Dietary Supplementation of Citrus limon L. (Lemon) and Evaluation of Its Role to Prevent and Cure of Vitamin C Deficiency Diseases

Abstract

Vitamin C is an essential dietary component must be ingested for survival. Because of not being produce in the body it must be supplied exogenously by foods and supplements. Citrus limon L. (Lemon) is a citrus fruits, cheap but rich sources of vitamin C. Due to high levels of vitamin C content, it can prevent and cure the vitamin C related disease including gum bleeding, poor wound healing, skin diseases, tiredness, joint pain and edema. A total of 200 people (105 were males and 95 were females) were selected for the study. In order to assess vitamin C status, symptoms like gum bleeding, poor wound healing, hyperkeratosis, excessive tiredness, joint pain and edema were collected by means of a structured questionnaires. People were then divided into two groups randomly. One group was the focus of the lemon supplementation group and another was the non-supplementation group. Then we supplied lemon to the individuals (2piece/day) of lemon supplementation group for 4 months and no lemon was provided to the non-supplementation group during the study period. After four months, we found that symptoms like gum bleeding (92.5%), poor wound healing (89.29%), hyperkeratosis (50%), excessive tiredness (89.83%), joint pain (69.23%) and edema (30%) have been cured in lemon supplementation group. On the other hand, after four months gum bleeding, poor wound healing, hyperkeratosis, excessive tiredness, joint pain and edema in non-supplementation group have not been cured like lemon supplementation group. The percentages were 20%, 21.05%, 33.33%, 25%, 14.81% and 14.29% respectively.