# lemons and livers **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 5, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170 "2013-01-05T16:28:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170/41 "2013-01-06T22:15:55Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > It turns out that some people who feel that burning icky sensation in their throat/chest aren’t hyperacidic (too much acid in their stomach) but \*hypoacidic \*- called [hypochlorhydria](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achlorhydria). Without quite enough stomach acid, things don’t break down on schedule, the stomach gets overfull with half digested food and bacteria, and urps start coming up through the esophageal sphincter, or stomach contents sit on the stomach wall too long and cause inflammation - called hypoacidic gastritis. While not quite enough acid to digest food well, it’s enough acid to burn your innards. Fun times. > > So adding a little acid can help in those particular cases. MDs prescribe an acid called betaine hydrochloride to be taken at meals. I tend to reach for pickle juice myself, 'cause it’s cheap and non-prescription, but lemon juice will work, too. Muslims believe that the Prophet’s sunnah (customary behavior) was to take a pinch of salt at the beginning of the meal, and some say the end of the meal too. Modern Muslims interpret that as the sodium chloride turning to ions in solution in the stomach, making chloride ions available for HCl to help digestion. ---
**Author:** ![sansan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@sansan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sansan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170/42 "2013-01-07T08:09:36Z")
The liver is the filter of the blood. In the course of doing its job, fatty acids can build up within the liver which are tough for the liver to break down and flush out. Adding a slice of lemon to water can help the liver break down fattyacids, which promotes better health. Clean the filter, it works better. Ingesting mass doses of lemon juice isn’t going to cure liver disease, but it will prevent scurvy!!! ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170/43 "2013-01-07T14:59:13Z")
> [@sansan](#): > > The liver is the filter of the blood. In the course of doing its job, fatty acids can build up within the liver which are tough for the liver to break down and flush out. Adding a slice of lemon to water can help the liver break down fattyacids, which promotes better health. Clean the filter, it works better. Ingesting mass doses of lemon juice isn’t going to cure liver disease, but it will prevent scurvy!!! That’s what I’ve been wanting to know. Toss out all the jive about pH—I’d always heard health foodies claiming that acid makes you alkaline, and never understood it either, never seen a cogent explanation of that—but that aside, does lemon really assist liver function some way or other? This description by **sansan** is kind of how I’ve thought about it too as I’ve dealt with liver issues. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170/44 "2013-01-07T15:08:59Z")
> [@sansan](#): > > The liver is the filter of the blood. In the course of doing its job, fatty acids can build up within the liver which are tough for the liver to break down and flush out. Adding a slice of lemon to water can help the liver break down fattyacids, which promotes better health. Clean the filter, it works better. Ingesting mass doses of lemon juice isn’t going to cure liver disease, but it will prevent scurvy!!! I’d like to see the research done on this. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170/45 "2013-01-07T15:26:23Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > That’s what I’ve been wanting to know. Toss out all the jive about pH—I’d always heard health foodies claiming that acid makes you alkaline, and never understood it either, never seen a cogent explanation of that—but that aside, does lemon really assist liver function some way or other? This description by **sansan** is kind of how I’ve thought about it too as I’ve dealt with liver issues. Not as currently understood by western medicine, no. There is some scant evidence that lemon can help relieve some of the symptoms of Meniere’s disease, and prevent the formation of certain types of kidney stones. It will prevent scurvy as well as any other source of vitamin C. It can assist people in switching from sugar sweetened drinks to water, which can aid in weight loss and blood sugar control. It can be used on and in food to provide stimulation to the taste buds that people often get from salt, so it can be a fabulous addition to a low sodium diet for heart or kidney disease. But that’s really it. Studies which try to find liver benefits have come up a big nothin’. Now, if you’ll allow me to switch hats for the moment…hang on…_traditionally_, lemon juice has been used to prevent scurvy, which we all knew. Traditional Chinese Medicine and western herbalists alike describe it as “harmonizing” for digestion - one mechanism for this we now understand in the cases of hyperchlorhydria. See also: people who use lemon to replace sugar and salt see better digestion. TCM sees lemon as either cooling or neutral, depending on the age of your source, and western herbalists view it as cooling, so it’s often suggested when a person has a cold or fever (as in, tea with lemon and honey, amirite?). Lemon essential oil provides a beautiful energizing aroma, helps to cut grease on surfaces, and is antimicrobial (as most essential oils are) and therefore a great addition to household cleaning products. Lemons are great. Love lemons. Use 'em a lot. But there’s nothing really in traditional texts to support this liver-cleansing-fat-busting thing (in fact, lemon is specifically \*contraindicated \*for people with “weak livers” in Ayurvedic medicine), and there’s nothing in clinically based modern medicine to support it, either. There’s just this new agey woo thing going around, not based on old systems or new, but just some pseudo-scientific mumbo-jumbo. