Kaffir lime or Makrut lime—Citrus hystrix DC
This prized fragrant plant has been commonly used as an herb in Southeast Asian recipes and has a wonderful aroma and enormous medicinal qualities. The lime, as well as the leaves, is flavor-packed and filled with phytonutrients that enhance our diet and health. In this section, we will have a brief description of the science behind the Kaffir lime.
Composition:
Kaffir lime is rich in potassium, vitamin C, folic acid, tannins, flavonoids, pectins, coumarins, and saponins. The lime has various volatile compounds that include limonene oxide, citronella, lupeol, citronellol, stearic acid, β-pinene, linalool, etc. The juice is an excellent source of terpenes.
Dietary benefits:
The Kaffir lime itself has been shown to be cytotoxic against cancer cells of cervical cancer and neuroblastoma. They have been shown to decrease the proliferation of leukemic cell lines. The extracts also seemed to have an effect on triple-negative breast cancer, inhibiting tumor growth by stopping the cell cycle and promoting cell death, or apoptosis.
It also has noted antibacterial effects against common pathogens like staph aureus, haemophilus influenzae, and strep pneumoniae.
It is important to note that the leaves of the Kaffir lime had hepatoprotective effects for the liver in cases of paracetamol-medicated damage in lab animals.
As detailed above, this aromatic plant is rich in various nutrients. Also, it is important to discuss with your healthcare professional when dealing with allergies with respect to these plants. This is a plant with strong aromatic properties that can be utilized in various ways. As always, I wish that you keep your health and nutrition in center focus and live long and strong!
