Lemon water is a widely practiced detox drink that can kick-start your day. It provides many health benefits. Lemon is a rich source of Vitamin C, Potassium, Dietary fibers & Citric acid. It also has many trace elements and vitamins in small quantities. All these nutritional elements help our body to boost immunity and stay healthy.
Drinking lemon water early in the morning has its benefits. It works on the digestive system reducing flatulence and gastritis. One of the most important facts is that the lemon water diet contains potassium citrate, which helps prevent kidney stones.
Always make sure to use natural homemade lemon juice instead of concentrate when making lemon water recipes.
If you arent sure how to make lemon water just follow the steps below. minutes to prepare.
Lemon Water Recipe
- Take a fresh lemon and cut it in half.
- Squeeze both halves of lemon in a bowl with the help of a squeezer
- Remove seeds from the juice
- Pour warm water into the bowl
- Mix well and drink sip by sip
Practically, the temperature of the water does not make much difference. But warm lemon water can give you a feeling of drinking coffee or tea in the early morning. So never use too hot or chilled water; instead, opt for warm water.
Never replace plain lemon water with lemonade that has added sugar. Drinking plain lemon water has more health benefits than lemonade.
Health Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water Every Day
1. It aids in digestion
Drinking lemon juice with warm water enhances digestion. Lemon water has multiple vitamins & trace elements that stimulate the liver to create bile and boost the production of digestive enzymes. This improves digestion and reduces gastritis, bloating, and belching.
2. Act as a diuretic
Lemon juice enhances the function of the kidneys and works as a diuretic. As we know that lemon is a rich source of Potassium, vitamin C & Citric acid. Potassium & Citric acid together makes potassium citrate which is a beneficial agent in preventing kidney stones.
Lemon along with warm water, increases the rate of urination making it easy for the body to clear out unwanted toxins. Thus, it works as a perfect body cleanse drink.
3. Enhances immunity
Rich in Vitamin C, Dietary fibers & many trace elements, lemon acts as an immunity booster. Vitamin C is also known as Ascorbic acid and is helpful to relieve symptoms of the common cold. Clinical studies suggest it is beneficial to build immunity, but we still lack research to support this claim.
But all doctors and researchers agree on one point that when given during an infection, Vitamin C plays an important role in boosting immunity.
4. Lemon water alkalizes the body
Lemon provides Citric acid & Ascorbic acid, but both are weak acids, and our body can efficiently metabolize them. So the remaining minerals of lemon make it an alkalizing agent for the human body. They alkalize the blood.
Lemon juice alkalizes the blood by reducing its pH, which is very useful to prevent many diseases. It can also help prevent osteoarthritis.
5. Antioxidant & Anti-cancer properties
‘Flavonol glycosides,’ is a unique compound found in the lemon, which acts as an anti-oxidant and controls the cell division process. This property makes lemon an anti-cancer agent. Apart from this flavonoid, vitamin C also works as an anti-oxidant. It is in fact one of the most critical antioxidants that can be found in nature. It binds with free radicals in the human body and minimizes cell damage.
Free radicals are highly active & unstable molecules in our body. They aggressively bind with our cell walls and damage them, resulting in inflammation, swelling & redness. Vit. C helps to reduce this action of free radicals by neutralizing them.
6. Gives clear skin
Lemon water flushes out the toxins and brings in anti-oxidant that boosts immunity and give us clear and glowing skin. In addition, lemon has antibacterial and cleansing properties.
7. Increases bile production
Lemon water is known to flush out toxins from the liver and enhance bile production. Bile is a pigment produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Digestion of fats is dependent upon this pigment. So lemon also helps in fat digestion.
8. Enhances colon health
Pectin fiber (soluble dietary fibers) is one of the contents present in lemon. It helps to improve the health of the intestine and colon. It also helps reduce cholesterol. Undergoing study shows great benefits from citrus pectin to combat tumors. Citrus pectin is a fiber derived from the skin of citrus fruits like lemon.
9. Kills lousy breath
An early morning dose of lemon water helps to reduce bad breath & helps to fight gingivitis. High amounts of anti-bacterial & anti-oxidant agents work against terrible odors and freshen up your breath.
10. Lemon water helps in weight loss
Though it is not a magic potion to lose weight, the pectin fibers and lemon’s alkalizing properties help in burning fat. Taking a glass of lemon water activates kidneys to flush out toxins, and pectin fibers help reduce hunger cravings. If practiced for a long time, it can help you shed a couple of pounds.
11. Lemon water is a natural expectorant
It has been observed that lemon water works as a natural expectorant by liquefying mucus. It is not a secret that lemon tea is being used since ancient times to relieve nasal congestion & phlegm.
With so many benefits of lemon water, it is hard to not try this drink.
Bottom line
Before starting a lemon water drink, keep in mind that it is just a healthy habit, so don’t overdo it. Anything in excess is not suitable for health. Instead, limit it to one glass of warm water with one tablespoon of lemon juice once a day.
Note: Overconsumption of lemon water can trigger GERD (Gastro-esophageal-reflux-disease), and you will experience heartburn. It may also cause frequent urination leaving you dehydrated. If any of the side effects occur, seek medical help.
