Health and Wellness Claims
Many supporters of the lemon-and-salt trick cite benefits like stress relief, mood-boosting, or even better sleep. Are these claims grounded in anything real? Part of the effect here comes from aromatherapy – the science of scent. Citrus fragrances (including lemon) have been studied for their impact on human emotions:
Mood improvement and relaxation. Several studies suggest that smelling citrus scents can reduce anxiety and improve mood. For example, a Japanese clinical study found that inhaling yuzu (a citrus fruit) oil for 10 minutes significantly lowered measures of tension, depression, anger and confusion for up to 30 minutes afterward. Denver Channel (a news outlet) reports on this study, noting that women who smelled yuzu oil had reduced stress hormones in their saliva compared to controls. While yuzu isn’t lemon, it is a closely related citrus scent. Other aromatherapy research indicates lemon oil in particular is calming: one mouse study showed lemon aroma was a strong relaxant under stress and even more effective than lavender oil in that test. A small human study also found lemon essential oil reduced anxiety in people recovering from surgery. So it is plausible that the faint scent of lemon in a room might help some people feel more relaxed or uplifted. (It’s also possible that simply knowing you are trying a “cleansing ritual” has a placebo effect on feeling calm.)
Natural “air freshener.” Beyond mood, the perception of freshness can itself make you feel better. Having clean air or the idea of a clean environment is psychologically soothing. People often report that a citrus-scented house feels fresher. For example, household cleaning articles note that lemon’s smell “spruces up your environment” and leaves you “relaxed or uplifted” after cleaning. Cutting lemon (or simmering it) is a well-known home remedy to freshen the home. The actual effect is masking odors and giving a “clean” scent. It’s not magical, but it is a natural air freshener. A lemon in the room won’t stay potent very long (maybe a few hours at best), but in that time it will give off a pleasant citrus smell.
Alertness and focus. Some fans claim lemon increases alertness or productivity. There is a bit of intriguing evidence here: in a small 2004 educational study, students who attended a language class in a room diffused with lemon oil performed better on exams than those in a non-scented room. Another small study suggested that aromatherapy with citrus could improve cognitive function in Alzheimer’s patients. These findings hint that lemon scent can perk up the mind. If true, having a gentle lemon aroma in your study or office might help concentration. (However, these studies used stronger aroma diffusion, not a passive lemon slice.)
Sleep and relaxation. There is no strong evidence that lemon specifically improves sleep. In fact, one review of air ionization found no effect on relaxation or sleep. If lemon scent makes you feel clean and calm, it might indirectly help you unwind before bed, but again, this is more personal than proven. Some people even keep lemons with salt near their bed as a nightly ritual to “absorb heavy energies”, but scientifically this is untested.
Bottom line: The aroma of lemon does have some mild mood-enhancing and stress-relieving effects according to aromatherapy research. So placing lemon slices in your room could make the atmosphere feel fresher and more uplifting just by smell. But any therapeutic effect is likely due to scent and personal belief, not the lemon “purifying” anything. Lemon aroma can indeed act like a natural air freshener, helping people feel better about a space, even if it doesn’t change the actual air chemistry. In other words, the psychological benefit is the main “wellness” gain here.
