There are some dishes which simply cannot live up to their potential without a good fix of lemon zest. Spaghetti with cherry tomatoes and chilli would be dull without it, as would pea soup, risottos, roast chicken, seafood, frittatas, potato salad and many types of cakes and muffins. Lemons are easy, readily available and delicious, plus they're crazy good for you. In a big way...
* Antioxidants protect our DNA from cancer-causing damage, and citrus fruits contain high concentrations of flavonoid antioxidants as well as a number of other potent antioxidant compounds. One of these - lycopene, found in large quantities in citrus fruits - has been shown to protect against prostate and other cancers.
* The antioxidant naringenin not only helps prevent DNA damage, but also enhances DNA repair thereby reducing the chances of cancer development.
* The phytochemicals in citrus are at their most potent in the skin/zest. Nobilitin, in particular, does amazing work to kill cancer cells directly as well as indirectly, by interfering with the cell cycles involved in certain types of cancer. It has also been shown to be effective in preventing the onset of cancers of the colon, breast and some leukaemias.
Just make sure you wash your lemons well before you cut or zest them, especially if they're not organic, many dangerous pesticides are found on the skin of conventional citrus fruits. Need proof? Read this.
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