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What is limonene?
Limonene is a powerful antioxidant that can be found in many of the foods we eat. It’s also naturally produced by the liver and helps maintain a healthy immune system. Limonene benefits are vast and include enhancing weight loss, reducing arthritis pain, and fighting cancer. Limonene is an essential nutrient for overall health!
No matter how busy you may be, you owe it to yourself to take care of your body and improve your life quality by adding limonene to your diet. Here are some of the top health benefits of this all-natural compound:
- Reduces Stomach Cancer Risk
Limonene is one of the most powerful antioxidants among essential oils. If you are looking for a natural, safe way to fight cancer, limonene benefits include reducing cancer risk. Limonene destroys cancer cells before they can spread through your body. It also prevents bacterial infections and inflammation that can lead to cancerous cells growing in your stomach area.
- May Fight Infection
Limonene benefits include its ability to fight infection. Most notably, limonene can fight infections with a weakened immune system, such as HIV/AIDS. Limonene is a natural anti-microbial that kills microorganisms and prevents the growth of new bacteria and fungi. This powerful antioxidant stimulates your immune system’s white blood cells to be at the ready in the event of an infection!
- Reduces Arthritis Pain
Limonene benefits include reducing pain from arthritis. Limonene is one of the most effective and safest natural compounds for reducing the pain associated with arthritis. In a study that has been conducted on rats, limonene was able to reduce the symptoms of arthritis by over 250%. This powerful compound can potentially help you fight off this disease as well!
- Prevents Cancerous Cells From Growing
Limonene supports healthy cell growth while preventing cancerous cells from forming. Without limonene, cancer cells can grow out of control. Limonene is one of the few compounds that can turn off estrogen production and prevent cancer from growing. This powerful antioxidant fights tumours by giving your body the nutrients to stop forming new tumours and remove existing ones.
Limonene benefits include preventing infection, reducing arthritis pain, and fighting bacteria and fungi.
If you do not know the benefits of limonene, do not rush to quit the diet. Limonene benefits are extensive, and helping yourself with a small change in your diet can improve your health in ways you cannot yet imagine. If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know, and we will help you get started with this powerful natural compound!
10 Key Limonene Benefits
- Limonene Helps Prevent Cancerous Cells From Forming Limonene is one of the most powerful antioxidants in nature. Studies showing limonene benefits show that it appears to be a potent, natural compound for fighting cancerous cells. In addition to fighting cancerous cells, limonene fights off infections like HIV/AIDS.
- Limonene Has Anti-Inflammatory Properties While many people suffer from minor aches and pains, others experience chronic inflammation. Studies show that limonene has anti-inflammatory properties, and you can use it to treat inflammation for minor aches and pains as well as chronic conditions such as psoriasis.
- Limonene Helps Maintain a Healthy Immune System Limonene has powerful immune-boosting properties that can greatly help those who suffer from chronic illness or are recovering from a prior illness. It has been used for years to help people cope with burns and heal the skin from wounds. You can also use it on the skin to prevent infections while treating and preventing bacteria’s spread.
- Limonene is an Essential Nutrient Limonene is a crucial nutrient for bone health. It helps the body absorb calcium and other minerals. It can also help boost the immune system. Limonene has been shown to lower cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.
- Limonene Helps Fight Weight Loss Limonene benefits include weight loss and cancer-fighting abilities. Studies have shown that when people take limonene, they can lose weight faster than those who do not. Limonene has been studied in people with obesity as well as those who have cancer.
- Limonene Helps Prevent Cancer While there are many types of cancers that you can prevent through a healthy diet, the most powerful means of prevention is getting regular exercise and being on a weight loss plan.
Limonene and cancer
Limonene has been proven to have anti-cancer abilities. Like chlorophyll, limonene helps boost the immune system to prevent infection while fighting off new tumours that may form.
- Limonene Helps Reduce Heart Disease Risk Not only does limonene help prevent dysfunction of the heart muscle and damage from heart attacks, but it also reduces cholesterol levels and prevents blood clots from forming. It also aids in maintaining good cholesterol levels.
- Limonene Can Improve Digestive Health People with digestive problems often must take medication. Limonene benefits include digestive health, and studies show it can help those who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome and those with dysentery.
- Limonene Can Help Fight Against Fungal and Bacterial Infections Limonene is also beneficial in fighting other common infections due to its ability to fight fungi and bacteria. It also has antiviral properties that help it fight off viruses such as the flu.
- Limonene Helps Prevent Damage to the Skin and Hair. Many people are unaware that citrus fruit contains powerful antioxidants that can protect the skin and hair from sun exposure. Also, it has been shown to prevent damage caused by free radicals.
Limonene in foods
One of the best ways for your body to benefit from limonenes is by consuming over 60 per cent of the crucial nutrient. To reap the powerful benefits, you should seriously consider eating foods abundant in limonene.
Limonene-rich foods include:
Lemons and oranges. Yes, lemons and oranges don’t just give you great health benefits, but they’re also great sources of limonene. Lemons have the highest limonene levels of other citrus fruits and are hard to beat. As long as you have pure organic lemons or organically grown organic lemons, you’ll reap all the benefits.
Limes. Lime juice is another great source of limonene that offers many health benefits. One benefit is that it can help prevent the growth of harmful bacteria inside your mouth. Besides, it aids in digestion and boosts energy production.
Grapefruits. Grapefruits contain large amounts of limonene with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and these powerful nutrients can help people suffering from weight-related issues.
Coconut oil. The polyphenols that are found in coconut oil also offer powerful health benefits. One of them is limonene, which has been shown to have amazing anti-ageing properties. Besides, the nutrient acts as powerful anti-fungal citrus that can help prevent infections.
