Lemon juice is more than just ascorbic acid. It provides a variety of other beneficial antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that are good for your health. A cup of lemon juice has:
- 10 percent of the daily value (DV) of potassium for women; 7.4 percent of the DV for men
- 126 percent of the DV of vitamin C for women; 105 percent of the DV for men
- 5 percent of the DV of vitamin B1 (thiamin)
- 6 percent of the DV of vitamin B5
- 9 percent of the DV of vitamin B6
- 12 percent of the DV of vitamin B9 (folate)
Some of the most important nutrients for eye health include vitamins A, C, and E as well as carotenoids, flavonoids, selenium, and unsaturated fatty acids.
Lemon juice has all of these nutrients, though some are only present in small amounts.
Eating or drinking lemon juice allows your body to absorb these vitamins and minerals. However, you’re unlikely to drink a cup of lemon juice for the same reason you wouldn’t want to apply lemon juice to your eye: It’s too acidic.
Fortunately, lemon juice is an extremely common and versatile ingredient. You can add lemon juice into fresh juices, smoothies, and cocktails. It’s commonly used in a variety of baked goods and desserts, especially sorbets. Lemon is considered an essential component of curries, hummus, and many popular sauces, including mayonnaise.
