Lemon water is a popular home remedy, online sources claim that it can help improve digestion, detox the body, or promote weight loss. Lemon water is simply the juice of lemons mixed with water. The amount of lemon juice in lemon water depends on the person’s preference. People may drink it cold or hot. Some people also choose to add lemon rind, mint leaf, honey, turmeric, or other ingredients. Lemon water has become a popular morning beverage, with people using it as a refreshing pick-me-up due to claims that it can boost energy levels and metabolism.
What is Benefits of Lemon Water?
Give your immune system a boost
Vitamin C is like our immune system’s jumper cables, and lemon juice is full of it. The level of vitamin C in your system is one of the first things to plummet when you’re stressed, which is why experts recommended popping extra vitamin C during, especially stressful days.
Excellent source of potassium
As already mentioned, lemons are high in potassium, which is good for heart health, as well as brain and nerve function.
Aid digestion
Lemon juice not only encourages healthy digestion by loosening toxins in your digestive tract, but also helps to relieve symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn, burping, and bloating.
Cleanse your system
It helps flush out the toxins in your body by enhancing enzyme function and stimulating your liver.
Freshen your breath
It helps relieve toothaches and gingivitis. The citric acid can erode tooth enamel, either hold off on brushing your teeth after drinking lemon water or brush your teeth before drinking it.
Keep your skin blemish-free
The antioxidants in lemon juice help not only decrease blemishes but wrinkles too! It can also be applied to scars and age spots to reduce their appearance. Because it’s detoxifying your blood, it will maintain your skin’s radiance.
Help you lose weight
Lemons contain pectin fiber, which assists in fighting hunger cravings.
Reduce inflammation
If you drink lemon water regularly, it will decrease the acidity in your body, which is where disease states occur. It removes uric acid in your joints, which is one of the main causes of inflammation.
Give you an energy boost
Lemon juice provides your body with energy when it enters your digestive tract. It also helps reduce anxiety and depression. (Even the scent of lemons has a calming effect on your nervous system!)
Help to cut out caffeine
Replacing your morning coffee with a cup of hot lemon water can do wonders. You will feel refreshed and no longer have to deal with that pesky afternoon crash. Your nerves will be thankful too.
Help fight viral infections
Warm lemon water is the most effective way to diminish viral infections and their subsequent sore throats. Plus, with the lemon juice also boosting your immune system, you’ll simultaneously fight off the infection completely.
Helps you stay hydrated
Most of us don’t drink enough water. A daily lemon water habit is easy to get your day off on the right foot. How do you know if you’re drinking enough? Your urine is almost clear.
Prevents oxidation
Like all produce, lemons contain phytonutrients, which protect your body against disease. These phytonutrients have powerful antioxidant properties, which prevent cell damage from oxidation, the same mechanism that causes rust.
Supplies a healthy dose of vitamin C
Juice half a lemon into your water and you’ll add a mere 6 calories to your diet. Plus you’ll get more than a sixth of your daily vitamin C, which is needed to protect us from cell damage and repair injury.
Provides a potassium boost
Your body can’t function without potassium. It’s necessary for nerve-muscle communication, transporting nutrients, and waste and blood pressure regulation. Fruits and vegetables are important sources of potassium.
Helps prevent kidney stones
Lemon water helps prevent painful stones in those deficient in urinary citrate (a form of citric acid). More importantly, increased fluids help prevent dehydration — a common cause of kidney stones.
Lemon Water Nutrition
A glass of lemon water containing one 48-gram lemon, squeezed, contains:
- 10.6 calories
- 18.6 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C, or 21% of the Daily Value (DV)
- 9.6 micrograms (mcg) of folate, or 2% of the DV
- 49.4 mg of potassium, or 1% of the DV
- 0.038 mg of iron, or < 1% of the DV
- 0.01 mg of vitamin B-1, or 1% of the DV
- 0.01 mg of vitamin B-2, or 1% of the DV
- 0.06 mg of vitamin B-5, or 1% of the DV
Hot Lemon Water Benefits
Hot lemon water could have some health benefits, such as helping with cold symptoms. However, many claims about the health benefits of drinking hot lemon water before bed lack any evidence. Hot lemon water has a long history of use in alternative medicine. For example, followers use diluted lemon to treat a sore throat or clear nasal passages.
Hot lemon water is a mixture of plain water and lemon juice or a slice of lemon. Water is essential for many bodily functions, including temperature regulation and waste removal.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlight the importance of water for preventing dehydration.
Dehydration can cause problems that include changes in mood, difficulty thinking, and other physical complications. Drinking a glass of hot lemon water before bed is a good way to stay hydrated.
Lemon is also a source of vitamin C, which has several health benefits. For example, vitamin C helps to protect cells from damage. It also supports the production of collagen, which helps wounds to heal.
However, several other foods are also rich sources of vitamin C. For example, oranges, broccoli, and some fortified juices are all rich sources of vitamin C.
The Benefits of Lemon Water in the Morning
Energizes your body
It gives your body a lasting boost of energy, making it a healthier alternative to your morning tea or coffee.
Healthy digestion
The minerals and vitamins found in lemon juice encourage healthy digestion, and reduce heartburn and bloating by loosening any toxins trapped in your digestive tract.
Rich source of potassium
Lemons are also a great source of potassium which helps keep your heart healthy, build muscle, and aid the body in breaking down and using carbohydrates.
Freshens breath
If you have a bad mouth odor and are constantly under pressure about it, then warm lemon water can be the solution to your problem. Having a glass of this water helps clean the mouth off the odor and also kills the harmful germs which are the cause behind it. It can also be used to neutralize the odors of a meal.
Relieves stress and uplifts the mood
The scent of lemon helps clear the mind, reduces feelings of stress and uplifts our moods while also aiding feelings of depression and anxiety.
