The Versatile Lemon

Imagine a product that can be used as medicine, a cleaning agent, a disinfectant, and a beauty treatment. You can eat it, drink its juice, and extract essential oil from it. It comes attractively packaged, is available all over the world, and is inexpensive. You may even have one in your kitchen right now. What is it? The lemon!

It is thought that lemons originated in Southeast Asia. From there they were gradually carried westward, toward the Mediterranean. Lemon trees thrive in mild climates,  hich is why they grow so well in places like Argentina, Italy, Mexico, Spain, and even parts of Africa and Asia. A mature tree, depending on the variety and location, can produce  nywhere from 200 to a staggering 1,500 lemons a year. The cultivated varieties bloom in different periods, making it possible to harvest lemons yearround.

Lemons Take Root in Italy
Whether the ancient Romans grew lemons is a hotly debated subject. There is written evidence that the Romans knew about the citron, another member of the citrus family, which strongly resembles a large lemon. In his work Natural History, Roman historian Pliny the Elder specifically mentions the citron tree and its fruit. However, leading experts believe that the Romans knew about lemons too. Why? Because numerous frescoes and mosaics apparently depict these fruits and not citrons. One such example is from a villa unearthed in Pompeii, appropriately called The Orchard House, as it is decorated with frescoes that depict various plants, including a lemon tree. Admittedly, at the time, it was likely considered an exotic tree and may have been used only as a medicinal plant. It is impossible to tell how easy lemons were to grow and how widespread they were.

The island of Sicily, with its long warm summers and mild winters, has become the leading producer of citrus fruit including lemons. But there are other areas, mainly along the coast, where good-quality lemons are cultivated.

The beautiful town of Sorrento is just south of Naples, and south of it The VersatileLemon is the Amalfi coast—just over 25 miles (40 km) of spectacular sprawling coastline. Tucked away in coves along the coast are the picturesque towns of Amalfi, Positano, and Vietri sul Mare, just to mention a few. Sorrento and the Amalfi coast produce lemons that have the Protection Authority certificate, a guarantee that they were actually cultivated there. The locals are rightly protective of their lemon trees, as these trees were cleverly planted on terraces on the side of the mountain, where they soak up the sun and produce wonderfully perfumed, juicy lemons.

You don’t need lots of space to grow a lemon tree. Even a sunny balcony is enough, as dwarf lemon trees can be grown in pots and are beautifully ornamental. They like sunny, wind-free spots where they can soak up the warmth, preferably against a wall. However,  f the temperature drops a lot during the winter, they need to be covered or brought indoors.

Not Just for Flavor
How often do you use lemons? Some put a slice in a cup of tea; others use the zest or a few drops of the juice in cake recipes. Maybe you squeeze them to use the juice for lemonade. Chefs around the world always have lemons on hand for endless uses in cooking. But have you ever used lemon juice as a disinfectant or to help remove a stain?

Actually, some people clean up and disinfect their chopping boards by rubbing them with half a lemon. Instead of using bleach for stains or cleaning the sink, some use a mixture of lemon juice and baking soda. And half a lemon in the refrigerator or dishwasher is said to eliminate bad odors and keep the appliances smelling fresh.

Lemons are a source of citric acid, which is used as a natural preservative and to give a sour taste to food or drink. The lemon’s pith and peel yield pectin,which is used in the food industry as a thickener, emulsifier, and gelling agent. Additionally, there is an oil extracted from the peel that is used in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. The list of uses for lemons could go on and on. Lemons truly are a colorful, flavorful, versatile fruit.

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The Terrible Price

This meteoric rise in popularity, however, was not without its rumblings of foreboding. In fact, as far back as some 19 centuries ago, the Roman historian Pliny had noted that slaves who worked in asbestos mines seemed to have respiratory problems. His was only the first of many warning voices.

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Prescription for Danger

“Medicines claimed more lives in Germany last year than traffic accidents did,” reported the newspaper Stuttgarter Nachrichten. Reportedly, some 25,000 people died in 1998 from wrongly prescribed drugs. This is three times as many as were killed in traffic accidents during the same period. Self-medication is said to play only a secondary role. The main problem seems to be a lack of information and training among doctors about the medicines and their effects. Pharmacologist Ingolf Cascorbi said that according to one estimate, “in Germany each year, 10,000 deaths and 250,000 cases of persons suffering from serious side effects could be avoided if research and training were optimized,” states the report.

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Punjabis and Kidney Stones

People from the state of Punjab and surrounding areas of India are more prone to get kidney stones than any other community in the world, reports India Today International. Punjabis are known for working hard and eating heartily, but often they do not drink enough water in the scorching summer months, says the report. For this reason, their region was described at a recent international urologic conference as the “stone belt” of the world. The average size of a kidney stone there is between two and three centimeters [about an inch], compared with one centimeter [less than half an inch] in Europe and the United States. The report attributes this to many Indians’ tendency to ignore minor pains or put off treatment. Urologists say healthy people should drink at least two quarts of clean water every day.

