Limes: Nutrients, What Research Shows and Safety

Limes are the small green fruits of citrus trees, mainly Persian or Tahiti lime (Citrus x latifolia) and Key lime (Citrus aurantiifolia), in the rue family (Rutaceae). The juicy flesh and juice are used, and sometimes the zest. People eat limes for their sour taste and their vitamin C. This page keeps the food apart from supplements and from hype, and says plainly where the research is thin.

Read this first

• Limes are an everyday food. As with any food, an allergic reaction is possible. For trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat, call 911. See food allergy basics and emergency signs.
• Lime juice or peel on wet skin, followed by sunlight, can cause a skin reaction with dark marks, sometimes called "margarita dermatitis". [5][6]
• The FDA's grapefruit-and-medicines page names grapefruit, Seville oranges, pomelos and tangelos. It does not name limes. [7] We found no source that settles the question for limes, so ask a pharmacist if you take medicines with a grapefruit warning.
• Honest summary: limes give a useful share of vitamin C, and vitamin C prevents scurvy. We found no good human trial showing that eating limes treats or prevents any other disease.

What is in it (USDA values)

Source: USDA FoodData Central, Limes, raw (SR Legacy, FDC 168155). [1] Per-fruit figures are the per-100 g values scaled to the USDA household portion of 67 g. % Daily Value uses the FDA 2016 Daily Values; values vary with variety, ripeness and storage.

Limes also contain plant compounds. In laboratory work on lime peel extract, researchers identified hesperidin and limonin among many compounds. [8] That is lab evidence only (cells and chemical tests), and it does not show a benefit in people. Lime juice is mostly used in small amounts, so the amount of any one compound a person gets is small.

What research says

Eaten as food vs taken as a supplement or extract. Cochrane's cold results come from vitamin C tablets. They say little about the small amount of vitamin C in a squeeze of lime. Lime extracts studied in the lab are not the same as the fruit. A food that contains a nutrient is not proof that eating it treats a disease.

How much is a normal serving

USDA lists one lime (2 inch diameter) as 67 g, which is the household portion used in the table above. This is information, not a prescription. We could not read the MyPlate figure for daily fruit, so we do not quote one here. Most people use lime as juice, zest or a wedge, so the amount eaten is often small. The NHS says vitamin C is not stored in the body, so a daily supply is needed. [2] MedlinePlus says cooking, microwaving, long storage and light reduce vitamin C in produce, so raw fresh limes keep the most. [3] For juice versus whole fruit, see fruit juice vs whole fruit.

Safety, allergy and medicines

• Sun-sensitive skin reaction (phytophotodermatitis). Lime juice or peel on the skin followed by UVA light (sunlight) can cause a rash or dark patches. A 2026 literature review of 14 cases described delayed, painless darkening, most often on the backs of the hands, appearing from two days to several weeks later. [5] Another case came from a spilled mojito in strong sun. [6] Rinsing juice off the skin before going into the sun is a sensible step but we did not find an official source for it, so ask a skin doctor if it happens.
• Allergy. Citrus allergy exists. One small study of five people with orange allergy found a shared protein in orange, lemon and mandarin extracts. [11] We found no source describing lime allergy specifically. For trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat, call 911.
• Medicines. The FDA says grapefruit juice can raise the blood level of some medicines by blocking an intestinal enzyme (CYP3A4), and that Seville oranges, pomelos and tangelos might act similarly. [7] Limes are not named. Proper evidence not found in the sources we read that limes behave the same way. Ask your pharmacist.
• Very large vitamin C doses (supplements). The NHS says more than 1,000 mg a day from supplements can cause stomach pain and diarrhoea. [2] MedlinePlus says amounts above 2,000 mg a day can cause stomach upset and rarely kidney stones. [3] Normal food portions of limes are far below these figures.
• Kidney stones, reflux, tooth enamel, potassium restriction. Limes have little potassium per fruit (1% Daily Value). [1] Proper evidence not found for the other questions (searched Europe PMC for lime and kidney stones). Ask a clinician if this applies to you.
• Pesticide residues. A 2026 laboratory method paper tested 22 real Tahiti lime samples and found residues in 14, some above EU limits. [12] It is one study from a method-testing paper, so it does not tell you the risk of the limes in your shop. Washing is covered below.
• Pregnancy. Proper evidence not found in the sources we read for lime as a food. See foods in pregnancy: what official bodies advise.

Choosing, storing and food safety

• Choose fruit that is not bruised or damaged. [13]
• Rinse under running water before cutting, even if you will not eat the peel, and do not use soap or produce wash. [13]
• Washing lowers bacteria but does not remove them all. Dry with a clean towel. [13]
• Keep cut fruit at 40 degrees F or colder. [13]

Related pages

• Citrus fruits: what research shows
• Foods and medicine interactions: vitamin K, grapefruit and others
• Fruit juice vs whole fruit
• Fresh, frozen and canned produce
• Food allergy basics and emergency signs
• Foods, kidney disease, potassium and oxalates