Let’s talk about lemon water for a moment and why you may want to add it to your daily drink rotation. To be clear, lemon water isn’t just a glass or water with a slice of lemon in it. Nope, that’s not enough lemon to turn water into lemon water. Lemon water is more like half a lemon squeezed into 8 ounces of water. Once you add that much lemon juice to a glass of water, that lemon juice and water can do your body a lot of good.
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Lemons provide all kinds of health benefits and water does, too, which is why lemon water is a winner. Of course, you could make sure to get enough of both lemons and water each day, but combining them at least once a day is a refreshing way to quench your thirst and stay away from other less healthy beverages. Loaded with health benefits, here are 15 reasons why you need to nourish your body with this refreshing and rejuvenating drink every day!
It hydrates your body.
A dehydrated body cannot function properly. Lemon water, first thing in the morning, will help your system to more efficiently flush out toxins. More importantly, it will aid the functioning of adrenal glands which secrete important hormones and boost energy. Not just that, but it can help lower your stress level.
It's an immune booster.
Lemon is rich in vitamin C, which can easily be called one of the strongest antioxidants around. Since it is water soluble, it can travel easily through our system and neutralize any free radicals that it comes across. Starting with a glass of lemon water will ensure that your body is relatively shielded from bacteria and viruses that you might come in contact with throughout the day. No more flu surprises either!
It balances our internal pH.
Contrary to popular belief, once inside our body, lemon is actually alkalizing. An acidic environment can increase inflammation, which is why the alkalizing property of lemon water is so important to bring back that balance in pH.
It acts as a breath freshener.
Lemon has antiseptic properties to help kill the bad bacteria found in our mouths. Rather than coffee, lemon juice is a far better option. That said, it is recommended to drink this at room temperature since it is closer to our internal temperature. Too cold water first thing in the morning could potentially shock your digestive system. For those worried about tooth enamel erosion, know that one little glass of lemon water will not harm your enamel. But if you are still worried, just rinse your mouth immediately after drinking it.
It's a liver "cleanser."
By stimulating the process of detoxification, lemon water promotes the excretion of harmful toxins through our liver. Not just that, it also encourages our liver to produce more bile, which then adheres itself to harmful molecules, and causes it to excrete from our system. Furthermore, it helps prevent the production of excess bile and de-solidifies gallstones.
It clears our skin.
Lemon water can help in the fight against premature ageing. The antioxidants in lemon repair our damaged cells and fights free radicals that are responsible for aging. The vitamin C in lemon is crucial for the production of amino acids, which make up collagen— a component that gives our skin that youthful and tight appearance.
It may help prevent UTIs.
The diuretic properties of lemon water increase the production of urine, which means that a larger amount of toxins can be flushed out from our system. It keeps our urinary tract clean and prevents bad bacteria from sticking to the walls. Furthermore, it keeps the pH level from getting too acidic, which can otherwise encourage the proliferation of harmful bacteria.
It helps prevents muscle soreness.
Workouts can cause injury and soreness in our muscles. This is partly because of the storage of lactic acid and metabolites. The vitamin C in lemon water helps flush out lactic acid stored in muscles from the workout that you did the previous day. The antioxidant alone may reduce your likelihood of getting injured by up to 25%.
It may help with weight maintenance or loss.
Whether you are trying to lose weight or simply maintain your weight, lemon can help. Research in mice has shown that the polyphenol antioxidants in lemons helped decrease the weight gain in mice that were overfed. Although the same studies and results haven’t been replicated in humans, many swear by lemon water as a tool in helping with their weight maintenance or loss. If nothing more, drinking more water may just make you feel fuller than you would otherwise.
It can help prevent kidney stones.
As you know, lemons have citric acid in them and citric acid may aid in keeping kidney stones from developing. Also, one of the components of citric acid is citrate. Citrate reduces the acidity of urine and might possibly help small kidney stones break apart.
It’s low in calories.
Half a lemon squeezed into a glass of water has about 6 calories. That’s way less than a glass of orange juice, which has about 136 calories. It’s also less than the 150 or so calories in a can of soda. A glass of lemonade with sugar in it would be around 100 calories.
It can help curb sugar cravings.
Lemon has sour and bitter flavor elements. One study found that bitter flavors help reduce sugar cravings in fruit flies. Sure, humans are not fruit flies, but if you have a mad sweet tooth, drinking a glass of lemon water before succumbing to your cravings can’t hurt.
It good for your heart.
Lemons are high in potassium and most people in the US don’t get enough of that mineral in their diet. Potassium helps your body do all kinds of wonderful things, like get rid of excess sodium, which unchecked can lead to high blood pressure. It also helps keep the walls of your blood vessels relaxed, which is good for your heart as well.
It’s mostly water.
Yes, the lemon juice pumps it up a notch, but basically a glass of lemon water is mostly water and water is great for us all. If putting lemon in your water gets you to drink more water, then that’s already a great thing regardless of anything else that the lemon juice might do for you.
It's easy to make and modify.
All you need is water and lemon. It's not like other healthy habits that take a lot of effort to implement. This healthy habit just takes a squeeze. You can also easily modify it to change up the flavor. You can add cucumbers, mint, or sparkling water to it for variety.
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