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Is Obesity Really a Problem?

“Adolescent obesity is like an epidemic.”—S. K. Wangnoo, senior consultant endocrinologist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Delhi, India.

As the above comment shows, many middle-class Indian families have changed to a life-style that is resulting in teenage obesity. This epidemic has become a pandemic that is spreading in many countries as more people exercise less and become addicted to junk food. A consultant in adolescent medicine stated: “The next generation [in Britain] will be . . . the most obese in the history of mankind.” The Guardian Weekly reported: “Obesity was once mainly an adult problem. Now Britain has a young generation whose eating habits and sedentary culture is leading them towards problems first seen in the US. Long-term obesity will predispose them to illnesses such as diabetes to heart disease and cancer.”

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Do You Need Insurance?

In some lands certain kinds of insurance are compulsory. In others, most kinds are practically unknown. In addition, the cost of insurance and the type of coverage provided vary widely from country to country. But the fundamental principle of insurance—sharing risk—remains the same.

Naturally, the more property a person owns, the more he has to lose. Similarly, the more family responsibility a person has, the greater the impact if he or she dies or becomes physically disabled. Having insurance can alleviate one’s concern about the possibility of suffering a loss of property or a disabling accident.

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Dangers of Polluted Water

According to a United Nations report, “more people now die from contaminated and polluted water than from all forms of violence including wars.” The UN reports that two million tons of waste—agricultural and industrial, as well as sewage and so on—are discharged every day into rivers and seas, spreading illness and damaging ecosystems.

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Benefits of Family Meals

Fewer than half of the Finnish 14- to 16-year-olds interviewed in a recent survey eat with their family. The study revealed that in many homes no meals are actually served. Yet, youths yearn for these regular, relaxed moments with their family. When asked what they wanted from their parents, the message was clear: “Warm meals, eating together as a family, and someone who listens and has time for you,” reports the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. Family meals have an important impact on a youth’s mental health. According to the article, “youths who take part in family meals are usually doing well in school, they seldom smoke, drink, or use drugs, and they are less frequently depressed.”

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The Coffee Dilemma

OVER 1,500,000,000 cups a day! According to a recent estimate, that is how much coffee the world drinks. This vast consumption has persisted despite repeated warnings from scientists over the years that coffee drinkers face a virtual plethora of hazards, ranging from heart disease to diabetes and even various types of cancer. Why is it, then, that so few coffee drinkers have dropped their cups and run from the drink?

Over the past 40 years, scientists have published more than five hundred reports on the effects of coffee drinking. But so far their conclusions have been, well, inconclusive. Why? For one thing, coffee is more complex than it looks. A cup of coffee may contain as many as five hundred naturally occurring chemicals. Yet, most studies focus on just one ingredient, the stimulant caffeine.

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Tormented by Phobias

“Phobias have often been a subject of ridicule. But ‘funny’ is one thing they are not.”—Jerilyn Ross, director of a treatment center for anxiety disorders

THE word “phobia” refers to an intense, unrealistic fear of an object, an event, or a feeling. But a definition alone cannot convey the terror and loneliness that mark this condition. Raeann Dumont, who has treated phobias for more than two decades, notes: “Phobic people may avoid so many situations that they become housebound, or they may live with constant, unrelenting anxiety, or they may relieve their anxiety with alcohol, which may cause additional problems.”

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Treatment Obstacles

In time, the large pharmaceutical companies started to offer AIDS drugs at much lower prices to developing countries in need. It was hoped that in this way many more people would be able to make use of the drugs. However, there are major obstacles to overcome to make such drugs readily available in developing lands. One of these is the cost. Even at drastically reduced prices, the drugs are still far too expensive for the majority of the people who need them.

Another problem is that the drugs are not easy to administer. Many pills must be taken daily, at specified times. If they are not taken correctly or if the medication routine is interrupted, this could lead to the development of drug-resistant strains of HIV. It is difficult to ensure adherence to correct dosages in African conditions, where there may be little food, a low supply of clean drinking water, and few medical facilities.

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Smoking Deaths Helpful to the Economy?

“Philip Morris Cos. officials in the Czech Republic have been distributing an economic analysis concluding that . . . smokers’ early deaths help offset medical expenses,” says The Wall Street Journal. “The report, commissioned by the cigarette maker . . . , totes up smoking’s ‘positive effects’ on national finances, including revenue from excise and other taxes on cigarettes and ‘health-care cost savings due to early mortality.’” The article adds: “Weighing the costs and benefits, the report concludes that in 1999 the government had a net gain of 5.82 billion koruna ($147.1 million) from smoking.”

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Will Science Cure the World?

