If you are into fitness, you have probably heard by now about the myriad benefits of drinking lemon water, but what are these benefits?
Consuming lemon water is beneficial, as it increases intake of vitamin C and antioxidants. This alternative can help you avoid the negative health effects of drinking sugary sports drinks and juices.
Benefits of drinking lemon water
Check out the following benefits of lime water:
1) Keeps you hydrated
Drinking enough water every day is important for health, but plain water may not be to everyone's liking. If you're having trouble getting enough water in your day, try adding some lemon juice for flavor. One of the many benefits of drinking lemon water is that is helps hydrate you.
Dehydration, which can be avoided by keeping hydrated with water, is linked to brain fog, altered emotions, overheating, constipation and kidney stones. The Institute of Medicine recommends that women drink 91 ounces of water per day, while men require 125.
2) Can help increase your intake of Vitamin C
One of the benefits of drinking lemon water is that it can help increase your intake of vitamin C.
Vitamin C, found in citrus fruits like lemons, is an important antioxidant that shields cells from free radical damage. It also aids in collagen synthesis, iron absorption and hormone production. Moreover, low vitamin C intake has been linked to these symptoms:
- raised probability of contracting an infection
- discomfort caused by mouth and eye dryness
- skin dryness
- fatigue
- sleeplessness
- loss of tooth stability
Lemons are not the best source of vitamin C among citrus fruits, but they're still beneficial. A 48-gram lemon yields about one tablespoon of juice, which, when added to eight ounces of water, provides 21% of the daily value for vitamin C.
3) Can support weight loss
If you're trying to lose weight, drinking lemon water in the morning is a common recommendation. Lemon water helps you lose weight is a common claim. However, this isn't particularly well supported by evidence.
A study conducted in 2018 found that people who were told to 'pre-load' on water before having a test meal consumed significantly less food than people who were given the same meal but not given any water. In a study, people who drank water before a test meal still felt full after having less food than when they did not drink water.
Although the mechanism of action is unclear, the study's authors concluded that drinking water before meals may be an effective weight loss strategy. Therefore, helping in weight loss can be counted as one of the benefits of drinking lemon water.
4) Healthy alternative to sugary drinks
Most added sugars consumed by Americans come from sugar-sweetened beverages like fruit juices, sodas, sports drinks, flavored waters and energy drinks. Regular consumption of these drinks has been linked to many health problems, like:
- weight gain
- liver disease
- type 2 diabetes
- kidney disease
- heart disease
- obesity
- tooth decay
- gout
- cavities
Instead of sugary fruit drinks, drinking water with a squeeze of lemon may help you cut back on your sugar intake without sacrificing taste. That's one of the most effective benefits of drinking lemon water.
5) Citric acid helps prevent kidney stones
Citric acid in lemon may be useful for warding off kidney stones. It has been hypothesised that citrate, a byproduct of citric acid, can neutralize the acidity of urine and even dissolve small stones.
While citric acid is present in lemon juice, it may take a lot of it to raise the pH of urine. However, upping intake of citric acid or vitamin C is one of the benefits of drinking lemon water.
The National Kidney Foundation recommends taking medication for kidney stones along with a diet that includes four ounces of lemon juice concentrate mixed with water.
6) Can help in digestion
In some cases, a glass of lemon water before a meal can aid in digestion. Specifically, the citric acid in lemon juice has been shown to increase gastric acid secretion, the digestive fluid produced in the stomach that aids in the breakdown and digestion of food.
Participants in a four-week 2021 study drank either 300 ml of water or lemon water 30 minutes before each meal. The intestinal microbiota of the test subjects were examined by collecting stool samples before and after the experimental period.
It was discovered that drinking lemon water before a meal aided digestion and peristalsis, the wavelike contractions that help move food through the digestive tract. To fully understand the effects of lemon water on digestion, though, more large-scale studies are required.
Nowadays, detox water with lemon is becoming extremely common due to the aforementioned benefits of drinking lemon water. There are many benefits of drinking lemon water, so you can make it a part of your daily routine.