Coconut milk. Coconut milk is another great limonene-rich food that can help people fight off infections and get the energy they need to make it through the day. Coconut milk is ideal for making sauces, soups, and dips.
Other yummy limonene-rich foods include:
Lemongrass. Lemongrass is one of the most potent sources of limonene on the planet, and it makes a refreshing addition to many major dishes such as fish and salads.
Cucumbers. Cucumbers are high in limonene and provide healthy antioxidants that can help fight off infections and boost the immune system.
Avocados. Avocados are rich in healthy fats, which help to alleviate arthritis pain and inflammation.
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis). Lemon balm is one of the most potent sources of limonene, and this herb has a wide range of medicinal benefits.
The medical effects of limonene, a compound found in lemon balm, have been examined for conditions such as the following:
Arthritis. Limonene may help to reduce joint pain and inflammation associated with arthritis. Rats fed a diet high in limonene showed significantly reduced arthritis symptoms and reduced levels of inflammatory markers in the blood. (Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, April 2009)
Limonene in medicine
Limonene is used in toothpaste and mouthwashes by mouth and throat as an antiseptic for treating laryngitis. Limonene is a volatile, yellow liquid with a strong odour of citrus fruit. It has been approved for killing bacteria in toothbrushes, paper towels, and general cleaning materials.
As a flavouring agent in foods and beverages, especially in margarine, ice cream, flavoured sherbets, coffee creamers, and processed cheese, it can also be used as a food additive in meat product aroma flavour.
Limonene is a solvent in paints and varnishes, a cleaning agent for mineral oils, and a carrier solvent for food colouring. You can use it to recover gold and silver from discarded photographic processing solutions. It exhibits antifungal activity against Malassezia furfur (Pityrosporum ovale), Penicillium spp.
Anti-inflammatory properties in limonene
Limonene is used in foods and beverages as a flavour enhancer or fragrance. It is a constituent of some citrus-flavoured soft drinks, such as Fresca. Limonene is also used to make prescription drugs smell more like citrus. For example, the drug Isotretinoin (Accutane) has been marketed under Claravis as an anti-acne treatment in the United States.
To regulate cholesterol levels.
Limonene regulates cholesterol levels in animals as well. It has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels in rabbits fed a high-cholesterol diet. It is also a cholesterol-lowering agent that reduces the risk of heart disease by lowering LDL levels (“bad”) cholesterol and triglycerides, two types of fat that can cause heart disease.
Limonene chemical formula
Limonene can exist as a monomer, dimer, and trimer like many other alkaloids. Limonene is used in the manufacture of soaps and detergents. It is also used as a fragrance component in perfumes, cosmetics, and foods. Its partial beta-naphthyl group can coordinate with electrophiles to form a Schiff base on amines.
d-limonene chemical structure
Limonene is a clear, colourless liquid that solidifies upon cooling and is highly soluble in alcohol and insoluble in water. It has a pleasant citrus smell. In the body, it is oxidized to perillic acid.
The use of limonene as a solvent for food colourings was tested by Hampton Research Company and found to be effective by D’Arcy J.M. 1995 WO95/22628.
d-limonene vs l-limonene
Regarding the chemical structure, there are two different forms of limonene. The (S) form is the most common one. It’s often given as “d-limonene”, about the number of carbons (D) attached to one of the double bonds or rings that makes up D-limonene.
d-limonene structure
limonene use
Limonene is a chemical compound found naturally in the rinds of citrus fruits and other plants like cannabis. It’s also produced synthetically to be used for several different purposes, most notably as a pesticide and in several beauty products.
Currently, d-limonene is the best option out there for eliminating bed bugs. It has few toxic side effects on humans, though it can be mildly irritating if you’re sensitive to citrus oils or alcohol.
Limonene terpene benefits
Limonene is a naturally-occurring organic compound. It’s an organic hydrocarbon classified as a cyclic terpene that contains a hydrocarbon 10-carbon, the chemical formula C10H16. Limonene is a prominent terpene, highly valued worldwide in the perfume industry.
In nature, limonene is abundant in citrus fruits and the peels of citrus fruits like oranges and lemons.
Limonene molecular formula
Limonene is the most prominent terpene in orange oil and a constituent of other citrus fruit essential oils. The compound has a pungent odour reminiscent of citronella.
Limonene smell
Limonene is responsible for the scent of many different citrus fruits and oranges, particularly sweet oranges. It is commonly used as a solvent for cleaning products, dyes, and paint strippers that leave no residue. It is also used in the manufacturing process of perfumes and soaps.
d-limonene iupac name
Limonene is the natural byproduct of lipoxygenase (LOX) enzyme that occurs in the skin of humans and other organisms. The enzyme produces leukotrienes, a powerful inflammatory agent that can damage important brain and immune system cell membranes.
This compound is highly toxic to insects because it replaces oxygen in their cells, causing them to die. Many types of bacteria and fungi are killed by this compound as well.
r limonene vs s limonene
The limonene bio-isomer (S)-limonene is an antifungal agent effective against zygomycetes.
r limonene benefits
Limonene molecule consists of a cyclohexane ring attached to a pentagonal hydrocarbon. When the number of carbons increases in the ring, the molecules are classified as sesquiterpenes. When there are 15 carbons or more, the compound is referred to as triterpene.
Respiratory Disorders. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. April 2009. (Accessed 18 March 2009)
Withdrawal Delirium. National Institute on Drug Abuse. December 2008. (Accessed 18 March 2009)
Acamprosate for the Management of Alcohol Dependence and Recurrent Seizures in Patients with Epilepsy: A Review of the Literature in the Era of Brief Interventions and Motivational Interviewing.
