How Much Mg In One Lemon? | Quick Facts Guide

Shoppers often want a straight answer about the milligrams in a lemon. The twist is that different parts of the fruit carry different amounts. Below you’ll find clear numbers for a typical whole lemon, plus a quick way to estimate values for juice or wedges.

How Many Milligrams Are In A Lemon? Quick Reference

Most nutrition tables are shown per 100 grams, so the figures below scale those lab values to a common market fruit. A typical lemon without peel weighs around 58 grams, which is the serving size used by major databases. The table gives the milligrams you’re likely to get from one fruit.

Nutrient (mg)	Per Whole Lemon (58 g, no peel)	How We Derived It
Vitamin C	≈31 mg	USDA 53 mg/100 g scaled to 58 g
Potassium	≈80 mg	USDA 139 mg/100 g scaled
Magnesium	≈5 mg	USDA 8 mg/100 g scaled
Calcium	≈15 mg	USDA 26 mg/100 g scaled
Phosphorus	≈20 mg	USDA 34 mg/100 g scaled
Sodium	≈2 mg	USDA 4 mg/100 g scaled

Those numbers line up with the federal database entry for “lemons, raw, without peel,” which also lists “1 fruit (2-1/8 inch dia) (58 g)” as a standard serving size. You can view that entry through a public portal that mirrors FoodData Central values: lemons, raw, without peel. Milligrams vary with variety and ripeness, yet the ranges above hold up well for market fruit.

What Changes When You Use Only The Juice?

Juice carries slightly different balances. Per 100 grams, raw juice shows fewer vitamin C milligrams than the whole segments and a touch more potassium. A small squeeze rarely weighs much, so it helps to think in typical kitchen yields:

• 1 lemon yields about 48 g juice.
• 1 wedge gives roughly 6 g.
• 1 fluid ounce of juice weighs about 31 g.

Using those yields and the lab values for raw juice, one whole lemon’s worth of juice supplies around 19 mg vitamin C and about 120 mg potassium. For detailed per-serving numbers, see the companion entry: lemon juice, raw.

Why The Milligram Counts Matter

Milligram totals help you compare foods against label reference values. On U.S. nutrition labels the daily value sits at 90 mg for vitamin C, 4700 mg for potassium, 420 mg for magnesium, and 1300 mg for calcium. One lemon makes a small dent in potassium and magnesium but serves a handy share of vitamin C. Two fruits usually place you over a third of the vitamin C daily value without adding many calories. For the current list, see the FDA daily values.

Method: How We Calculated The Numbers

The figures are scaled directly from laboratory data. For the fruit without peel, vitamin C sits near 53 mg per 100 g. Multiply by 0.58 and you land at ~31 mg for a medium. The same step gives ~80 mg potassium, ~5 mg magnesium, and ~15 mg calcium. For juice, the per-100-gram vitamin C is near 38.7 mg; a 48 g yield gives about 19 mg. These scaled values match the serving selectors on the source pages when you toggle to “1 fruit” or “1 lemon yields.”

Size, Variety, And Part: What Shifts The Mg In A Lemon

Fruit Size

Larger fruit carry more grams, so all milligrams rise with size. A jumbo piece at 84 g lifts the vitamin C toward 45 mg and potassium toward 117 mg. Smaller fruit do the reverse. When cooking, weigh one lemon once, and you’ll have a reliable multiplier for your kitchen.

Whole Segments Versus Juice

Segments include pulp walls and more watery flesh. That’s why vitamin C per 100 g trends higher in the whole segments than in plain juice. If your goal is maximum ascorbic acid per gram, use the segments in dressings or marinades instead of straining every drop.

Zest And Peel

Zest adds aroma and tiny amounts of minerals, but it’s light. A teaspoon of finely grated zest weighs only about 2 g, so the mineral contribution is small next to the flesh or juice. It’s great for flavor, not for milligram goals.

Practical Ways To Hit Milligram Targets With Lemons

Daily Vitamin C Boost

Drop segments into water, whisk a quick vinaigrette with crushed pulp, or squeeze juice over cooked vegetables. Two medium fruits across a day give you a solid chunk of vitamin C with little sugar or sodium.

Potassium And Magnesium Add-Ons

Lemons won’t carry your whole mineral quota, yet they pair well with foods that do. Toss roasted potatoes with lemon and herbs for a higher potassium plate. Add a squeeze over beans or lentil salads to layer modest magnesium from the lemon on top of a mineral-rich base.

Smart Cooking Moves

• Use segments in salsas to retain more vitamin C per gram.
• Add the squeeze at the end of cooking to limit heat loss of delicate vitamins.
• Save the zest for aroma and color; it changes flavor more than milligrams.

Milligrams In Common Lemon Servings

Use this table when you don’t have a scale. Values are rounded from the same source data and keep kitchen yields in mind.

Serving	Vitamin C (mg)	Potassium (mg)
1 fruit without peel (58 g)	≈31	≈80
1 lemon yields (48 g juice)	≈19	≈120
1 wedge (6 g juice)	≈2	≈15
1 fl oz juice (31 g)	≈12	≈78
1 cup juice (244 g)	≈94	≈251

How This Fits With Label Daily Values

Here’s a quick way to read the numbers in context. A medium fruit covers around 34% of the vitamin C daily value. The same fruit adds roughly 2% of magnesium, under 2% of calcium, and a sliver of potassium against the 4700 mg benchmark. Juice shifts the balance a little: you’ll take in fewer vitamin C milligrams per 100 g, yet the potassium edge climbs slightly.

Shopping And Storage Tips That Preserve Milligrams

Pick The Right Fruit

Choose lemons that feel heavy for their size and have smooth skin. Heavier fruit tend to be juicier, which helps if you’re counting juice-based milligrams for a recipe or a drink.

Store For Freshness

Keep them in the fridge in a breathable bag. Cold storage slows moisture loss, which keeps the per-fruit milligram values closer to the charts above. Whole fruit last weeks; cut fruit should be wrapped and used within a couple of days.

Prep With Care

Slice with a sharp knife and avoid leaving cut surfaces exposed for long stretches. Acids protect vitamin C to a degree, yet surface drying trims totals. If you need zest and juice, zest first, then squeeze.

Answers To Common “How Many Mg” Moments

Squeezing Into Water

A glass with half a lemon gives you around 9 to 10 mg vitamin C and a light dusting of minerals. It’s a bright flavor lift with a measurable nutrient bump.

Salad Dressings And Marinades

Two tablespoons of juice weigh near 30 g, landing around 12 mg vitamin C. Add chopped segments for a bigger milligram total without changing calories much.

Baking

Heat trims vitamin C, so rely on zest for aroma and add juice late when possible. Minerals are heat-stable in typical baking and roasting.

Trusted Sources For The Numbers

The nutrient values and serving masses come from the federal database entries for “lemons, raw, without peel” and “lemon juice, raw,” made accessible through a public nutrition portal. The daily values listed above match the current U.S. label reference figures. For medical dosing advice, use clinical guidance and professional care; the numbers here are food amounts.

References: See the citrus entries on the nutrition portal linked above and the FDA daily values list.