Last Updated on February 21, 2023 by Grow with Bovees
Have you ever accidentally swallowed or chewed a lemon seed, raising the question are lemon seeds poisonous?
I think it is safe to say that most people who enjoy lemons have unintentionally eaten lemon seeds without thinking more about it.
There are those, however, that question whether one can safely eat lemon seeds or if the seeds are toxic and if they will have a negative effect when being digested.
If you are one of those people, then this is the article for you, as I am going to discuss a couple of details about lemon seeds. Including answering the question of whether they pose a toxic threat to humans.
What Are Lemon Seeds Made Of?
Proteins, fats and carbohydrates are the main components of a lemon seed. You will, however, also find some minerals and vitamins such as vitamin A, B1, B2 and C — vitamin C making up the most generous amount.
To be more specific, about 79% of the lemon seed is made up of diacylglycerols, oil, lipids etc. and the other 21% consists of essential elements which include dietary fiber, amino acids, organic acids and phytosterols.
Now that we have got that covered, let us go to the question at hand. Are these seeds safe to consume?
Uses and Benefits When You Consume Lemon Seeds
Now that we have eased your mind with the good news that lemon seeds do not pose a toxic threat to your body, let us continue by going through some health benefits of lemon seeds and the uses of this versatile seed. These include its amazing healing properties.
The bitterness of the lemon seed comes from the compound salicylic acid which is found in them. This happens to be the main component in Aspirin.
Immunity
Lemon seeds are a great immune booster, increasing your immunity against infections and your body’s strength to fight off diseases. This is due to the high concentration of the strong antioxidant known as vitamin C.
Essential Oil — Lemon Seed Extract
The lemon oil extracted from lemon seeds is commonly used in medicines and, as mentioned above, in several beauty products. Several cosmetic products contain the scent of lemon seeds.
This essential lemon seed oil is also great to use in your hair or on your skin, ultimately giving you a fresh and younger look.
Parasitic Killer
If you find that your kids are struggling with parasitic infections or intestinal critters such as parasitic threadworms, you can treat it without having to use toxic pharmaceuticals.
Simply crush a few lemon seeds — until you have an amount of a teaspoon — bring it to the boil together with some water or milk, and have your child drink it. This remedy will wash away thread worms from the gut.
Similar to drinking lemon water to detox your body, the seeds of the lemon can be used for the same detoxifying effect, ridding the body of toxins and parasites that may be found in the human body.
Antifungal Property
Another amazing property that these citrus seeds have, is that they are antifungal and can be used to prevent or treat candidiasis — also known as candida albicans.
This is a type of fungus that can be found inside your body or skin which can cause infections in human beings.
Other fungal infections that can be treated using crushed lemon seeds, include athlete’s foot. Simply blend them into a powder and apply the powder to the affected area, and you will be rid of your fungal infection in no time.
Pain Reliever Medicine
Coming back to the salicylic acid that was mentioned earlier, which we learned is a compound that is found in the medicine Aspirin, which is a tablet commonly used for the treatment of headaches and/or other pain.
Lemon seeds have proven to be a natural remedy for pain relief.
Insect Repellent
You will find that a lot of air or room fresheners have a lemon scent. This is not only because it smells really fresh and nice, but also because it has the properties of a natural mosquito repellent.
Conclusion Of Are Lemon Seeds Toxic
Are lemon seeds poisonous? Long story short, lemon seeds are not harmful when ingested moderately. They are, in fact, good for your health but are very often mistaken as poisonous due to their bitter taste.
The nutritional value of lemon seeds is similar to that of the lemon itself, and they are a great source of vitamin C and antioxidants.
Accidentally, ingesting one or two seeds will not result in any discomfort as the seed will pass through the digestive tract and bowel undigested, but consuming a handful of them definitely will.
To finish off this article, we can summarize that the entire lemon is in fact edible and that lemon seeds are not toxic to your health if ingested moderately, but they have a few great natural ingredients that are beneficial to human health.