Lemon - fruit or berry?

Bright yellow fruits of lemon cause people different associations. Someone will remember about his sour taste, and someone - about the extraordinary benefits. Particularly relevant is the question of its use in the cold season and the peak of respiratory diseases. But do we all know about this plant and its fruits? For many, the question remains: "Is lemon a fruit or a berry?" Some do not know about its properties and contraindications. Consider the quality of the lemon in more detail.

What are berries?

If to speak the language of botanists, then the fruit is called the berry, which develops from one ovary. It is a fleshy fruit, which, as it ripens, forms into an edible pericarp. But there are many erroneous opinions about the belonging of some plants to a particular group. In everyday life, all small fruits are called berries. Usually they have a round shape, a specific taste, juicy pulp and seeds. In nature, distinguish edible and inedible berries. Botany refers bananas, watermelons, grapes, gooseberries, persimmons, tomatoes, pumpkins and many other fruits to berries.

Lemon - what is this?

Is lemon a fruit or a berry? Traditionally, it is considered a fruit, but this is an erroneous opinion. He is referred to the category of changed berries. All the fruits of citrus plants, orange, lemon, kumquat, in botany are usually called "oranges". They have their own distinctive features, thick skin, juicy flesh inside, but are still considered berries. They develop from the upper ovary, which is typical for this category. For all berries is characterized by a bright color in relation to the surrounding background. It attracts to them animals that help spread the seeds of plants. The bright color of many berries is due to the presence of pigments in them, the most common among which are polyphenols. These are excellent antioxidants, useful for the human body. That is why many berries have been isolated by botanists in a separate category "superfoods". Lemon, fruit, as it is commonly called in the people, has many useful properties.

The Benefits of Lemon

Lemon (fruit or berry, is not important in this case), although it has a specific and very sour taste, but has a lot of useful properties. Everybody knows about this and in large quantities consume this product in a period of high risk to catch a cold. Is lemon really useful and can it replace drugs? Use it as an alternative to tablets is not necessary, especially when the disease has already made itself felt. But as an auxiliary tool in the fight against the disease and a source of vitamins, it fits perfectly. Its useful properties have been known since antiquity. Many hundreds of years ago in Greece, lemon was used as an antidote. Ancient doctors endowed him with healing properties. They used a lemon for the treatment of lung diseases and against scurvy. Fruits were attributed many more healing properties, which speaks of their exceptional properties.

Composition of lemon

Any citrus fruit, lemon and orange, contains a record amount of vitamin C. This is known to almost everyone. But besides this, the fruits of lemon contain many more useful substances. First of all, they contain a lot of citric acid, vitamins and mineral salts. These components are very important for the full functioning of the body. But this is in general terms. And to put it in more detail, the lemon, a very popular fruit, contains vitamins D, B, A, P. It also contains elements such as iron, phosphorus, sulfur, sodium, magnesium, cobalt, manganese and other minerals. Pectin substances and fiber, which are part of the lemon, very beneficial effect on the work of the intestine. But the most important, useful element is citric acid. It helps to cleanse the body, improve eyesight, increase blood circulation and improve immunity. But we must remember that most of the nutrients are concentrated not in the flesh, but in the skin of the fruit.

Contraindications

Lemon is a fruit that has some contraindications to its consumption in food. Since its fruits contain many potent acids, in large numbers they can lead to disturbances in the functioning of the body. First, it is an allergic reaction. A high content of citric acid can cause a negative reaction. Even for cosmetic purposes, lemon can be used only after an allergy test. With peptic ulcer it is also necessary to use caution in the use of these fruits. These contraindications are single. In general, the lemon can be called one of the most useful fruits.

A fruit or a vegetable?

Before some people who are not connoisseurs of botany, perhaps the question arises: "Is lemon a fruit or a vegetable?" The word "fruit" in Latin is translated as a fruit. According to the information stated in the dictionaries, the fruit is a juicy sweet fruit that grows on trees and shrubs. Vegetables are also fruits of plants, but not sweet, suitable for consumption even in raw form. According to the description, the lemon can be referred to both groups. But as it was said above, it is still a separate category. Lemon is a berry, which in everyday life it is customary to refer to fruits. Such a complex and confusing classification does not make the fruit less useful. Regardless of belonging to a particular category, the lemon remains a favorite treat and a good assistant in the fight against various diseases.

Lemon or lime?

There is another fruit with lemon flavor. It's lime. Their fruits are often confused, which is not surprising, because these two plants are close relatives. They are related to the family of citrus fruits, they are successfully used in cooking, contain a large amount of ascorbic acid and even have consonant names. But lemon and lime are very different from each other. Lemon is an evergreen tree that can reach 6-8 meters in height. It grows in a subtropical climate and yields egg-shaped fruits. Lime is a shrub up to two meters high. Its fruits have the same shape as the fruit of the lemon. Even the color of them can be similar. But lime shrubs grow mainly in the tropics. Its fruits are more tender, juicy and have a flesh with a greenish tinge. They are smaller, compared with the fruits of lemon. Lime is characterized by a more acidic taste with slightly bitter shades and a bright aroma.

Rangpur

Thanks to the work of breeders, many new varieties have recently been introduced, among which hybrids occupy a special place. The result is an unusual fruit. Mandarin and lemon also successfully crossed and received a Rangpur. This hybrid has small orange fruit. Their flesh also has a similar color. The second name of this hybrid is "limandarin". Fruits are small in size, about 5 centimeters in diameter. Their peel is easily separated from the pulp, which is very sour taste. Externally, Rangpur is similar to Mandarin, but its taste is closer to lemon and lime. These fruits can be called miracles of breeding. In cooking, they are usually used to make marmalade. Also rangpour is added to sauces, which gives them an unusual taste and aroma. But the most important advantage of this plant is its endurance. It easily tolerates heat and is often used by breeders as a rootstock.

conclusions

Berry or fruit? Lemon is a tree, the most important qualities of which are taste qualities and useful properties. From the scientific point of view, this is a berry, but it can be considered a fruit, since such a classification has already firmly entered our life. Leave reasoning on this subject to learned husbands, and we will just love the lemon for its excellent qualities. Vitamins presented by nature are the best that we can give to our bodies. Lemon can be grown at home. Observing simple agrotechnical techniques, you can get enough ripe, fragrant, and most importantly useful fruits. The tree of lemon, and especially lime, with proper formation does not take up much space and even decorates the room.