"Day by day, what you choose, what you think, and what you do is who you become" - Heraclitus.
Making small changes in your daily routine can have a big impact on your health and wellness.
Let's dive in and explore the reasons why drinking lemon water is healthy for you and why it should be one of those small changes you make every day.
10 benefits of adding lemon juice to your water.
The scientific evidence really comes down to the benefit of being well-hydrated. Lemons contain phytonutrients, which protect your body against disease. These phytonutrients have powerful antioxidant properties, which prevent cell damage from oxidation. There is an overwhelming amount of research to support the benefits of adding this healthy habit to your routine.
According to Laura Neville, N.D. , a naturopathic physician based in Portland, and Internal medicine specialist Roxanne B. Sukol, MD, MS, there are numerous reasons for drinking lemon water:
Rich in Vitamin C – boosts immunity system Vitamin C helps strengthen the immune response to diseases by preventing bacterial infection
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.
Aids Cellular Health Juice one lemon into your water and you will get more than a third of your daily vitamin C requirement needed to protect yourself from cell damage and repair injury.
Helps Stay Hydrated Most of us don’t drink enough water. A daily lemon water habit is an easy way to get your day off on the right foot. How do you know if you’re drinking enough? Your urine is almost clear.
Boost Potassium 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.
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.
Gut Health Hydration helps with gastrointestinal health and this relates to the elimination of toxic substances and also the overall inflammatory status of the body. The acid in lemons helps break down food, so adding lemons to our diet helps us supplement the acid levels in our stomachs, which tend to decline as we get older.
Aids Weight-Loss Try replacing lemon water instead of soda or a high-calorie fancy coffee drink. Water fills you up without any calories, so drinking a glass before meals may reduce the amount of food or drinks you consume. However, the research is mixed on whether drinking water increases calorie burn and your metabolism. Water causes thermogenetics — a process of creating heat within your body. This heat is fuel for metabolism throughout the body.
Improves the Appearance of Your Skin Both lemons and water can improve your skin, Lemons, like other citrus fruits, are high in vitamin C, which is essential for the production of collagen. Collagen is responsible for the elasticity and strength of your skin.
Relieves Aches and Pains Drinking lemon with warm water increases blood sugar and relieves tension in abdominal muscles, allowing better circulation. This is a holistic way to relieve pains in muscles and aches.
Is lemon water a good substitute for sugary drinks?
Yes, sugar-sweetened foods, like sodas and sports drinks, can be linked with a range of ailments. Switching to lemon water will help eliminate sugar and chemical additives in many processed beverages.
What About My Teeth?
It is true that the acid in lemon can be harmful to your tooth enamel. However, if you are diluting it as in the recipe below and frequently brushing your teeth, you will not be causing any harm to your pearly whites.
Nutritional Content
The juice of one squeezed lemon provides around 21% of a person’s daily value (DV) of vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant.
Lemons are a citrus fruit and are rich in flavonoids. These are compounds that help boost health and fight disease. Aside from that, lemons contain few nutrients, little protein, fat, carbohydrate, or sugar, and it contains only trace amounts of other vitamins and minerals, including potassium, folate, and some B vitamins.
According to the United States Department for Agriculture database, the nutrient breakdown for lemon water containing one 48 gram (g) squeezed Lemon Trusted Source is as follows:
10.6 calories
18.6 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C, or 21% DV
9.6 micrograms (mcg) of folate, or 2% DV
49.4 mg of potassium, or 1% DV
0.01 mg of vitamin B-1, or 1% DV
0.01 mg of vitamin B-2, or 1% DV
0.06 mg of vitamin B-5, or 1%
So how much water do you need?
According to Mayo Clinic, water is lost through breath, perspiration, urine, and bowel movements. In order for your body to function properly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.
So how much water do you need? The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is:
About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men
About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women
These recommendations cover fluids from water, other beverages, and food.
Lemon Water Recipe
Simply squeeze the juice of a lemon into a glass of water.
How much? – Typically, 150 ml
Leave the peel in the water.
Serve warm or cold water is up to you.
Try adding these ingredients
If you are having a hard time drinking lemon water, you can try adding some of the ingredients below to enhance the flavor of the water.
Think of it as a daily ritual and reward yourself with something that encourages positive drinking habits.
Lime & Mint
Cucumber
Ginger
Honey
Turmeric Berries
Have you been convinced?
We hope so! Whatever your motivation whether it be for weight management or pure health and wellness benefits, adding lemon water to your daily routine has immense health benefits. And don’t forget if you get bored of the lemon water, you can switch it up and add any of the other ingredients that we recommended. Enjoy!
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