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170/46 "2013-01-07T15:28:39Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Lemon essential oil … helps to cut grease on surfaces Well that’s how it gets the fatty acids! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170/47 "2013-01-07T15:30:07Z")
Duh. You need to squeeze the lemon over the liver to help break down the fatty acids. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170/48 "2013-01-07T15:34:29Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Well that’s how it gets the fatty acids! Exactly, right? I’m pretty sure that’s where this whole thing comes from - an observation that lemon essential oil (which is in the rind, not in the juice) cuts grease on the counter, so of course the juice will cut grease in mah belly! And “fatty acids” are just like bacon grease, right?! And mah belly is just like a countertop! And food goes through the liver to be filtered, right? That’s how it breaks down all those toxins I keep hearin’ about… :smack: Some people aren’t so good at logic. Sadly, we let them have websites and publish books, just like anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170/49 "2013-01-07T15:42:24Z")
Like most plants, lemons DO yield a net alkaline load as far as your kidneys are concerned. On the other hand, meats and grains normally yield a net acid load, which has to be buffered by depleting calcium from your bones. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170/50 "2013-01-07T16:01:21Z")
> [@dmdrew](#): > > I found this on a site called ‘Young and Raw’ for vegans. Oh come on! ‘Young and Raw’! You can’t tell me that is about nutrition. It is obviously a porn site. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170/51 "2013-01-07T18:52:49Z")
Here’s a list of the renal acid loads of a number of foods. Note that several acidic foods (grapefruit, lemons, oranges, vinegar) have a net alkaline renal load: > **[acid-base-foods-pral.pdf](https://www.precisionnutrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/acid-base-foods-pral.pdf)** > > 141.91 KB [http://www.direct-ms.org/pdf/NutritionGeneral/Remer%20and%20Manz%20Acid%20Base.pdf](http://www.direct-ms.org/pdf/NutritionGeneral/Remer%20and%20Manz%20Acid%20Base.pdf) An easy way to predict a food’s renal acid/base balance is to compare the amount of protein to the amount of potassium. Protein is relatively acidic whereas fruits and vegetables are generally alkaline. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170/52 "2013-01-07T21:35:17Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > Here’s a list of the renal acid loads of a number of foods. Note that several acidic foods (grapefruit, lemons, oranges, vinegar) have a net alkaline renal load: > > [http://www.precisionnutrition.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/acid-base-foods-pral.pdf](http://www.precisionnutrition.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/acid-base-foods-pral.pdf) > > [http://www.direct-ms.org/pdf/NutritionGeneral/Remer%20and%20Manz%20Acid%20Base.pdf](http://www.direct-ms.org/pdf/NutritionGeneral/Remer%20and%20Manz%20Acid%20Base.pdf) > > An easy way to predict a food’s renal acid/base balance is to compare the amount of protein to the amount of potassium. Protein is relatively acidic whereas fruits and vegetables are generally alkaline. So is that what they meant? Pee pH? Urolithiasis—Is that a valid description of the pH-reversal alchemy? I’ve always wondered. ---
**Author:** ![sansan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@sansan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sansan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2013, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170/53 "2013-01-07T22:15:14Z")
> [@saje](#): > > I’d like to see the research done on this. I’ll see if I can find a clear reliable source for it. ---
**Author:** ![sansan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@sansan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sansan)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170/54 "2013-01-08T07:17:53Z")
So,in between working a ton of hours, I’m still looking for some reliable studies to post here that don’t require an advanced degree in chemistry to read. ( I don’t have one.do you?) I have found some good answers to this query, but they do not have aresearch study attached to them for proof so I’m did not post the links. Basically, as the body digests fresh lemon juice, it attains the stuff it needs for the liver to produce the enzymes which help it cleanse itself. These compounds are found in many fresh fruits and vegetables, but lemons do it the best. I’ll keep looking for the best link I can find to explain and hopefully prove this. Also… if in my search I find research that definitively disproves this… I’ll post it. After all, I like lemons a lot, but truth is truth. ---
