The #14 Cancer-Healing Food: Lemon

Lemon contains vitamin C and alkalizes the body making it an inhospitable environment where cancer cells cannot survive. Lemon also contains hesperidin, which has been said to fight cancer by starving it. That means lemons cut off the blood supply to cancerous tumors. Water that has been infused with lemon helps to flush out the liver; this can be extremely helpful during a period of chemo treatment as the burden of the drugs taxes the liver.

There are a considerable amount of studies showing the health effects of citrus and the reduction of cancer risk and tumor growth. One study showed that bladder tumor growth was remarkably inhibited by lemon.[i] Studies included in a meta-analysis also an inverse association between citrus fruit intake and oral cancer. People with the highest citrus fruit intake had a 50 percent reduction in their risk of oral cavity and pharyngeal cancer.[ii] And this study showed the role of pomegranate with citrus fruit juices for colon cancer prevention.[iii] Another group of researchers showed that citrus intake may significantly reduce risk of esophageal cancer.[iv]
 
Lemon Is Especially Good For . . .

• Urinary bladder cancer.
• Oral cancer.
• Pharyngeal cancer.
• Colon cancer.
• Esophageal cancer.

 
Doctrine of Signatures: Lemons resemble the mammary tissue of the female breast, therefore it is said to assist with the health of breasts and keeping lymphatic fluid flowing.

Suggested “dosage”:

• If you have cancer, 1–4 lemons per day
• To prevent cancer, ½ to 1 lemon per day

 
Caution: Lemon can erode tooth enamel, so be sure to rinse your mouth out after drinking it.
 
Cancer-Free with Food Recipes with Lemon

• Lemon Water
• Sick Kick Smoothie
• Green Lemonade
• Cashew Cheesecake

 
Other Ways to Incorporate Lemon in Your Cancer-Healing Kitchen

• ·      Drink Lemon Water upon waking in the morning and throughout the day by squeezing lemon into your water
• Add a squeeze of lemon over your salads
• ·      Add a squeeze of lemon to soups and stir-fry
• ·      Add lemon to your juices and smoothies, can you even juice the rind for a more potent dose!
• For portability and ease, take your lemon in the form of lemon essential oil; made from the peels of lemon, one or two drops in a glass of water is refreshing and antioxidant

Resources from the Cancer Free with Food Book:

[i]     T. Fang, D.D. Liu, H.M. Ning, et al. “Modified citrus pectin inhibited bladder tumor growth through downregulation of galectin-3,” Acta Pharmacologia Sinica, epub ahead of print May 16, 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29769742.

[ii]     S. Cirmi, M. Navarra, J.V. Woodside, et al. “Citrus Fruits Intake and Oral Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis,” Pharmacological Research, vol. 133 (May 2018), pp. 187–94, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29753688.

[iii]    S.K. Jaganathan, M.V. Vellayappan, G. Narasimhan, et al. “Role of Pomegranate and Citrus Fruit Juices in Colon Cancer Prevention,” World Journal of Gastroenterology, vol.  20, no. 16 (April 2014), pp. 4618–25, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24782614.

[iv]    A. Wang, C. Zhu, L. Fu, et al. “Citrus Fruit Intake Substantially Reduces the Risk of Esophageal Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Epidemiologic Studies,” Medicine, vol. 94, no. 39 (September 2015), p. e1390, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26426606.