Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBenefitsResearchAdding Lemon to Your Diet
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Benefits
Research
Adding Lemon to Your Diet
This doesn’t mean that lemons aren’t healthy options for people with diabetes. In fact, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) classifies lemons and other citrus fruits as “superfoods” rich in fiber andvitamin C.Lemons are also low on theglycemic index (GI), meaning that they are less likely to raise your blood sugar.
This article takes an unbiased look at the research exploring the effects of lemons in managing diabetes, including what they can and cannot do. It also looks at the general health benefits of lemons as part of adiabetes diet.
Dean Mitchell / Getty Images
Health Benefits of Lemons in People With Diabetes
The nutritional profile of lemons makes the fruit a great option for everyone, including people with diabetes.
In terms of benefits of lemon that are particularly helpful for those with diabetes:
Does Lemon Water Help With Bloating?
Research on Lemons and Diabetes
On paper, the facts look good.
With respect to insulin resistance, some people believe thatpolyphenolsin lemons can increase insulin sensitivity. These are plant-based compounds that are thought to have antioxidant properties, meaning that they fightfree radicalsthat can cause cellular damage. These include glucose-producing cells in the liver that respond to insulin.
More Investigation Is Needed
While this effect has been seen in test tube studies, there is little evidence that drinking lemon juice has the same effect in humans.
A 2016 review of studies published inPrimary Care Diabetesevaluated seven clinical trials involving 306,723 people over four to 24 years. The researchers could find no evidence that the regular consumption of citrus fruits altered the risk of type 2 diabetes.
A 2021 study inTrends in Food Science and Technologysimilarly concluded that there was no evidence that long-term citrus fruit consumption improves type 2 diabetes.
This same study found that the effect of lemon juice onpostprandial (post-meal) blood sugar levelsappears to be short-lived and not robust enough for lemons to be considered a treatment for diabetes.
Adding Lemon to a Diabetes Diet Plan
Before embarking on any diet, consult your healthcare provider if you have diabetes. There are several factors you should think about before adding lemons or lemon juice to your dietary plan:
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Jia X, Zhong L, Song Y, Hu Y, Wang G, Sun S.Consumption of citrus and cruciferous vegetables with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus based on a meta-analysis of prospective study.Prim Care Diabetes. 2016;10(4):272-80. doi:10.1016/j.pcd.2015.12.004American Diabetes Association.Diabetes superstar foods: Taking charge of your health through food.Ellulu MS, Rahmat A, Patimah I, Khaza’ai H, Abed Y.Effect of vitamin C on inflammation and metabolic markers in hypertensive and/or diabetic obese adults: A randomized controlled trial.Drug Des Devel Ther. 2015;9:3405-12. doi:10.2147/DDDT.S83144Diabetes Canada.Glycemic index food guide.Freitas D, Boue F, Benallaoua M, et al.Lemon juice, but not tea, reduces the glycemic response to bread in healthy volunteers: A randomized crossover trial.Eur J Nutr.2021 Feb;60(1):113-22. doi:10.1007/s00394-020-02228-xSorrenti V, Consoli V, Grosso S, et al.Bioactive compounds from lemon (Citrus limon) extract overcome TNF-α-induced insulin resistance in cultured adipocytes,Molecules.2021 Aug;26(15):4411. doi:10.3390/molecules26154411Visvanathan R, Williamson G.Effect of citrus fruit and juice consumption on risk of developing type 2 diabetes: Evidence on polyphenols from epidemiological and intervention studies.Trends Food Sci Tech, 2021;115:133-46. doi:10.1016/j.tifs.2021.06.038National Kidney Foundation.Calcium oxalate stones.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Jia X, Zhong L, Song Y, Hu Y, Wang G, Sun S.Consumption of citrus and cruciferous vegetables with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus based on a meta-analysis of prospective study.Prim Care Diabetes. 