Drinking lemon water can help you maintain a healthy weight because it boosts the metabolism, increases energy levels, and suppresses appetite.
The vitamin C in lemon juice can help improve immune function and ward off colds and flu. It also boosts collagen production to keep skin healthy and glowing.
Learn more about how lemon water can improve your health, lose weight, and reduce the risk of disease.
1. It Promotes Hydration
According to the Food and Nutrition Board guidelines, women should drink at least 91 ounces of water and men at least 125 ounces of water per day.
Water is the best drink for hydration, but some people don’t like its taste. In this way, you can add lemon juice to give the water more flavor and thus drink more.
2. It’s a Good Source of Vitamin C
Lemons are rich in vitamin C, an antioxidant that fights free radicals.
In addition, vitamin C protects against common colds. Not only that, but it can also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Keep in mind that the juice of lemon provides about 18.6 milligrams of vitamin C. The daily consumption in adults should be between 65 and 90 milligrams.
3. It Supports Weight Loss
According to a study on rodents, lemons have polyphenol antioxidants that help you lose weight.
In addition, this study found that antioxidants improve blood sugar levels and insulin resistance, two of the main factors for the development of type 2 diabetes.
4. It Improves Your Skin Quality
The vitamin C component of lemons also helps improve the appearance of the skin.
In principle, hydration is essential to combat dry skin.
According to a study in mice, citrus-based drinks help prevent wrinkles.
5. It Aids Digestion
Lemon water can be drunk in the morning to prevent constipation. This is so because it improves the movement of the digestive system.
According to Ayurvedic medicine, the taste of lemon stimulates “agni.” This would be beneficial in digesting food more efficiently and preventing toxins from entering the body.
6. It Freshens Breath
Lemon can improve breath after eating foods with intense flavors such as garlic, onion, or fish.
You have to drink a glass of lemon in the morning and after every meal.
Lemon is supposed to stimulate saliva, and the water prevents the mouth from drying out, thus preventing the development of bad breath caused by bacteria.
7. It Helps Prevent Kidney Stones
Finally, lemon has citric acid that can help prevent kidney stones.
This is so because lemon has citrate, a citric acid component that, believe it or not, makes the urine less acidic. This way, you can break the small stones in the kidneys.
In addition to providing citrate, lemon water provides you with the necessary water to prevent kidney stones from being generated.
How to Make Lemon Water
If you want to get the full benefits of lemon water, you must drink it consistently.
The first thing to keep in mind is that, when making lemon water, it is preferable to use fresh lemon juice rather than artificial lemon from a bottle.
To prepare lemon water, you must squeeze half a lemon into 8 ounces of water, warm or cold. It is advisable to use organic lemons and filtered water to make the drink as healthy as possible.
If you want, you can add more flavor to the lemon water with the following ingredients:
- Maple syrup or raw honey
- Mint
You can also add slices of other citrus fruits such as limes and oranges. You can even add cucumbers.
A quick and straightforward way to make lemon water is to have some ice cubes made with lemon juice already frozen. For that, you have to squeeze the lemon juice into the ice cube trays and freeze. Then you have to add the frozen lemon cube to the water.
Side Effects of Lemon Water
In general, lemon water is a drink that does not have any contraindicated effects. However, in some people, it can cause specific effects.
In principle, the citric acid in lemon can erode teeth. For that reason, it is recommended to drink the lemon water with a straw and then rinse the mouth with plain water.
On the other hand, citric acid can cause heartburn in some people. However, some people experience relief from heartburn after drinking lemon water. This depends on the person.
In addition, lemon water can have a diuretic effect, causing your urination needs to increase. This is not due to the vitamin C that lemon contains but to the higher water intake.
The Takeaway
According to research, lemon water has several potentially beneficial effects.
In addition to that, adding lemon to water can help you increase your daily water intake, which is essential to maintain hydration.
As hydration is essential for good health, lemon water is doubly beneficial.
