Lemon vs. Lime — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Introduction

Lemons and limes are often interchangeably used in the kitchen, but how similar are they? This article will discuss what these two fruits have in common and what sets them apart, focusing on their nutrition and impact on health.

Taste and Appearance

On the outside, lemons and limes are easy to differentiate; lemons look bright yellow and oval, and limes appear in shades of green and round forms. Limes are also usually smaller than lemons, with an average size of 3 to 6 centimeters (1.2- 2.4 inches), as opposed to lemons’ 5 to 8cm (2- 3 inches).

Lemon trees prefer moderate climates, while lime trees are recommended to grow in tropical and subtropical regions.

Lemons are generally said to taste a little sweeter, whereas limes have a more acidic and sour flavor; however, both fruits may are used in cooking (salads, dishes, lemonade, pastries, and desserts) for their specific flavor.

The key lime is even more acidic than lemons and limes and is often used to make key lime pie.

Varieties

Both lemons and limes belong to the Citrus genus. Consequently, they are known as citrus fruits but are separate species. 

Lemons belong to the species Limon, whereas multiple species produce fruits known as lime. The most well-known lime species are Key lime, Kaffir or makrut lime, and Persian lime. 

Sweet lemons (Citrus limetta) cross (hybrid) between citrons and bitter oranges. These fruits can resemble limes, with their round shape and green color, but are considered a cultivar of lemons.

Can You Substitute Limes for Lemons?

 
Although lemons tend to be sweeter, and limes have a more bitter flavor; however lemons can usually be used instead of limes since both are acidic and sour. They both can be used in savory dishes, sweet dishes, and cocktails. 
Fortunately, the picture is also the same for lemon and lime juices. So yes, you can use lime juice instead of lemon juice because of their similar taste.   

Nutrition

Lemons and limes are rich in several nutrients. Both consist of about 89 percent water.

One serving of a lemon weighs 58g, whereas a lime’s serving portion is a little more significant at 67g.

Vitamins

Lemons contain two times more vitamin C than limes. They also contain a little more vitamin B1, vitamin B6, vitamin B9, vitamin K, and folate.

On the other hand, limes contain two times more vitamin A. They are also slightly higher in vitamin E, vitamin B3, and vitamin B5.

Both lemons and limes contain the same amount of vitamin B2 and completely lack vitamins D and B12. 

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Lemon

4

Lime

5

Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C	+82.1%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+33.3%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6	+86%
Contains more FolateFolate	+37.5%

Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A	+127.3%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E	+46.7%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3	+100%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5	+14.2%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K	+∞%

~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg

~equal in Vitamin B2 ~0.02mg

~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

~equal in Choline ~5.1mg

Minerals

Overall, limes are richer in minerals, containing more calcium, copper, zinc, and phosphorus. However, lemons have higher levels of potassium and magnesium.

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Lemon

3

Lime

4

Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium	+33.3%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+35.3%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+275%

Contains more CalciumCalcium	+26.9%
Contains more CopperCopper	+75.7%
Contains more ZincZinc	+83.3%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus	+12.5%

~equal in Iron ~0.6mg

~equal in Sodium ~2mg

~equal in Selenium ~0.4µg

Acidity

Most studies show limes to be more acidic than lemons. One research has concluded that lemons’ pH is 3.1, whereas limes (Key lime) had a pH value of 2.4 (1)(2).

The acidity of limes depends on the variety and can range from 2 to 2.4 (3).

Studies have also shown that lemon juice contains higher levels of citric acid when compared to lime juice (4). Consequently, lemon juice is slightly more acidic than lime juice.

The PRAL for lemons has been calculated to be -2.3 for lemons and -1.7 for limes. This shows that both fruits are alkaline inside the body, lemons more so than limes.

Weight Loss

People often use lemon or lime water in low-calorie and low-glycemic diets as a means to lose weight. Studies have shown both fruits to have the potential to reduce the levels of blood cholesterol and help with weight loss (5). However, these studies have been only carried out on mice and have not yet been proven for humans. 

The lipid-lowering and anti-obesity effects may be due to the phytochemicals in these fruits, such as polyphenols.

Lemon detox diet

You may ask, what happens if you drink lemon water every day? Unfortunately, it does not help remove toxins from the body, as is often believed. However, there's a diet type which is called a lemon detox diet that has many benefits. Let's discuss this.

The lemon detox diet is a fasting program that is often kept for 5 to 10 days, during which people consume only lemon-based mixtures with no solid foods. 

One study has concluded that a lemon detox program, consisting of organic maple and palm syrups with lemon juice, and kept for seven days, reduces body fat and insulin resistance without hematological changes (6).

However, the lemon detox fasting diet can have side effects like fatigue, headaches, malnutrition, and gastrointestinal issues. There is also no evidence that the lost weight will not be rapidly regained after the initial weight loss when resuming a regular diet. 

Health Benefits

Cardiovascular Health

Section reviewed by cardiologist Astghik Grigoryan

Citrus fruits are rich in flavonoids, which correlate with reduced cardiovascular mortality and morbidity (8). A prominent member of the flavonoid family is a compound called flavanone. While both fruits are rich in this substance, lemons are higher in flavanones than limes (9).

These and other phytochemicals in citrus fruits express potent antioxidant and hypolipidemic activities (10). 

Kaffir lime has also been studied as a potential cardioprotector agent that can be used in chemotherapy (11).

Heartburn

Section reviewed by gastroenterologist Arpi Gasparyan

Due to their acidic nature, lemons and limes can cause heartburn and aggravation of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms, especially when consumed on an empty stomach.

However, paradoxically, watered-down lemon juice has been said to help some people reduce heartburn due to its alkalizing nature (16).

Sources.

1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/295397467
2. https://www.idosi.org/abr/7(2)13/7.pdf
3. https://www.clemson.edu/extension/food/food2market/documents/ph_of_common_foods.pdf
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2637791/
5. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258514543
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29427589/  
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25912765/ 
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17344514/
9. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0889157505001456?via%3Dihub
10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21425871/
11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23646300/
12. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00394-020-02228-x
13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5701400/
14. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286122827
15. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5214556/
16. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10353-014-0265-9 
17. https://www.nyallergy.com/citrus-allergy