic and prophylactic agent for many diseases.

What are the varieties of citrus?

Lemon varieties number several dozen. There are tree-shaped lemons (Lisbon, Meyer, Pavlovsky) and bushy lemons (Villa Franca, Panderosa). Some varieties are able to survive and bear fruit only in tropical conditions, others are cultivated for latitudes with a more severe climate.

Depending on the habitat, lemons differ in size (there are lemons weighing up to 500 grams), the thickness of the peel and zest, and taste (there are very sour, while others have a mild flavor). In this way, lemons of different types may have in their composition a different ratio of chemicals. But fundamentally, their concentration is no different.

Does the body alkalize this product or oxidize and why?

Consider acidifying or alkalizing the body of citrus, whether it is acidic or alkaline.

Despite the apparent inconsistency, it is proved that lemon alkalizes, and not acidifies the body. It is known that in the body it is necessary to maintain an optimal acid-base balance (pH level). Shifts in one direction or another entail the manifestation of health problems. At the same time, the environment, nutrition, and habits of most people determine the oxidation, and not the alkalization of the body, the appearance of various diseases.

Let’s see if lemon is an alkaline product or not and why. Lemon itself is clearly acidic, but in the human body, under the influence of enzymes, this citrus is converted to alkali. Its indicator rises to 9 pH (7 pH - neutral medium, less than 7 pH - acidic medium, more than 7 pH - alkaline medium). But this is if only the lemon came under the influence of gastric juice.

In the mouth, lemon acid is quite aggressive and destroys tooth enamel with excessive use. Due to its properties, lemon is used to alkalize the body, reduce acidity in the gastrointestinal tract.

Due to its diverse chemical composition and properties, lemon is used in various areas of life:

Cooking
medicine;
cosmetology;
perfumery industry;
domestic situations.

The range of applications is growing commensurate with ongoing research and thanks to folk savvy. Therefore, it is high time to stop perceiving lemon only as a product.