1 Lemons are thought to have originated in the wild both in China and India and have been in existence for at least 4,000 years. They were taken to the Middle East between 400 and 600 BC and then to the Mediterranean where food historians say they have been in cultivation from as early as the first century AD.

2 The next time you have a sore throat, reach for this citrus fruit. Add the juice of one lemon to an equal amount of hot water for an anti-bacterial gargle, advises www.sunkist.com, which also says a bowl of fresh lemons will add fragrance and colour to a room for days.

3 The lemon is very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. It is also a good source of folate and potassium, and an excellent source of vitamin C, according to www.nutritiondata.com

4 A medium lemon (about 60g) contains just 15 calories, which include 5g carbohydrate, 1g dietary fibre and 4g sugars.

5 You can store lemons at room temperature for about two weeks. They will keep for up to six weeks in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, www.foodreference.com says.

6 Lemon juice is often cited as a good stain remover. For rust stains from clothing, moisten the spot with lemon juice, sprinkle with salt and leave in the sun for a couple of days, advises www.fairfaxfresh.com/facts, which has a list of other tips on the uses of lemons.

7 Lemon juice helps in cleansing our body of impurities. Its vitamin C content helps prevent diseases and believers in natural remedies favour it for treating asthma, colds, coughs, heart burn, liver complaints, fevers and rheumatism. It helped prevent scurvy in navigators of old.

8 The lemon as a fashion statement? During the Renaissance in Europe, fashionable ladies were said to have used lemon juice to redden their lips.

This story was first published in the Mind Your Body supplement on Apr 30, 2008.