Fruits · IFCT 2017
Lemon (juice): nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, lemon juice gives 37 kcal and 48.2 mg vitamin C, according to IFCT 2017. That vitamin C covers about 60 per cent of a man's and 74 per cent of a woman's daily requirement, and ranks 11th of 44 fruits. The juice has little else of note, but a squeeze over a meal does real work by helping the iron in dal and greens absorb.
About lemon (juice)
Lemon in IFCT 2017 means the juice, the part Indian cooks actually use. In most Indian markets the nimbu, nemu or pati lebu sold by the dozen is the small, thin-skinned, round acid lime, kagzi nimbu, rather than the larger oval lemon of Europe; both are sour citrus and are used the same way. The tables record it as nimbhu in Hindi, pati lebu in Bengali, kagaji limbu in Odia, nimapandu in Telugu and nyomb in Kashmiri.
Lemon is everywhere in Indian food, rarely as the main ingredient but often as the finishing touch. It sharpens chaat and bhel, cuts the richness of butter chicken and biryani, goes into marinades for tikka and fish fry, curdles milk for paneer and becomes lemon rice across the south. The whole fruit, salted and left in the sun, turns into nimbu ka achaar, the pickle many households keep for years.
What lemon (juice) brings to a meal
- 01
A solid vitamin C source
Lemon juice has 48.2 mg vitamin C per 100 g, 11th of 44 fruits and 31st of 130 foods. 100 g of juice meets about 60 per cent of a man's and 74 per cent of a woman's daily requirement.
- 02
The iron helper
Lemon's own iron is negligible, 0.12 mg per 100 g. Its value lies in the vitamin C, which helps the body absorb iron from dal, rajma, greens and millets when squeezed over the same plate.
- 03
Very little energy
At 37 kcal per 100 g, lemon juice carries very little energy, and its sugars are only 2.6 g, so nimbu pani made without sugar is close to calorie-free.
- 04
Almost no minerals
Lemon juice ranks 41st of 44 fruits for potassium at 113 mg and 41st of 43 for iron. It is a flavour and vitamin C food, not a mineral source.
Lemon (juice) nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 37 kcal | 2% | 2% |
| Protein | 0.4 g | 1% | 1% |
| Free sugars | 2.6 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.8 g | ||
| Water | 91.6 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.2 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.05 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.35 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 84 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 23 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Iron | 0.12 mg | 1% | 0% |
| Zinc | 0.08 mg | 0% | 1% |
| Magnesium | 9 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Phosphorus | 10 mg | ||
| Potassium | 113 mg | ||
| Sodium | 1 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.03 mg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 48.2 mg | 60% | 74% |
| Beta-carotene | 3 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.04 mg | 2% | 2% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.01 mg | 0% | 0% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.1 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.03 mg | 1% | 2% |
| Folate (B9) | 12 µg | 4% | 5% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.06 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 1.8 µg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Lemon (juice): nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/fruits/lemon/
Where lemon (juice) sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 43 fruits and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In fruits | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C | 48.2 mg | 11th of 44 | 31st of 130 |
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 84 mg | 6th of 42 | 79th of 202 |
| Beta-carotene | 3 µg | 22nd of 41 | 125th of 160 |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.04 mg | 19th of 44 | 153rd of 239 |
| Folate (B9) | 12 µg | 23rd of 44 | 158th of 197 |
How lemon (juice) is eaten
- Nimbu pani or shikanji: lemon juice, water, a pinch of black salt and roasted cumin, with sugar kept light or left out.
- Squeezed over dal, chole, rajma or a bowl of sprouts at the table to brighten the flavour and help iron absorption.
- Lemon rice, chitranna or elumichai sadam, tempered with mustard, chana dal, peanuts and turmeric.
- In marinades for chicken tikka and fish fry, where the acid tenderises and carries the spices.
- Nimbu ka achaar: quartered lemons salted with spices and sun-cooked for weeks until soft.
Before you plan around it
Lemon juice is acidic, and sipping lemon water through the day can wear tooth enamel; drink it with meals or through a straw and rinse with plain water. People with acid reflux often find it sets off heartburn. Lemon pickle is high in salt, which matters for anyone with high blood pressure. Vitamin C fades once juice is squeezed and left standing, and heat destroys it, so add lemon at the end of cooking or at the table rather than boiling it in.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about lemon (juice)
How much vitamin C is in lemon juice?
IFCT 2017 lists 48.2 mg vitamin C per 100 g of lemon juice, about 60 per cent of a man's and 74 per cent of a woman's daily requirement. A squeeze over a meal adds a useful amount, and amla or guava give far more per bite.
Does lemon water help weight loss?
Lemon water itself does not burn fat. Its value is that, unsweetened, it is close to calorie-free at 37 kcal per 100 g of juice, so it can replace sugary drinks. Overall diet and activity decide weight change.
Why add lemon to dal and greens?
Plant iron is poorly absorbed on its own. The vitamin C in lemon juice, 48.2 mg per 100 g, helps the body take up more iron from dal, rajma, spinach and millets eaten at the same time. Squeeze it in just before eating.
Is Indian nimbu a lemon or a lime?
The small, round, thin-skinned nimbu most Indian markets sell is usually the acid lime, known as kagzi nimbu. True lemons are larger and oval. Both are sour citrus, used the same way, and close enough for everyday cooking.
Related foods and tables
Sweet lime (mosambi)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Orange
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Amla (Indian gooseberry)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Pomelo
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Tamarind
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Vitamin C content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by vitamin c per 100 g.
Omega-3 (ALA) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by omega-3 (ala) per 100 g.
Beta-carotene content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by beta-carotene per 100 g.
All fruits
44 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
Reading food composition tables and turning them into meal plans is taught in this NNWA course.