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Limes

This article is part of a larger article titled "100+ Healthiest Foods On Planet Earth."  Read it here.

Limes Nutritional Information (per 100g)

Water: 88.3 g
Calories: 30 kcal
Protein: 0.7 g
Carbohydrate: 10.5 g
Dietary fiber: 2.8 g
Sugars: 1.7 g
Fat: 0.2 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.1 g
Vitamin C: 29.1 mg
Vitamin B3: 0.2 mg
Vitamin B9: 8 μg
Vitamin A: 2 μg
Vitamin E: 0.2 mg
Vitamin K: 0.6 μg
Calcium: 33 mg
Iron: 0.6 mg
Magnesium: 6 mg
Phosphorus: 18 mg
Potassium: 102 mg
Sodium: 2 mg
Zinc: 0.1 mg

The lime is a notable citrus fruit, grown year round in tropical climates. With a very slightly less bitter taste than its fellow citrus fruit, the lemon, the lime is used extensively in cuisines as far away as Indonesian and Mexican, for dishes as different as coconut and lime curry and guacamole. In addition to its uses as a fruit, a juice and a flavouring, lime also finds use as a perfume and in cleaning products. With very few calories, concrete health benefit for many of the most common diseases in the developed world, and strong anti-microbial effects, lime is a fantastic food to add to a healthy diet.

Nutritionally, as with many fruits, lime has only a few cards in its hand: it is low calorie, high in vitamin C, and high in fibre. 100g of lime contains just 30 calories, but for that you get 48% of your Daily Value (DV) of vitamin C, and 11% DV of dietary fibre. The high water and fibre content ensure that this is not a food you can put on weight with (aside from the fact that eating 2000 calories in limes would not be pleasant). In addition, the high levels of vitamin C are great for everything from the immune system to the gums.

Limes have a number of distinct and intriguing health benefits: they prevent the spread of cancer, reduce the risk of stroke, modulate the immune system and have a strong anti-microbial effect. Citrus fruit has been proven to have a broad effect on cancer proliferation, and limes in particular have possible benefits versus pancreatic cancer. In addition, intake of citrus fruits seems to be associated with a lower risk of stroke. Research is also underway into lime as an immune system modulator.

But perhaps the most interesting thing about the lime is its extremely strong anti-bacterial effect, specifically, its potent benefits against the spread of cholera. Lime juice in food proved to be extremely effective at preventing the spread of cholera in hospitals and inhibiting proliferation of the bacteria in the lab. While it is unlikely many of our readers will be infected with cholera, this is both an undeniably interesting study and a testament to the anti-microbial effect of lime juice.