Fruits · IFCT 2017
Sweet lime (mosambi): nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, sweet lime pulp gives just 27 kcal, 5.2 g carbohydrate, 2.1 g dietary fibre and 47.0 mg vitamin C, according to IFCT 2017. The vitamin C covers about 59 per cent of a man's and 72 per cent of a woman's daily requirement, and the fruit ranks 37th of 44 fruits for energy, which makes mosambi one of the lightest fruits in the tables.
About sweet lime (mosambi)
The lime in IFCT 2017 is the sweet lime, Citrus limetta, known across India as mosambi: mosambi in Hindi, Gujarati and Kashmiri, mosumi in Assamese, mitha lebu in Bengali, gaja nimbe in Kannada and gaja nimma pandu in Telugu. It is a mild, barely sour citrus with pale greenish-yellow skin, grown on a large scale in Marathwada around Jalna and Aurangabad, in Anantapur and Prakasam in Andhra Pradesh, and in Telangana. It is in markets for most of the year.
Mosambi is the fruit of the juice stall and the hospital visit: a glass of fresh mosambi juice is what many Indian families take to someone recovering from illness. It should not be confused with the small sour lime, kagzi nimbu, that is squeezed over poha, sabudana khichdi, bisi bele bath or a plate of chaat. That acid lime is used like lemon and is closer to the lemon page.
What sweet lime (mosambi) brings to a meal
- 01
Vitamin C for very few calories
At 47.0 mg vitamin C per 100 g, mosambi ranks 12th of 44 fruits and 33rd of 130 foods, while giving only 27 kcal.
- 02
Fibre lives in the pulp
The pulp holds 2.1 g dietary fibre per 100 g, much of it in the segment walls. Straining juice through a cloth removes most of it, which is why eating the segments is more filling.
- 03
Mildly sweet
Sweet lime has only 5.2 g carbohydrate and 3.4 g sugars per 100 g. It tastes sweet because it has so little acid, not because it is high in sugar.
- 04
A little thiamine
Its 0.06 mg thiamine per 100 g ranks 10th of 44 fruits, a small share of the daily requirement, about 3 per cent for a man and 4 per cent for a woman.
Sweet lime (mosambi) 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 | 27 kcal | 1% | 2% |
| Protein | 0.8 g | 1% | 2% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 5.2 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 2.1 g | ||
| Free sugars | 3.4 g | ||
| Total fat | 0.2 g | ||
| Water | 91.3 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.08 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.04 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.08 g | ||
| Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) | 17 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 26 mg | 3% | 3% |
| Iron | 0.11 mg | 1% | 0% |
| Zinc | 0.05 mg | 0% | 0% |
| Magnesium | 15 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Phosphorus | 21 mg | ||
| Potassium | 182 mg | ||
| Sodium | 1 mg | ||
| Copper | 0.03 mg | ||
| Selenium | 0.7 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Vitamin C | 47 mg | 59% | 72% |
| Beta-carotene | 3 µg | ||
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.06 mg | 3% | 4% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.01 mg | 0% | 0% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.17 mg | 1% | 1% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.05 mg | 2% | 3% |
| Folate (B9) | 15 µg | 5% | 7% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 0.07 mg | ||
| Vitamin K1 | 2.2 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. Sweet lime (mosambi): nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/fruits/sweet-lime-mosambi/
Where sweet lime (mosambi) 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 | 47 mg | 12th of 44 | 33rd of 130 |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.06 mg | 13th of 44 | 118th of 239 |
| Beta-carotene | 3 µg | 24th of 41 | 128th of 160 |
| Calcium | 26 mg | 14th of 43 | 146th of 242 |
| Folate (B9) | 15 µg | 18th of 44 | 149th of 197 |
How sweet lime (mosambi) is eaten
- Peeled and eaten segment by segment, the pith and seeds removed for children.
- Fresh mosambi juice, best drunk at once, without added sugar or salt.
- Segments added to a winter fruit chaat with guava, pomegranate and chaat masala.
- Tossed into a salad with cucumber, mint and roasted peanuts for a sweet, juicy crunch.
- The peel grated thinly into cake or kheer for a gentle citrus fragrance.
Before you plan around it
Juice stalls often add sugar, salt and ice to mosambi juice, and the ice is a common source of stomach infections, so ask for it plain and without ice. Straining also drops most of the fibre. Mosambi juice is mild, but people with acid reflux sometimes still find citrus sets off heartburn. With 182 mg potassium per 100 g of pulp, it is moderate, though kidney patients on a strict potassium limit should count glasses of juice, which concentrate several fruits into one serving.
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 sweet lime (mosambi)
Is mosambi juice good when someone is ill?
Fresh mosambi juice is a gentle way to take fluid and vitamin C, at 47.0 mg per 100 g of pulp. It is not a medicine, and a person with fever, diarrhoea or dehydration may need oral rehydration solution and a doctor's advice as well.
Is sweet lime the same as lime?
No. Sweet lime, or mosambi, is a mild, low-acid citrus eaten as a fruit. The sour lime squeezed over food, kagzi nimbu, is a different fruit used like lemon. IFCT 2017's lime entry is the sweet lime.
Can people with diabetes eat mosambi?
The whole fruit suits most plans well, with 5.2 g carbohydrate and 3.4 g sugars per 100 g, and 2.1 g fibre. Juice is less ideal, since several fruits go into one glass and the fibre is strained out. Plan portions with your doctor or dietitian.
Which is better, mosambi or orange?
They are close cousins. Per 100 g, mosambi pulp gives 27 kcal and 47.0 mg vitamin C. Orange is sweeter and more tart and suits juice and desserts. Eat whichever you enjoy; both count towards the day's vitamin C.
Related foods and tables
Orange
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Lemon (juice)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Pomelo
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Amla (Indian gooseberry)
Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Guava
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.
Thiamine (vitamin B1) content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by thiamine (vitamin b1) 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
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