Lemon - fruit or berry?

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Bright yellow lemon fruits cause different associations in people. Someone will remember its sour taste, and someone - about the extraordinary benefits. The question of its use during the cold season and the peak of respiratory diseases becomes especially relevant. But do we know everything about this plant and its fruits? For many, the question remains open: "Is a lemon a fruit or a berry?" Some do not know about its properties and contraindications. Consider the qualities of a lemon in more detail.

What are berries?

In the language of nerds, a berry is a fruit that develops from one ovary. This is a fleshy fruit, which, as it ripens, forms into an edible pericarp. But there are many erroneous opinions about the belonging of some plants to one group or another.

In everyday life, it is customary to call all small fruits berries. Usually they have a round shape, a specific taste, juicy pulp and seeds. In nature, edible and inedible berries are distinguished. Botanists refer to bananas, watermelons, grapes, gooseberries, persimmons, tomatoes, pumpkins and many other fruits as berries.

Lemon - what is it?

Is a lemon a fruit or a berry? Traditionally, it is considered a fruit, but this is an erroneous opinion. It belongs to the category of modified berries. All fruitscitrus plants, orange, lemon, kumquat, in botany it is customary to call "oranges". They have their own distinctive features, thick skin, juicy flesh inside, but still considered berries. They develop from the upper ovary, which is typical for this category. All berries are characterized by a bright color in relation to the surrounding background. This attracts animals to them, which help disperse the plant seeds.

The bright color of many berries is due to the presence of pigments in them, the most common of which are polyphenols. These are excellent antioxidants that are beneficial to the human body. That is why many berries have been identified by botanists as a separate category of "superfruits". Lemon, a fruit, as it is popularly called, which has many useful properties.

Benefits of lemon

Lemon (fruit or berry, it doesn't matter in this case), although it has a specific and very sour taste, it has a lot of useful properties. Everyone knows about this and consume this product in large quantities during a period of high risk of catching a cold. Is lemon really useful and can it replace medicines? It is not worth using it as an alternative to pills, especially when the disease has already made itself felt. But as an aid in the fight against disease and a source of vitamins, it is ideal.

Its beneficial properties have been known since antiquity. Many hundreds of years ago in Greece, lemon was used as an antidote. Ancient doctors endowed it with healing properties. They used lemon to treat lung diseases and against scurvy. Many more healing properties were attributed to the fruits, which indicates their exceptional properties.

Composition of lemon

Any citrus fruit, lemon and orange, contains a record amount of vitamin C. Almost everyone knows this. But besides this, lemon fruits contain many more useful substances. First of all, they contain a lot of citric acid, vitamins and mineral s alts. These components are very important for the full functioning of the body. But this is in general terms. In more detail, the lemon, a very popular fruit, contains vitamins D, B, A, P. You can also find elements such as iron, phosphorus, sulfur, sodium, magnesium, cob alt, manganese and other minerals in it.

Pectin and fiber, which are part of the lemon, have a very beneficial effect on bowel function. But the most important, useful element is citric acid. It helps to cleanse the body, improve vision, blood circulation and increase immunity. But we must remember that most of the nutrients are concentrated not in the pulp, but in the peel of the fruit.

Contraindications

Lemon is a fruit that has some contraindications for eating it. Since its fruits contain many potent acids, in large quantities they can also lead to disruption of the body. Firstly, these are allergic reactions. A high content of citric acid can cause a negative reaction. Even for cosmetic purposes, lemon can only be usedafter an allergy test. With peptic ulcer, you must also be careful about the use of these fruits. These contraindications are isolated. In general, lemon can be called one of the he althiest fruits.

Fruit or vegetable?

For some people who are not experts in botany, the question may arise: "Is a lemon a fruit or a vegetable?" The word "fruit" from Latin is translated as a fruit. According to the information contained in the dictionaries, a fruit is a juicy sweet fruit that grows on trees and shrubs. Vegetables are also the fruits of plants, but not sweet, suitable for eating even raw. According to the description, the lemon can be attributed to both groups.

But as mentioned above, this is still a separate category. Lemon is a berry, which in everyday life is usually referred to as a fruit. Such a complex and confusing classification does not make the fruits less useful. Regardless of belonging to one category or another, lemon remains a favorite delicacy and a good helper in the fight against various diseases.

Lemon or lime?

There is another lemon flavored fruit. This is lime. Their fruits are often confused, which is not surprising, because these two plants are close relatives. They belong to the citrus family, are successfully used in cooking, contain a large amount of ascorbic acid, and even have consonant names. But lemon and lime are very different from each other. Lemon is an evergreen tree that can reach 6-8 meters in height. It grows in subtropical climates and produces egg-shaped fruits.

Lime is a shrub up to two meters tall. Its fruits have the same shape as the fruits of a lemon. Even their color may be similar. But lime bushes grow mainly in the tropics. Its fruits are more tender, juicy and have a flesh with a greenish tint. They are smaller than lemon fruits. Lime has a more acidic taste with slightly bitter undertones and a bright aroma.

Rangpur

Thanks to the work of breeders, a lot of new varieties have recently been bred, among which hybrids occupy a special place. The result is an unusual fruit. Mandarin with lemon was also successfully crossed and received rangpur. This hybrid has small orange fruits. Their flesh also has a similar color. The second name of this hybrid is "limandarin". The fruits are small, about 5 centimeters in diameter.

Their peel is easily separated from the pulp, which has a very sour taste. Outwardly, rangpur is similar to tangerine, but its taste is closer to lemon and lime. These fruits can be called miracles of selection. In cooking, they are commonly used to make marmalade. Rangpur is also added to sauces, which gives them an unusual taste and aroma. But the most important advantage of this plant is its endurance. It easily tolerates heat and is often used as a rootstock by breeders.

Conclusions

Berry or fruit? Lemon -tree, the most important advantages of which are taste and useful properties. From a scientific point of view, this is a berry, but it can be considered a fruit, since such a classification has already firmly entered our lives. Let's leave the arguments on this topic to pundits, and we will simply love the lemon for its excellent qualities. Vitamins donated by nature are the best that we can give to our body. Lemon can be grown at home. By following simple agricultural practices, you can get a sufficient amount of ripe, fragrant, and most importantly he althy fruits. A lemon tree, and especially a lime tree, when properly formed, does not take up much space and even decorates the room.