the Benefits of Lime Juice

Lime Juice Health Benefits

                                           

Lime juice made from sour limes, freshly squeezed or bottled, adds an acidic tart zing to beverages, seafood, meats, salads, vegetables and other food items. This fat-free flavor enhancer is an outstanding source of vitamin C, low in calories and contains compounds that may help fight cancer.

Supports the Immune System

Like all citrus fruits, limes and their juice are very high in vitamin C. Slightly less than 1/4 cup of lime juice, or about 50 g, provides 15 mg of vitamin C -- 25 percent of the recommended daily value, or DV. Vitamin C is an antioxidant nutrient. It supports immune system function and helps protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals.

Promotes Heart Health

A 50 g serving of fresh lime juice contains only 15 calories and is fat and sodium free, but provides an enormous amount of flavor. In addition to turning plain water into a calorie-free, tasty thirst-quencher, you can squeeze or pour it over salads, freshly grilled fish or vegetables, shellfish and other foods in place of high-calorie, high-fat flavor enhancers. In addition to calories and fat, other flavor enhancers may be high in sodium, exacerbating high blood pressure. Because lime juice is acidic, you can also use it to tenderize lean cuts of beef, or as a diet-friendly, heart-friendly marinade ingredient

                      

Antibiotic Properties

, limes contain unique active compounds called flavone glycosides, which not only offer anticancer and antioxidant benefits, but also have antibiotic properties. The antibiotic properties of these compounds have been shown to protect against the contraction of cholera, a disease caused a bacteria called Vibrio cholera.

Anti-carcinogenic

Lime juice has potent anti-carcinogenic properties.limes and other citrus fruit contain a variety of cancer-fighting compounds called flavonoids. Flavonoids are a family of naturally-occurring compounds found in many fruit and vegetables

Vitamin C

The juice from one lime, or about 1.5 oz., provides 13 mg of vitamin C, or 22 percent of the 60 mg daily value. Vitamin C is essential for skin, tissue and organ health. It aids in the creation of collagen which is the structural component in skin tissue, and protects healthy cells from the potentially damaging effects of free radical metabolic waste byproducts.