Pros & Cons of Citric Acid in Lemon Juice

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the pros and cons of citric acid in lemon juice, highlighting its effects on dental health and potential antibacterial properties. Citric acid, while beneficial for whitening teeth and reducing tartar when used cautiously, poses a risk of enamel damage due to its high acidity. Additionally, research by Professor Roger Short from the University of Melbourne suggests that lemon juice may have antiviral properties, particularly against HIV, although this claim remains controversial and untested in human trials. The conversation emphasizes the need for careful consideration of citric acid's effects on both dental health and its potential medical applications.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of citric acid and its chemical properties
  • Basic knowledge of dental health and tooth enamel
  • Familiarity with the role of pH in bacterial survival
  • Awareness of current research methodologies in virology
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the effects of citric acid on tooth enamel and dental health
  • Explore the antibacterial properties of citric acid in various concentrations
  • Investigate the current status of research on lemon juice as an antiviral agent
  • Learn about the pH levels that affect bacterial survival and growth
USEFUL FOR

Dental health professionals, microbiologists, researchers in virology, and anyone interested in the health implications of citric acid in food and its potential medicinal uses.

NZGurl
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Hey Guys,
Sorry once again i am posting a thread of a boring topic, but seriously i couldn't find any information on the search engines that why i need your help on, the advantages and disdavantages of Citric acid in lemon juice.

I found couple of sentences, but i don't know what it means, so i will just copy and paste the info i got, and if anyone here knows anything can you just tell me.

"In order to have very white teeth, brush them twice a week with a mix of not diluted lemon, lime (green lemon) and grapefruit juice (same quantities). This helps also to reduce tartar. On the other way, try to avoid biting and sucking lemon juice, because of the high concentration of citric acid, a prolonged contact can damage the enamel. Lemon juice is very acidic and can dissolve tooth enamel on newly erupted teeth"

How does a higher concentration of citric acid can damage the enamel of a tooth?

"University of Melbourne's Professor Roger Short made the discovery that lemon juice kills the AIDS virus after he put lemon juice in a test tube with HIV-positive sperm and the sperm were permanently immobilised within 30 seconds. In Australia the Federal Government had refused to fund human trials of this discovery but Roger found the Thai government interested and they will fund a trial on at least 400 Thai men and women. Roger claims the lemon juice also killed syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia. This was due to the acidity of Officials at the international AIDS conference in Bangkok announced the first human trial. "

How come the lemon juice killed the baterias? Is it because of the high acidity of citric acid in lemon juice which killed the baterias?
 
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1. Citric acid is acidic (nothing strange) and have some complexing abilities, thus it may help remove tartar and it may damage the enamel. This is not a rocket science.

2. I don't get it. I am ready to show experimentally that hydrochloric acid kills HIV virus in sperm too. Sulfuric acid too, even easier, as it can be prepared much more concentrated. Perhaps there is something missing in this information, as I can't see any way of using neither citric nor hydrochloric acid to fight AIDS. I also doubt anyone will decide to use concentrated sulfuric acid for this purpose :)

More seriously - most bacterias will die if the pH is far from neutral. There are species that can survive even pH = 1 (like Helicobacter pylori), but these are just exceptions proving the rule.
 
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