5 Lemon Essential Oil Benefits

Today we’re discussing one of my favorite all-natural home remedies: lemon essential oil. And if you don’t know much about this natural therapeutic agent, you’re going to be amazed by all the lemon essential oil benefits that are available to you.

From cleaning the air in your home to aiding with stress management to boosting your creativity, lemon essential oil benefits your life in so many ways that you’ll wonder how you went so long without it. Let’s dive in!

 

5 Surprising Lemon Essential Oil Benefits

Here are five of the top surprising lemon essential oil benefits.

1. Can reduce airborne pathogens by up to 60 percent

One of the amazing lemon essential oil benefits is its ability to clarify the air impurities in your home.

A 2019 study measured the efficacy of diffusing certain essential oils in reducing the microbial contamination in two hospital wards. Before the oils were diffused into the air, the researchers measured the amounts of airborne bacteria and fungi in the wards.

Then, the researchers diffused both lemon and silver fir essential oils into the air. They found that two hours after the oils were diffused, the airborne bacteria were reduced by approximately 40 percent.

Meanwhile, the airborne fungi were reduced by up to an astonishing 60 percent! [1] As a result, this study revealed how both silver fir essential oil and lemon essential oil benefits indoor air quality by reducing airborne pathogens.

Personally, I like to diffuse a mixture of lavender, peppermint, and lemon essential oils to help reduce the effect of allergens and airborne pathogens in my home.

Try adding two to three drops of each in your diffuser to help reduce the microbes in your living space. Plus, the peppermint is especially helpful in opening your sinuses while the lavender provides a calming effect. It’s a win-win!

2. Helps relieve stress

In addition to riding indoor air of impurities, lemon essential oil benefits your physical and mental health as well by helping to relieve stress.

According to one animal study, compared to lavender and rose essential oils, inhaling lemon oil had the strongest anti-stress effects in mice. [2] The study revealed that lemon oil provided a calming effect as well.

These effects were the result of lemon essential oil’s ability to help modulate serotonin and dopamine receptors in the mice’s brains.

So, the next time you’re under stress, consider diffusing some lemon essential oil to help restore calm to both your mind and body.

3. Supports healthy weight management

Amazingly, lemon essential oil benefits your weight loss goals as well by supporting healthy weight management. But just how does lemon oil do this?

Well, according to one study, the smell of both grapefruit essential oil and lemon essential oil benefits weight by activating sympathetic nerve activity and supplying white adipose tissue (the fat that usually ends up around our midsections) with nerves (a process known as innervation). [3]

This is important because innervation facilitates the breakdown of that fat, which helps to reduce harmful body fat and, as a result, suppress weight gain.

If you’re concerned about weight gain, this is one way lemon essential oil benefits your overall health goals. And it’s one more reason why you should consider diffusing this oil in your home on a regularly basis.

4. Enhances concentration, mood, and creativity

Another one of my favorite lemon essential oil benefits is its ability to help enhance concentration, mood, and even creativity.

In fact, according to a 2005 study on 58 fourth-grade students, diffusing lemon essential oil in their classrooms for four weeks resulted in better test performance. The students showed significantly improved attention and concentration levels as well as improved moods. [4]

Additionally, another study on 56 healthy adults revealed that lemon essential oil significantly enhanced positive moods and elevated their norepinephrine levels. And immune function. [5]

5. Helps repel insects

Finally, lemon essential oil benefits extend to repelling pesky insects as well. And since many popular commercially-sold bug repellants contain DEET, this is a pretty big benefit.

Why? Well, a 2009 study found that DEET actually contains behavior-modifying properties and may even inhibit cholinesterase activity, which is connected to neurotransmitter function. [6]

Fortunately, there are many all-natural alternatives, such as my DIY Bug Spray and essential oils such as lemon. In fact, according to one study, lemon essential oil was found to repel a species of mosquitos called Anopheles stephensi, which is actually a main vector of malaria! [7]

So, if you ever find that you’re going to be outdoors and don’t have your homemade bug spray ready for use, simply keeping a little lemon essential oil and applying it with a carrier oil can do the trick!

 

Lemon essential oil benefits - Dr. Pingel

 

Key Takeaways