Can prevent kidney stones
As per health experts, the citric acid present in the lemon can help prevent kidney stones. This apart, the amount of water consumed along with lemon juice also helps flush out the stones easily.
Curbs hunger
Lemons can help curb feelings of hunger throughout the day making it easier to resist temptations and reduce snacking on fatty foods throughout the day thus aiding in weight loss.
Boosts your immune system
Vitamin C found in lemons is great at boosting our immune system. It is also a great option as compared to orange since it has less sugar thus making it a great alternative.
Improves the skin
The antioxidants found in lemons help rejuvenate the skin and prevent wrinkles, and blemishes, and free it from radical damage by purifying the skin, removing toxins, and killing bacteria to reveal clear, glowing skin.
Benefits of Lemon Water at Night
Lemon water before bed could have a relaxing effect, which could help reduce stress and improve sleep. Additionally, for those who find lemon water to be a satisfying sipper for the evenings, it could serve as a healthier alternative to alcoholic beverages or late-night snacks.
Best Time to Drink Lemon Water
Lemon water is most effective if consumed first thing in the morning. It is recommended to add lemon juice to warm water because it helps extract vitamin C and polyphenols from the lemon and its peel.
Best Time to Drink Lemon Water for Weight Loss
It is said that the best time to consume lemon water are mornings. Mornings are said to be the best time to put in all effort to lose weight as at this time your metabolism is at its peak.
How Much Lemon Water Should You Drink a Day?
Recommends using the juice from two to three lemons (about four to six tablespoons) throughout the day, and drinking one or two glasses of lemon water with meals, and one glass in between meals. But don’t necessarily add lemon to every glass of water you drink.
What Happens When You Drink Lemon Water for 7 Days?
It is proven that warm lemon water in the morning can kick-start your digestive system. That means that any food that comes after the lemony drink will be digested easier, and the nutrients from it will be taken in better. The properties in lemons also aid gut health, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Disadvantages of Drinking Lemon Water Daily
Tooth decay
Lemon has a high amount of acids. As per a study, excess lemon water can cause the dissolution of enamel or the outer layer of the teeth, leading to the removal of minerals. As per American Dental Association, teeth erosion makes teeth susceptible to decay over a period. It can also lead to sensitivity and pain. As per a study, lemon juice can have the same erosive effect on teeth as that cold drinks. You can use a straw to reduce direct exposure to acid present in lemon water with teeth. You should also avoid brushing your teeth just after having lemon water. Instead, try drinking lots of plain water along with lemon water. It will reduce the chances of having sensitivity.
Upset stomach and ulcers
If taken daily and in high quantities, it can cause damage to the stomach. Because of the acidity, it can cause heartburn, nausea, and vomiting. The disadvantage of drinking lemon water daily is that it can trigger ulcers. The acidic content of lemon can harm the inner linings of the stomach and intestine, leading to ulcers. If you are already vulnerable to it, avoid taking lemon water daily.
GERD and acid reflux
As per a study, acidic food can cause gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) and acid reflux. It occurs because the acid in lemon irritates the inner linings of the food pipe. It worsens when you drink lemon water on an empty stomach, and people who are prone to acid reflux should avoid drinking lemon water daily. The regurgitation of food in acid reflux can cause difficulty in swelling, worse asthma, cough, sour taste in the mouth, and also, if it happens at night, it affects sleep.
Frequent urination and dehydration
As per studies, lemon water is rich in ascorbic acid or Vitamin C. It is diuretic in nature, which can lead to more urine production in the kidneys. Along with water, frequent urination will flush out electrolytes from the body. It can lead to dehydration, tiredness, dry lips, and excess thirst. Also, the acidic content of lemon can irritate the bladder causing more urge to urinate. In this case, try balancing lemon water intake with the advice of a consulting physician.
Cause or worse canker sores
Canker sores are ulcers inside the mouth, usually under the tongue or inside of the cheeks. As per a study, they are caused by acidic or spicy food, vitamin deficiency, or wearing braces. As per American Dental Association, over-consumption of lemon water can worsen the existing canker sores. It can make eating and talking uncomfortable. If you find canker sores after consuming lemon water, you should stop consuming them.
Trigger migraine
The disadvantage of drinking lemon water daily includes migraines and headaches. As per a study, citrus fruits like lemon can trigger headaches and migraines. Lemon and citrus fruits are high in tyramine. As per a study, tyramine is linked to migraines and headaches. So people who have long-term migraine can get frequent migraine attacks because of lemon water daily.
Risk of cancer
Citrus fruits like lemon have psoralens. They are carcinogenic and can cause cancers. As per a study, increased consumption of lemon water (psoralens) can lead to an increased risk of skin cancer like melanoma. In this, different sizes and shades of mole appear on the skin. They can even ooze blood but are painless. If you notice such symptoms, consult a doctor.
Adverse effects on bones
Some researchers claim that lemon water is linked with bone health. Lemon can reduce the lubricants present in between the joints and bones over time.
Excess iron
Any mineral that exceeds more than the normal level in our body is harmful. A normal iron level is important for energy production, hemoglobin formation, and the function of certain enzymes in the body. As per a study, the vitamin C present in lemon water can increase iron absorption. It can be beneficial for people with low Iron levels but can also lead to hemochromatosis. It is an excess storage of iron in the body that can damage organs over a period. It can also lead to weakness, fatigue, high sugar level, and skin pigmentation.
Trigger sunburn
Lemon and other citrus fruits have psoralens. It is a chemical compound that can make skin sensitive to UV-A rays. The increase in the light sensitivity of the skin can cause excessive sunburn. It can worsen sunburn and cause phytophotodermatitis. It is a type of skin inflammation because of certain plant-based chemicals that occur when exposed to sun rays.
