Eating Lemon Seeds: What Happens If I Eat a Lemon Seed?

Despite being fresh, fruity, pretty and bright, lemons offer a slew of other benefits that keep people using this delicious fruit in a variety of ways. But what about eating lemon seeds? Is it good for you? Is it poisonous? Does it have any affect on our health at all? We’ll tackle that and more in this post about what happens when you eat lemon seeds and whether or not it is good for your health.

Eating Lemon Seeds

Is it safe to consume lemon seeds?

Is it okay to eat lemon seeds?

Despite what you may believe, it is okay to eat lemon seeds, and can even beneficial, provided you do so the proper way.

Unlike other fruit seeds that can actually be poisonous and harmful to your health, lemon seeds can be ingested and provide certain benefits for your body that may make sneaking them into your diet worthwhile.

Can you eat lemon seeds?

Although a swallowed lemon seed may put you on edge, especially given its bitter taste, the truth is that most people will be okay eating them. Those with severe digestive issues, though, may wish to steer clear of eating these seeds in large amounts, as the hard coating on the shell may aggravate pre-existing digestive conditions and make matters worse.

Are lemon seeds edible?

Lemon seeds are edible, which means that you can get away with swallowing two or three in your lemonade and be just fine. Some people even purposefully add lemon seeds to smoothies or grind them up to be taken orally to get their benefits. Either way, lemon seeds are definitely able to be eaten and will not usually have adverse effects on your health.

Are lemon seeds toxic to humans?

Are lemon seeds toxic?

If you’re wondering if lemon seeds toxic, the answer is that they are not. Though it may surprise you to know that there  are some seeds that are indeed poisonous to your health, lemon seeds are not one of them.

Seeds to look out for that are unknown to cause adverse effects on the health, and possibly even death in humans and animals when consumed in large amounts, include cherry pits, apricot pits, apple seeds and peach pits.

The concern is the arsenic and cyanide found in these seeds that can inhibit oxygen from being carried in the blood, thus causing the death of a human or animal.

Also, if you do swallow one of these lethal seeds and pits, be careful not to chew them. Chewing, or grinding, releases the aforementioned harmful chemicals in these seeds and can spell trouble. It only takes 1-2 ground pits or seeds from these fruits to be deadly.

Nevertheless, grinding or chewing lemon seeds won’t produce this effect. We can be thankful for that!

Are lemon seeds poisonous?

Lemon seeds aren’t poisonous, and actually, they have a whole host of benefits that we will get to later in this post. Unlike cherry seeds, peach pits, apricot pits and apple seeds, no death or alarmingly harmful side effects are likely to occur from eating whole or ground up lemon seeds.

Having said this, those with certain gastric or digestive issues may want to avoid eating too many lemon seeds as, similar to a lemon itself, it may cause discomfort. Even in these situations though, it is unlikely that a person who accidentally swallows a lemon seed or two will experience any adverse effects. And it certainly won’t cause death!

Eating lemon seeds during pregnancy

As with anything during pregnancy, you’ll want to watch what goes in your body. Though eating lemon seeds while pregnant may not be bad for you, it may not be advised.

As many that are or have been pregnant well know, carrying an unborn baby produces hormones in your body that causes the digestive system to slow down. As these hormones increase, so do instances of heartburn, loose stools and other icky digestive ailments.

And because lemons in any form can irritate the digestive tract for some people, eating lemon seeds while pregnant isn’t advised. It may aggravate the gut and cause further discomfort.

Having said this, some pregnant women may find that the pros of adding lemon seeds to their diet, as mentioned in this post, may be worth a little extra heartburn. Still yet, there may be some of which aren’t bothered by lemons at all!

No matter which camp you fall in, if you are pregnant then you should always speak with a healthcare professional before adding lemon seeds or making any abrupt changes to your diet to ensure that it is okay for you and your baby.

Ate a lemon seed while pregnant, should I be worried?

Don’t worry about it! Swallowing a single lemon seed, though bitter and unpleasant, isn’t going to harm you or your baby. At most, you may feel some discomfort in your gut. If it was only 1-2 seeds, or if you haven’t been prone to digestive issues while pregnant, you likely won’t notice any ill effects at all. You may even be giving your baby and your body added nutrients by doing so!

What Happens If I Eat a Lemon Seed?

What happens if you swallow a lemon seed?

You may be thinking, “I swallowed a lemon seeds, now what?”

While this is a common thought after ingesting such a thing, the truth is that there isn’t much that will happen when you swallow a lemon seed.

Despite its bitter aftertaste and the fact that you may have anxiety about swallowing seeds in reality, most lemon seeds will only end up in your waste, undigested.

In most cases, lemon seeds won’t really be digested by your stomach unless you chew or grind them. For this reason, we suggest that if you are purposefully swallowing lemon seeds for health benefits, that you first grind them into a powder to get the maximum effect of its nutrients.

Can a lemon seed grow in your stomach?

No, a lemon seed is not able to grow in your stomach.

The stomach is not an optimal place for a plant to grow, though this has happened to some in the lungs, in rare cases. By and large, however, there is no need to worry about this happening. The stomach is a hash and acidic environment and a plant cannot grow there.

Lemon Seeds Health Benefits 

Are lemon seeds good for you?

Lemon seeds can be very good for you. Particularly in ground or crushed form, lemon seeds can actually provide your body with a small amount of nutrients in each seed that is beneficial for your overall health.

And lemon benefits don’t stop there. The pulp of the lemon, the juice, the skin and even lemon oil, can have a very positive effect on your health and well-being. On the whole, lemons, in any form, are very good for you!

