Know2eat

Limes

Citrus aurantiifolia

What limes has been studied for

1 association assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.

  • 1 Insufficient
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About limes

A small green citrus, more acidic and more aromatic than lemon, used mostly for juice and zest rather than eaten as fruit. Key and Persian types differ in size, seediness and aroma.

Also known as Key lime, Persian lime, Mexican lime

Kidney & Urinary Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Insufficient

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Kidney and urinary function

Kidney & Urinary Health
Insufficient evidence

Citrate from citrus juice raises urinary citrate, which is relevant to calcium stone formation, but most of the human work uses lemon or orange juice. Lime specifically has only a scattering of small studies, and no dependable conclusion can be drawn.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Limes

Ask about Limes

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories30 kcal2%
Protein0.7 g1%
Total fat0.2 g0%
Carbohydrate10.5 g4%
Fibre2.8 g10%
Total sugars1.69 g—
Water88.3 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.022 g0%
Monounsaturated fat0.019 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.055 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.036 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A2 µg0%
Vitamin C29.1 mg32%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.22 mg1%
Vitamin K0.6 µg1%
Thiamin (B1)0.03 mg3%
Riboflavin (B2)0.02 mg2%
Niacin (B3)0.2 mg1%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.217 mg4%
Vitamin B60.043 mg3%
Folate8 µg2%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline5.1 mg1%
Minerals
Calcium33 mg3%
Iron0.6 mg3%
Magnesium6 mg1%
Phosphorus18 mg1%
Potassium102 mg2%
Sodium2 mg0%
Zinc0.11 mg1%
Copper0.065 mg7%
Manganese0.0080 mg0%
Selenium0.4 µg1%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene30 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0.3 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Limes, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 168155).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    Phytophotodermatitis from lime juice on skin

    Lime peel and juice contain furanocoumarins. Juice on the skin followed by sunlight produces a delayed chemical burn with blistering and long-lasting brown staining, sometimes called margarita burn. It is a common summer presentation and is entirely preventable by washing hands.

  • Worth knowing

    Dental erosion

    Lime is among the most acidic common foods. Habitual sucking of lime wedges or sipping lime water through the day is a documented cause of enamel erosion.

  • Interaction

    Furanocoumarins and drug metabolism

    Limes contain furanocoumarins of the same family responsible for the grapefruit effect, though usually in smaller amounts and eaten in much smaller quantities. Large intakes of lime juice alongside medicines metabolised by CYP3A4 are worth raising with a pharmacist.