2016;10(4):272-80. doi:10.1016/j.pcd.2015.12.004American Diabetes Association.Diabetes superstar foods: Taking charge of your health through food.Ellulu MS, Rahmat A, Patimah I, Khaza’ai H, Abed Y.Effect of vitamin C on inflammation and metabolic markers in hypertensive and/or diabetic obese adults: A randomized controlled trial.Drug Des Devel Ther. 2015;9:3405-12. doi:10.2147/DDDT.S83144Diabetes Canada.Glycemic index food guide.Freitas D, Boue F, Benallaoua M, et al.Lemon juice, but not tea, reduces the glycemic response to bread in healthy volunteers: A randomized crossover trial.Eur J Nutr.2021 Feb;60(1):113-22. doi:10.1007/s00394-020-02228-xSorrenti V, Consoli V, Grosso S, et al.Bioactive compounds from lemon (Citrus limon) extract overcome TNF-α-induced insulin resistance in cultured adipocytes,Molecules.2021 Aug;26(15):4411. doi:10.3390/molecules26154411Visvanathan R, Williamson G.Effect of citrus fruit and juice consumption on risk of developing type 2 diabetes: Evidence on polyphenols from epidemiological and intervention studies.Trends Food Sci Tech, 2021;115:133-46. doi:10.1016/j.tifs.2021.06.038National Kidney Foundation.Calcium oxalate stones.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Jia X, Zhong L, Song Y, Hu Y, Wang G, Sun S.Consumption of citrus and cruciferous vegetables with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus based on a meta-analysis of prospective study.Prim Care Diabetes. 2016;10(4):272-80. doi:10.1016/j.pcd.2015.12.004American Diabetes Association.Diabetes superstar foods: Taking charge of your health through food.Ellulu MS, Rahmat A, Patimah I, Khaza’ai H, Abed Y.Effect of vitamin C on inflammation and metabolic markers in hypertensive and/or diabetic obese adults: A randomized controlled trial.Drug Des Devel Ther. 2015;9:3405-12. doi:10.2147/DDDT.S83144Diabetes Canada.Glycemic index food guide.Freitas D, Boue F, Benallaoua M, et al.Lemon juice, but not tea, reduces the glycemic response to bread in healthy volunteers: A randomized crossover trial.Eur J Nutr.2021 Feb;60(1):113-22. doi:10.1007/s00394-020-02228-xSorrenti V, Consoli V, Grosso S, et al.Bioactive compounds from lemon (Citrus limon) extract overcome TNF-α-induced insulin resistance in cultured adipocytes,Molecules.2021 Aug;26(15):4411. doi:10.3390/molecules26154411Visvanathan R, Williamson G.Effect of citrus fruit and juice consumption on risk of developing type 2 diabetes: Evidence on polyphenols from epidemiological and intervention studies.Trends Food Sci Tech, 2021;115:133-46. doi:10.1016/j.tifs.2021.06.038National Kidney Foundation.Calcium oxalate stones.
Jia X, Zhong L, Song Y, Hu Y, Wang G, Sun S.Consumption of citrus and cruciferous vegetables with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus based on a meta-analysis of prospective study.Prim Care Diabetes. 2016;10(4):272-80. doi:10.1016/j.pcd.2015.12.004
American Diabetes Association.Diabetes superstar foods: Taking charge of your health through food.
Ellulu MS, Rahmat A, Patimah I, Khaza’ai H, Abed Y.Effect of vitamin C on inflammation and metabolic markers in hypertensive and/or diabetic obese adults: A randomized controlled trial.Drug Des Devel Ther. 2015;9:3405-12. doi:10.2147/DDDT.S83144
Diabetes Canada.Glycemic index food guide.
Freitas D, Boue F, Benallaoua M, et al.Lemon juice, but not tea, reduces the glycemic response to bread in healthy volunteers: A randomized crossover trial.Eur J Nutr.2021 Feb;60(1):113-22. doi:10.1007/s00394-020-02228-x
Sorrenti V, Consoli V, Grosso S, et al.Bioactive compounds from lemon (Citrus limon) extract overcome TNF-α-induced insulin resistance in cultured adipocytes,Molecules.2021 Aug;26(15):4411. doi:10.3390/molecules26154411
Visvanathan R, Williamson G.Effect of citrus fruit and juice consumption on risk of developing type 2 diabetes: Evidence on polyphenols from epidemiological and intervention studies.Trends Food Sci Tech, 2021;115:133-46. doi:10.1016/j.tifs.2021.06.038
National Kidney Foundation.Calcium oxalate stones.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
