Benefits of Lemon Water

With all the healthful possible Benefits of Lemon Water, grab some lemons and get to squeezing.

With all the information swirling around touting the healthful Benefits of Lemon Water, Randy and I have been drinking lemon juice in water first thing in the morning for a few months now. It’s no secret that lemon juice is packed with vitamins and nutrients, plus, it sure is refreshing when added to plain water. So at the very least we are starting our day with a tall glass of refreshing water. And we can always use more water, can’t we? But can water with lemon juice cure all ills? Can it make you thin? Is it good for detoxing? Will it get you a gig on Dancing With the Stars?

I don’t know. Maybe?

What I do know is that I’ve done some reading trying to determine what is fact and what may be fiction. The facts are based on what vitamins and nutrients are found in lemon juice and what benefits those specific vitamins and nutrients may offer. As far as other claims you may read about, do your research. I find that the further down the rabbit hole I go, usually the facts become more clear.

With that said, I will update this post if information changes. Please feel free to offer up sound advice (backed by facts, please) in the comments below.

But first, a few notes:

• To reap any healthful benefits, the juice must be squeezed from the lemon. Simply placing lemon slices in water does not extract much juice from the lemon.
• Any acidic food, like lemon juice, can be bad for tooth enamel. Use a straw and rinse afterwards to help avoid any tooth enamel troubles.
• As with any information, especially that with regards to health, always do your own research. Because, contrary to popular belief, not everything you read on the internets is true. That goes for any information you may receive here or elsewhere.
• Some say to add the lemon juice to warm water first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything else. I don’t know if the warm water helps or not. What I do know, is warm or cold, whatever gets you to drink it is probably the best in the long run.
• Randy and I add the juice from one lemon to about 8 ounces of water.

Benefits of Lemon Water

Encourages Proper Daily Hydration
Lemon juice is a low calorie and nutritious way to add refreshing flavor to plain water which will hopefully encourage all of us to get more water in to stay hydrated. Proper hydration can help:

• create healthy skin
• promote strong bones and teeth
• aid digestion and promote regularity
• reduce water retention
• improve function of blood vessels and circulation
• increase urination to reduce fluid retention

Vitamin C
Lemons are packed with vitamin C. We all know that vitamin C is good for the immune system, but there are more benefits of vitamin C:

• According to WebMD, vitamin C may help protect “against immune deficiencies, cardiovascular disease, eye disease and skin wrinkling.”
• The National Institutes of Health (https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-Consumer/) notes that vitamin C:
  • – acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells from damage from free radicals
  • – the body needs vitamin C to produce collagen
  • – vitamin C helps with the absorption of iron from plant-based foods
• In addition, osteopath, Vicky Vlachonis states that vitamin C can lower cortisol levels too.
• Studies have shown that vitamin C may help with gout.

Potassium
Potassium is important for proper function of the heart, kidney and other organs.  Potassium can also:

• Help offset the effects of sodium on blood pressure.
• Aids in the communication between nerves and muscles.

Citrus Flavonoid
Studies have shown that citrus flavonoids may be anti-inflammatory, improve digestion and help with liver function and digestion.

Other healthful claims certainly worth more research:

• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus) 
• kidney stones (read all the way to the bottom for a well-written explanation)

I hope you find some helpful information here. If nothing else, as I said before, adding some lemon juice to your water may encourage you to drink more water. And that alone is a good thing.