**Author:** ![sansan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@sansan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sansan)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170/55 "2013-01-08T08:42:40Z")
Found it! Nov 2008 journal of clinical biochemistry and nutrition. The research article is a bit technical but I believe it is a reliable source that backs up my posts. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170/56 "2013-01-08T19:47:08Z")
Eh…a quick scan of the article I believe you’re referring to shows that they’re reporting that in mice eating a high fat diet, adding extracts from lemon peels causes an upregulation of a couple of enzymes involved in fat digestion. That’s a long frickin’ way from saying that drinking lemon juice cleanses the liver. I admit I didn’t read the article carefully. If I’m missing a vital detail, feel free to point it out. ---
**Author:** ![chargerrich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chargerrich/32/5399_2.png) [@chargerrich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chargerrich)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170/57 "2013-01-08T19:55:17Z")
Useless Fact: Stonewall Jackson also loved Lemons… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170/58 "2013-01-08T20:16:04Z")
Actually it doesn’t say much of anything about helping the liver to cleanse itself. The study [URL=“[Lemon Polyphenols Suppress Diet-induced Obesity by Up-Regulation of mRNA Levels of the Enzymes Involved in β-Oxidation in Mouse White Adipose Tissue - PMC](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2581754/)”](if I’m reading the right one) shows that mice eating a high fat diet and also being fed lemon polyphenols extracted from the peel showed less body weight gain and fat accumulation than the mice fed a high fat diet and no lemon polyphenols. The study also indicates that there is a genetic component in there as well, and I know lab mice are bred with very specific genetic strains to exhibit certain trait, weight gain & fat deposits included. > [@](#): > > In this study, we investigated the effect of dietary lemon peel polyphenols on high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice, and examined the regulation of lemon polyphenols on the expression of the gene involved in lipid metabolism to elucidate the mechanism. > [@](#): > > In this study, we examined the effects of dietary lemon polyphenols on the development of obesity in C57BL/6J mice. The present results showed that the feeding of lemon polyphenols is beneficial for the suppression of diet-induced obesity, and the improvement of insulin resistance and lipid metabolism. > [@](#): > > In conclusion, we suggest in the present study that the supplementation with lemon polyphenols suppressed body weight gain and body fat accumulation by increasing the peroxisomal β-oxidation, which was likely mediated via up-regulation of the mRNA levels of PPARα in the liver. In addition, the levels of serum insulin, glucose and leptin were significantly improved by lemon polyphenols, thereby improving the insulin resistance. **We suggest that a supplementation with lemon polyphenols may prevent or improve obesity and insulin resistance by modulating lipid metabolism and preventing metabolic syndrome as a representative, lifestyle-related cluster of diseases caused by an excessively high fat diet.** Interesting stuff, but I suspect that it’s a far cry from squeezing lemon into your water every morning. ---
**Author:** ![sansan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@sansan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sansan)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2013, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170/59 "2013-01-08T21:33:02Z")
ok… How about [Livestrong.com](http://Livestrong.com) the effect of lemon juice on liver function? References American Liver Foundation The World’s Healthiest Foods: Lemons/Limes “Biological Ionization As Applied to Human Nutrition”; Dr. Alexander F. Beddoe; 2002 “L.M. College of Pharmacy Journal”; Investigation into Hepatoprotective Activity of Citrus Limon"; Shefalee K. Bhavsar, et al.; April 2007 “Time” magazine; Environmental Toxins; Bryan Walsh; April 2010 Read more: [The Effect of Lemon Juice on Liver Function | livestrong](http://www.livestrong.com/article/286438-the-effect-of-lemon-juice-on-liver-function/#ixzz2HQEKAjev) ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2013, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170/60 "2013-01-09T16:57:46Z")
That link is to a website, not a peer-reviewed journal, and is full of brilliant little nuggets of wisdom like “You are exposed to chemicals in almost every facet of life.” It’s no more reliable in and of itself than is TimeCube or Aunt Mary’s list o’ email facts. Now, there is an actual paper listed down at the bottom. I don’t have time to look into that one right now. Maybe later. Given that one of the other references is to something called “Biological Ionization As Applied to Human Nutrition”, which I would loosely translate as “Crap Bullshit Nonsense Hype Gibberish Gobbledygook,” I’m not that hopeful. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lemons-and-livers/646170.md?page=4)