Yuzu 101: Traditional and Medicinal Uses

On the hillsides of the Shikoku and Kyushu islands grows a mandarin-like fruit that many people living outside of Japan have never seen before. Until just recently, this flavorful citrus fruit was found exclusively in Japan, Korea, and China. These days, it’s everywhere. From infused drinks to your morning jam, this Asian fruit has made its mark in recent years. The fruit we’re talking about is yuzu. Yuzu has been prized for centuries for its health and traditional uses. This article will explore both of those and why the yuzu craze is here in the west and stronger than ever.

What is yuzu?

Yuzu fruit, written as ゆず in Japanese, is a sour mandarin relative that reached Japan by way of Chinese monks in the 7th century¹. These days, yuzu is a staple in Japanese cuisine. It can be found cultivated in Southern Japan near the Shikoku and Kyushu Islands or found in the wild on the western side of the island on the outskirts of Osaka and Kyoto.

Physically, yuzu is about the size of a mandarin with a rough, bumpy, and thick peel. The flavor is a refreshing combination of lemon, grapefruit, and mandarin. It’s a fan favorite for infusing into food dishes leaving behind a lemony taste and aroma. Whether you’re making a traditional Japanese ponzu sauce infused with yuzu or adding it to an herbal tincture, like we did with our limited-edition Take the Edge Off™ with Yuzu formula, you’ll love the flavor and feeling the citrus fruit adds to your food and beverages.

Traditional uses of Yuzu

Yuzu has been used for centuries and has thus developed several valuable traditional uses. All parts of yuzu like the juice, rind, and essential oil have been utilized for food and medicine. The juice and rind are most popularly found in foods like Japanese ponzu sauce, vinegar, and even pound cake.

Yuzu is prized for its unique aroma and the essential oil it produces. For thousands of years, the Japanese have added whole yuzu fruits or peels in their baths in a practice called yuzu-yu¹. It’s said that on the winter solstice in Japan, you can find many people adding yuzu to a bath and allowing its citrus elements and aroma to refresh the skin, protect against unwanted illness, and relax the mind and body².

Health benefits of Yuzu

Yuzu’s aroma and fruit aren’t just for show. Mother Nature created yuzu with plenty of health benefits in mind. For one, yuzu has incredibly high antioxidant content. It contains three times more vitamin C than your average lemon³. The result is more skin-nourishing antioxidants to help fend off free radicals and boost natural collagen production. Yuzu’s antioxidant content doesn’t stop there. It also contains flavonoids like limonene, anthocyanins, and carotenoids which help the body respond to stress and even help support healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels³.

Even in ancient times, yuzu was used to help ease stress and relax people’s minds and bodies—and there’s a scientific reason for that. The aroma of yuzu fruit has been shown to ease stress levels and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. One study even found that inhaling yuzu essential oil for 10-25 minutes dramatically reduced heart rate, boosted mood, and calmed feelings of stress and fatigue⁴.

The connection between yuzu’s vitamin and mineral content with its essential oil has shown promise for healthy weight loss. It’s been said that even the aroma of yuzu can aid in the rest and digestion process—an essential component of maintaining a healthy weight¹. In addition, new research has pointed to the benefits of yuzu peel for weight loss. One animal study implied that yuzu peel had weight-regulating effects and may be used along with other interventions to help maintain healthy weight⁵.

Conclusion

As you can see, yuzu is more than a popular citrus fruit from Japan. It’s a medicinal and traditional staple that centuries of use and the latest science have affirmed. To ensure you enjoy the best quality yuzu in your herbal routine, we’ve made a Clinical Herbalist-crafted, limited-edition tincture to help ease your stress and tension while keeping you as cool as a yuzu fruit all season long. Introducing: Take the Edge Off™ with Yuzu. The same tension-taming tincture you love is now infused with vibrant Japanese yuzu juice for a refreshing twist on your favorite white wine alternative formula. Take home a drop of cool today before this limited-edition formula leaves our herbal medicine cabinet for good.