WILL modern science cure the world? In view of the many accomplishments in health care, some feel that this is not a far-fetched notion.

Governments and private benefactors are now working together with the United Nations in an unprecedented campaign against disease. One concerted effort focuses on the immunization of children in developing countries. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, if countries achieve their goals, “by 2015, more than 70 million children who live in the world’s poorest countries will receive each year life-saving vaccines against the following diseases: tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, rubella, yellow fever, haemophilus influenzae type B, hepatitis B, polio, rotavirus, pneumococcus, meningococcus, and Japanese encephalitis.” Measures are also being taken to provide basic health necessities, such as adequate access to clean water, better nutrition, and hygiene education.

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That Amazing Weed—The Dandelion

Dandelions “are reviled as Public Enemy No. One by golf course superintendents and fastidious lawn owners everywhere” and as “the weed that won’t go away,” states The News of Mexico City. Yet, the dandelion “is one of the world’s most healthful plants” and can contribute much to your health and diet. Rich in Vitamin A and potassium, the dandelion is more nutritious than broccoli or spinach.

All its parts are useful. The young leaves can be used as greens in salads or in almost any recipe calling for spinach; the dried, roasted roots, for a coffeelike beverage; and the blossoms, for wine. Historically dandelion has been used as a liver tonic and cleanser, as a blood purifier and builder, and as a mild diuretic. The dandelion is “one of the top six herbs in the Chinese medicine chest,” declares The News. And for people who have a lawn or access to a pasture, dandelions are free.

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Stress—Its Causes and Effects

WHAT is stress? According to one expert, stress may be defined as “any physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension.” Does this mean that stress is inherently harmful? No. As Dr. Melissa C. Stöppler observes, “a mild degree of stress and tension can sometimes be beneficial. Feeling mildly stressed when carrying out a project or assignment often compels us to do a good job and to work energetically.”

So when is stress a problem? Says Stöppler: “It is only when stress is overwhelming, or poorly managed, that its negative effects appear.” Consider some common sources of stress.

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Narcolepsy—The Sleeping Illness

Narcolepsy is an illness that causes its victims to have frequent attacks of sleepiness. Explains sleep researcher Wilse B. Webb: “People with narcolepsy will, while performing normal day-to-day activities, suddenly and involuntarily lapse into sleep lasting from a very few minutes to episodes of up to 15 minutes.” The attacks can come virtually anytime—during a lecture, while carrying on conversation, or while driving an automobile. Other symptoms often include sudden muscle weakness, sleep paralysis, and frightening hallucinations.

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Why Men Die Younger

“A man’s life, a miserable life: men get sick sooner and die sooner.” This grim picture was painted by the organizers of the first World Congress on Men’s Health, held in Vienna, Austria. They were alarmed, reports the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, by the fact that men die, on average, five years earlier than women.

Why do men die younger? For one thing, they are more likely to smoke or drink excessively. Overeating and lack of exercise are other major risk factors—70 percent of middle-aged men are said to be overweight. Moreover, many suffer from the stress of trying to balance work and family. And men are less likely to go to a doctor when they are sick or to seek preventive health care. Summing it up, Siegfried Meryn, one of the congress organizers, said: “Medically, men are indeed worse off.”

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Good Music Can Be Good Medicine

“Among the reasons for the existence of music in virtually every culture [is] its ability to elicit and maintain human health and well-being,” says the book Principles and Practice of Stress Management. When we are singing, notes another reference, our entire body resounds and vibrates. In turn, gentle vibrations help tissues relax and dilate, which may help to reduce pain.

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Oxygen-Starved Eyes

Some contact-lens wearers may be starving their eyes of oxygen, reports The Globe and Mail. “Vascularization occurs when the cornea [the eye’s transparent cover] can’t get the oxygen it needs through surface contact with the air and begins growing blood vessels to compensate.” Impaired vision or even blindness can result.

Dr. Raymond Stein, chief of ophthalmology at a Toronto hospital, says that the “worst scenario is when a patient fails to take care of his or her lenses and does not come in for follow-up.” Optometrists encourage patients to consult an eye-care professional to make sure that they have the right contact lenses for their particular eyes and then to follow the recommended wear schedule and lens-care instructions.

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The Power of a Smile

Although it lasts only a moment, the memory may stay with you all your life. Its value is immense, but nobody is so poor that he cannot share it or so rich that he does not need it. What are we talking about? A smile.

A smile is produced by a muscular contraction in which the eyes brighten and the corners of the mouth curve slightly upward expressing satisfaction. During the first few weeks after birth, a baby smiles, and this, of course, delights the proud new parents. These early smiles are known as reflex, or involuntary, smiles. Experts explain that this kind of smile appears often during dreaming and seems to be related to internal feelings and activity of the central nervous system. Even when we are adults, this reflex smile may still occur after a meal or while we are listening to music.

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