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

摘要

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 nonsupplementation group have not been cured like lemon supplementation group. The percentages were 20%, 21.05%, 33.33%, 25%, 14.81% and 14.29% respectively.