What are the benefits of eating lemon seeds?

Lemon seed benefits are very similar to the benefits of eating a lemon.

In short, lemon seeds can:

• Reduce Pain in the Body
• Remove Toxins
• Treat Ailments
• Provide Nutrients

Reduce Pain in the Body

You may be surprised to know that lemon seeds can actually provide some relief from pain. This is because they contain a small amount of salicylic acid, which is the same ingredient in Aspirin that helps provide pain relief in the body. Thus, those that eat lemon seeds may be able to banish headaches and muscle aches by doing so.

For many, this may also be true of using lemon oil as aromatherapy, though not all may respond to lemon oil, or lemon seeds, the same way.

Remove Toxins

Lemons are naturally detoxifying and the same is true of their seeds. Not only are eating lemon seeds great for detoxifying, but they are also known to kill pinworms, which are small worms that appear like white pieces of thread in feces. These worms are commonly found in children and can be due to a variety of factors.

To kill pinworms, lemon seeds are often crushed and then boiled in milk to release nutrients and detoxifying agents. For more even ways to consume lemon seeds for optimal health benefits, see below.

Treat Ailments

Suffering from candidiasis or athlete’s foot? Crushed lemon seeds might just be the perfect remedy for you. Try sprinkling crushed lemon seed powder over the affected areas of the feet, or try consuming the powder to rid the body of candida albicans.

Provide Nutrients

There are trace amounts of nutrients found in lemon seeds that are similar to what the pulp and juice of the lemon provide. One of these nutrients, Vitamin C, can help ward off nasty colds and illnesses that plague us in the winter months or other times throughout the year.

Other Lemon-y Benefits

Aside from lemon seeds alone, both the lemon pulp, the juice, and even the lemon skin have great benefits to human health and lifestyle.

Believe it or not, crushed lemon seeds are often found in many cosmetic and medical products due to their healing properties and added nutrients.

Lemons in general tend to provide excellent aromatherapy relief, not only in the form of lemon essential oil, but also when sliced fresh or in the form of lemon peel. Don’t have an essential oil diffuser? Try adding lemon peels to a pot of water and boiling it on the stove for a therapeutic aroma. Add in fresh spices, like cinnamon or clove, for a warm and inviting twist.

Lemons are also great for cleaning. Not only do they eliminate bacteria and fight viruses, but they also are great for cutting grease and grime. They leave behind a bright and clean scent.

There are times when lemon seeds are added to animal feed to prevent intestinal issues. As previously noted, lemon seeds can be helpful for digestive issues such as pinworms, however, we don’t recommend giving lemon seeds to dogs and other animals, nor do we recommend giving any portion of a lemon, such as the skin and juice to animals. See below for more information about the side effects of lemons for dogs and pets.

Looking for a quick and easy way to harness the benefits of lemons in your daily life? You may wish to take up drinking lemon water. Lemon water has a whole host of benefits, including weight loss, skin health, fresher breath, the elimination of kidney stones, detoxifying qualities and so much more. As with anything though, you’ll want to be careful not to overdo it. See Scary Things That Can Happen If You Drink Too Much Lemon Water.

As if the above mentioned benefits of lemon weren’t enough, consider that lemons are also used for detoxifying the body, and even getting great skin. Be careful when using lemon on the skin, however, because skin treated with lemon juice and then exposed to direct sunlight can cause burns and rashes.

Still, lemon juice can be helpful to reduce acne due to its antiseptic properties and can also reduce hyperpigmentation by brightening dark spots. Check this article for more information about lemon uses, benefits and side effects.

Lemon Seeds Side Effects

Are lemon seeds bad for you?

Though lemon seeds won’t be a problem if swallowed for most, there are some who may be negatively impacted by eating lemon seeds, especially in large amounts.

While swallowing 1 or 2 lemon seeds will typically not do much to affect most people, the truth is that lemon seeds can sometimes be the cause of heartburn and other digestive issues, especially when taken in large amounts, by certain individuals with more sensitive guts.

What are the negative effects of lemon seeds?

For those that are prone to heartburn, acid reflux, irritable bowels syndrome, excessive gas, or other digestive issues, you’ll certainly want to limit, and possibly even avoid, lemon fruit in general.

Because of its naturally acidic nature, eating lemons and their seeds might cause irritation to the gut, and as such, further exacerbate pre-existing issues.

Furthermore, lemon seeds are composed of a hard coating that can irritate many stomachs. This is why it is so often recommended that lemon seeds be taken in crushed form, and potentially in milk, to make the digestion of these seeds much easier.

As with any diet change, always introduce lemon seeds and lemon fruit with caution. At the onset of issues, stop taking the seeds and see your doctor for details.

Lemon Seed FAQs

Are lemon seeds toxic to dogs?

Though lemon seeds health benefits are plentiful for humans for many reasons, giving your dog lemon in any format is not recommended.

It is important to remember that just because humans tend to tolerate lemons well, doesn’t mean that your dog, or any other pet, will. In fact, because lemons contain a certain compound called psoralens, they can cause serious issues for your dog in terms of gut health.

It has been said that even one slice of a lemon can lead to trouble for a dog. Depending on how much he or she has eaten, may even lead to your dog not being able to support themselves on their legs.

As always, it is incredibly unwise, and even irresponsible, to give your pets certain foods without doing the proper research. It is best to steer clear of giving your dog lemons to protect their health.

Also, never apply lemon oil to your pet’s skin. Doing so may cause severe burns and skin irritation to your pet.

How to Eat Lemon Seeds

Eating Lemons Seeds: Do So With Caution