When life hands you lemons, gobble them up, zest and all. In this Health Smarts video, Kevin Soden, MD, reveals a compound in lemon zest that may reduce your risk of skin cancer.
Hi, I'm Dr. Kevin Soden. There's a simple way to add more to life to your skin, add a few shaves of lemon zest to your drinks, salads, or sandwich spreads. There's a compound in lemon peels called D-Limonene, and it may reduce your risk of Squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer by 34%. D-Limonene helps prevent skin cancer cells from growing, and you can find loads of this compound in citrus peel.
Makes up more than 90% of citrus peel oil. In a study of people from a Arizona, those who consumed the most citrus zest had the lowest rates of the skin cancer. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer with more than 2 million people diagnosed in the US each year, so it doesn't hurt to use a little lemon zest as extra protection. For more ways to protect your health, watch all our smart tips, right here.
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