LIME Overview Information
Lime is a citrus fruit. The juice, fruit, peel, and oil are used to make medicine. Oil pressed from the crushed fruit is known as “distilled lime oil.” Oil pressed from the unripe peel is known as “expressed lime oil.”
Lime juice is used for severe diarrhea (dysentery).
Some people apply lime oil directly to the skin to kill germs, treat nausea, and as a stimulant.
In cosmetics, lime oil is used as a fragrance component and as a “fixative.”
How does it work?
There isn't enough information to know how lime works.
LIME Uses & Effectiveness 
Insufficient Evidence for:
- Iron deficiency. Early research suggests that drinking one liter of lime juice per day for 6 days per week for 8 months does not improve low iron levels in women who eat foods containing iron that is difficult for the body to absorb.
- Severe diarrhea (dysentery).
- Nausea.
- Killing germs on the skin.
- Other conditions.
LIME Side Effects & Safety
Lime is LIKELY SAFE for most adults when used in amounts found in foods.
Lime peel is POSSIBLY SAFE when taken by mouth in medicinal amounts.
Applying lime oil directly to the skin is POSSIBLY UNSAFE. Some people are sensitive to lime oil when it is applied directly to the skin. Lime oil can cause the skin to be very sensitive to the sunlight. Wear sunblock and protective clothing outside, especially if you are light-skinned.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There is not enough reliable information about the safety of taking lime if you are pregnant or breast feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid using lime in amounts greater than what is normally found in food.LIME Interactions
Moderate Interaction Be cautious with this combination
- Medications changed by the liver (Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) substrates) interacts with LIME
Some medications are changed and broken down by the liver.
Lime juice might decrease how quickly the liver breaks down some medications. Drinking lime juice while taking some medications that are broken down by the liver can increase the effects and side effects of these medications. Before taking lime, talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking any medications that are changed by the liver. Some medications changed by the liver include lovastatin (Mevacor), ketoconazole (Nizoral), itraconazole (Sporanox), fexofenadine (Allegra), triazolam (Halcion), and many others. - Medications that increase sensitivity to sunlight (Photosensitizing drugs) interacts with LIME
Some medications can increase sensitivity to sunlight. Lime oil might also increase your sensitivity to sunlight. Using lime oil along with medications that increase sensitivity to sunlight could increase the chances of sunburn, and blistering or rashes on areas of skin exposed to sunlight. Be sure to wear sunblock and protective clothing when spending time in the sun.
Some drugs that cause photosensitivity include amitriptyline (Elavil), Ciprofloxacin (Cipro), norfloxacin (Noroxin), lomefloxacin (Maxaquin), ofloxacin (Floxin), levofloxacin (Levaquin), sparfloxacin (Zagam), gatifloxacin (Tequin), moxifloxacin (Avelox), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (Septra), tetracycline, methoxsalen (8-methoxypsoralen, 8-MOP, Oxsoralen), and Trioxsalen (Trisoralen).
LIME Dosing
The appropriate dose of lime depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for lime. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.
