We, Indians widely use lemon and lemon juice in our cuisine but the usage of its zest still remains limited. However post-globalization era, advent of various cultures have also paved way for a variety of cuisines, thus the usage of zest too. Lemon zest is widely used to enhance the citrus flavor in cakes, pastries, cookies and pies. Besides, it is also used in preservative recipes like jams and marmalades. We are very well aware of various beauty benefits that lemon possesses. But, this tart fruit is also known for myriad health benefits too. From curing cancer and aiding weight loss to boosting immunity, lemon zest does it all. So, let us take a look at few of its benefits.

1. Protects Against Colon Cancer

Zests of citrus based fruits like lemons and oranges are universally acknowledged for fighting cancer cells. Lemon rest is a rich source of flavonoids, particularly polymethoxy flavones. These are quite effective in preventing tumor formation in the colon. Besides lemon peels are also helpful in preventing colon cancer owing to the presence of diosmin and hesperidin compounds.

2. Protects Against Skin Cancer

Lemon zest is also known to possess a substance called limonene, which is helpful in warding off skin cancer. All the more, lemon and its parts are often used in several beauty products.

3. Helps in Maintaining Weight

Since lemon zest is rich in polyphenols, it is quite helpful in promoting weight loss.  This compound is known to hinder the process of fat accumulation in the body. Further, it also prevents hyperlipidemia, which is deposition of excess fat in the liver.

4. Improves Insulin Resistance

When the Insulin resistance reduces in the body, the cells fail to react to the action, which is performed by the hormone called insulin. This further raises the level of blood sugar in the body, thus promoting a condition called pre-diabetes. Lemon zest is a rich source of polyphenols, which ensure that fat does not get deposited in the abdomen area of the body.

5. Protects Against Prostate Cancer

As per several studies, consumption of lemon zest helps in the reduction of size and volume in prostate tumors. It also prevents the process of metastasis, which implies that it stops the spread of cancer to other parts of the body. Moreover, usage of lemon zest promotes apoptosis, which is basically the self destruction of cancerous cells.

6. Controls Blood Sugar Levels

Lemon peels are a rich source of flavanone glycosides like naringin and hespiridin. These compounds help in preventing hyperglycaemia. This means these compounds control the level of blood sugar in the body. They do it by breaking down the glucose in the liver, raising the concentration of glycogen and bringing down the formation of fresh glucose molecules in the liver.

7. Reduces the Risk of Heart Ailments

Lemon is a superb source of vitamin C and therefore, it breaks down fat deposits in the body, which is one of the reasons behind increases risk of heart related ailments. Besides, lemon zest also contains antioxidants, which play an important role in reducing free radicals in the body. These free radicals basically damage the walls of the arteries and blood vessels, thus increasing the risk of various heart diseases.

Incorporate Lemon Zest in Your Diet

Lemon pickle is generally made along with its peel, which generally means consumption of zest too. So, if you wish to include lemon zest, include lemon pickle in your daily diet.

Lemon zest can also be added to cakes, pastries and cookies to enhance the flavor. All you need to do is just scrape off some yellow zest portion in your cake or cookie mixture. Also, you can add the zest to the icing mixture for a citrus topping on cup cakes.

You can also consume lemon zest based candies to get a mixture of sweet and tangy flavor. Lemon zest can also be added to rice to enhance the color and flavor.

Lemon zest in not only good for health but is also beneficial in treating skin related ailments. To know more about it, click here.