This lovely green fruit that is usually associated with the pie of it's name (Key Lime) is quite nutritious. Limes are great for flavoring food, adding some zest and tart to the item. Limes are high in calcium, iron, copper, Vitamin C, fiber, Vitamins K, A, & E, phosphorous, folate, potassium, and magnesium; they also contain antioxidant, antibiotic, and anti-cancer properties. Limes have been shown to be effective in protection against cholera and, of course, scurvy (that pesky little disease that comes about from a Vitamin C deficient diet).
Vitamin C neutralized free radicals, helps reduce inflammation, and symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Vitamin C is essential to a strong immune system and helps fight cancer, particularly cancer of the mouth, lungs, skin, breasts, stomach, and colon. A fourth cup of lime juice contains almost half of the daily recommended value of Vitamin C.
I use limes and lime juice to jazz up quite a few recipes, especially anything of Latin or Mediterranean origins. Also, it is great to flavor your water (be careful though, too concentrated and it can do some serious harm to the enamel of your teeth). The rind of the lime holds quite a bit of the Vitamin C, so I would recommend grating the lime (of course after serious washing to rid the surface of bacteria, dirt, and lingering pesticides) into some of your favorite dishes.
The lime should be heavy for its size (indicating a thinner rind, thus a juicier fruit) and should be slightly firm (but not hard), with a bright green skin. Limes will yellow more and more as they ripen and mature, but they begin to lose some of their Vitamin C content as they ripen.
Though not a fruit you want to necessarily snack on, adding this little beauty to your water, dinners, desserts, a fine flavoring to squeeze over veggies or to add some tart to your fruits will help keep up your immune system and will soften joint pains.
No comments:
Post a Comment