15 Benefits to Drinking Lemon Water

Why lemons?

Lemons are packed like a clown car with nutrients, including vitamin C, B-complex vitamins, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and fiber. (Fun fact: they contain more potassium than apples or grapes!)

Because of how hard lemon juice can be on the enamel of your teeth, it’s important to dilute it with water of any temperature (though lukewarm is recommended). Drink it first thing in the morning, and wait 15 to 30 minutes to have breakfast. This will help you fully receive the benefits of lemon water, which are listed below.

1. Excellent source of potassium.

As already mentioned, lemons are high in potassium, which is good for heart health, as well as brain and nerve function.

2. Gives your immune system a boost.

Vitamin C is like our immune system’s jumper cables, and lemon juice is full of it. The level of vitamin C in your system is one of the first things to plummet when you’re stressed, which is why experts recommended popping extra vitamin C during especially stressful days.

Nutritionist Michele Chevalley Hedge says lemon also enhances the body’s ability to absorb iron, an important nutrient for a healthy immune system. “Vitamin C may increase non-heme iron bioavailability fourfold,” Chevalley Hedge says. “This refers to iron availability in the body from non-meat sources.”

3. Cleanses your system.

It helps flush out the toxins in your body by enhancing enzyme function, stimulating your liver.

4. Aids digestion.

Lemon juice not only encourages healthy digestion by loosening toxins in your digestive tract, it helps to relieve symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn, burping, and bloating.

The American Cancer Society actually recommends offering warm lemon water to cancer sufferers to help stimulate bowel movements.

It also contain pectin fiber which is very beneficial for colon health and also serves as a powerful antibacterial.

Lemon, in fact, encourages the production of bile, which aid digestion. Also, it helps control excess bile flow, decrease the amount of phlegm produced by the body and assist in dissolving gallstones.

5. Freshens your breath.

It also helps relieve toothaches and gingivitis. Because the citric acid can erode tooth enamel, it is advised to consume lemon juice diluted and also rinse your mouth thoroughly after drinking lemon juice.

6. Helps fight viral infections.

Lemon, a fruit popular for its therapeutic properties, helps maintain and boost your immune system and thus, protects you from the clutches of most types of infections.

Warm lemon water is the most effective way to diminish viral infections and their subsequent sore throats.

7. Reduces inflammation.

If you drink lemon water on a regular basis, it will decrease the acidity in your body and maintain a balance pH level in our body to prevent disease states to occur. It removes uric acid in your joints, hence, reducing pain and inflammation in knees and joints. 

It also plays the role of a blood purifier. Lemon is a fabulous antiseptic and lime-water juice also works wonders for people having heart problems, owing to its high potassium content.

8. Helps you lose weight.

Lemons contain pectin fiber, which assists in fighting hunger cravings.

Pectin helps stave off hunger as the fiber creates a feeling of fullness, which results in the suppression of hunger cravings. By feeling fuller for longer,
you’re less likely to snack or make poor food choices.

9. Keeps your skin blemish-free.

The antioxidants in lemon juice help to not only decrease blemishes, but wrinkles too! It can also be applied to scars and age spots to reduce their appearance, and because it’s detoxifying your blood, it will maintain your skin’s radiance.

"We know that lemons are rich in vitamin C and that is really what creates collagen synthesis, which is wonderful in terms of keeping wrinkles at bay,” she says. “Vitamin C is required in the synthesis of amino acids into collagen and the job of collagen and connective tissue is to hold things tight and protect our skin tissue.”

10. Gives you an energy boost.

Lemon juice provides your body with energy when it enters your digestive tract. 

The potassium content in lemon helps nourish brain and nerve cells, hence, reduces anxiety and depression. (Even the scent of lemons has a calming effect on your nervous system!)

11. Helps to cut out caffeine.

Replacing morning coffee with a cup of hot lemon water will really do wonders! You will feel refreshed, and no longer have to deal with that pesky afternoon crash. 

12. Maintain the health of eyes

It helps maintain the health of the eyes and helps fight against eye problems.

13. Replenish body salt

Lemon juice helps replenish body salts especially after a strenuous workout session.

Instead of sports drinks, which have long been seen as the best way to 're-hydrate' after a workout, CBC found out earlier this year that sport drinks are often unnecessary for the kind of exercise most people do regularly. Lemon water, meanwhile, provides the hydration needed.

14. Cleanses the urinary tract

Lemon juice is a diuretic, meaning it encourages the production of urine. As a result, toxins are released at a faster rate, helping to purify the system and keep it healthy. Lemon juice can also change the pH level of the urinary tract which discourages the proliferation of bad bacteria. 

15. Helps Constipation

If you're having trouble pooping, warm water and lemon might be just the thing to help you go. Taking in plenty of water is helpful for constipation in general, and the citrus can give some help to get things moving inside.

How much?

For those who weigh less than 150 pounds, squeeze half a lemon’s worth of juice into a glass of water. If over 150 pounds, use an entire lemon’s juice. You can of course dilute the lemon juice more, depending on your personal taste.

Not only are the benefits of lemon water endless, it’s one of the most substantial yet simple changes you can make for your health.

Want to change your health 360? Do it now!