Sweet lime, also known as ‘mosambi‘ in Hindi is a citrus fruit found mostly in south-east Asia. These small plants may reach up to 25 feet in height. Mosambi fruits are small, green citrus fruits of round/oval shape, which turn yellow on ripening. This tree grows easily in tropical and sub-tropical climates and starts bearing fruits when it is 5 to 7 years old. The peak production occurs at the age of 10 to 20 years.
KingdomPlantaeGenusCitrusSpeciesC.limettaBinomial nameCitrus limetta, Citrus lumia, Citrus limettiodes tanakaCommon NamesPersian lime, sweet limetta, sweet lime, sweet lemon and Mediterranean sweet lemonIndian NamesMosambi and musambi (Hindi), Battayi Pandu (Telugu), Cattukkuti (Tamil), Madhura naranga (Malayalam), Mousambi (Gujarati)Mosambi is somewhat similar to a lemon in appearance, but it has a sweeter taste similar to that of an orange. Mosambi juice is very popular in India and Pakistan, and is not acidic inspite of belonging to the citrus family. Mosambi or sweet lime juice is consumed more than the fruit itself due to its bland taste in comparison to orange. In India, this fruit is available in the months of July and August and from November to March.
For the convenience of reading, the benefits of mosambi fruit are divided into the categories of skin, hair and health.
Mosambi is a versatile fruit with a sweet and sour taste. This amazing fruit renders terrific nutritional value. This fruit is widely consumed in the form of drinks, jams, pickles, candies, snacks and sorbets. The juice of this fruit is also versatile and is used in salads and to marinate meat. Some of the health benefits of mosambi are given below.
Mosambi has a high content of flavonoids that stimulate the digestive system by increasing the secretion of digestive juices, acids and bile. Hence, mosambi juice is often recommended to people suffering from indigestion, irregular bowel movement and other gastrointestinal problems. Thus, it aids digestion by neutralizing the acidic digestive juices produced by the stomach and flushes out the toxins from the excretory system. The compounds found in this fruit are beneficial for peristaltic motion. Sweet lime also helps in controlling diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
The acids in mosambi flush out the toxins from the bowel tracts. Moreover, the fruit contains dietary fiber, which enables the roughage to act as a purgative treatment for those suffering from constipation. Lime juice with a pinch of salt is often recommended to patients with constipation problems.
Scurvy is a disease caused by the deficiency of vitamin C. This disease is characterized by bleeding, swollen gums, frequent bouts of flu and cold, ulcers in the mouth and tongue, and cracked lip corners. The sweet limes can stop the bleeding of gums. Mix mosambi juice with a few drops of pure water and add a pinch of black salt to the mixture. This mixture should be applied to the affected gums for an immediate relief from bleeding gums. Halitosis (bad breath) can be eliminated by sipping lime juice and sucking on lime rinds.
The flavonoids present in mosambi such as Limomin Glucoside have anti-carcinogenic, antioxidant, detoxifying, and antibiotic properties which are very effective in healing oral and peptic ulcers.
The oil extracts of mosambi have anti-congestive properties which clean and keep various respiratory problems at bay. Thus, they are often used in balms, inhalers and vaporizers.
The regular consumption of mosambi juice brings about an improvement in the overall heart functioning. Thus, it ensures proper blood circulation and contributes to a much healthier immune system. Vitamin C boosts the immunity levels and prevents cold.
The limonoids present in sweet limes help in fighting different types of cancer. Limonoids are attached to a sugar molecule called glucose, which is easily digested.
Being rich in vitamin C, mosambi provides protection and prevention against inflammation and swelling. This fantastic fruit also reduces the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Mosambi helps in weight loss. Drinking a glass of lukewarm water with lime juice and honey helps to shed those extra pounds. Mosambi juice reduces the cholesterol level and controls the blood pressure.
Mosambi has a high concentration of potassium which detoxifies the kidneys, bladder and has the ability to cure infections in the urinary bladder.
The antioxidants present in mosambi help in flushing out uric acid and free radicals from the body. Vitamin C helps in neutralizing the free radicals in the body.
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