Lemon water is all the rage these days. Many restaurants serve it routinely, and some people start their day with lemon water instead of coffee or tea.
There’s no doubt lemons are delicious, but does adding them to water make you healthier?
Much of the evidence supporting lemon water’s health benefits is anecdotal. Little scientific research has been done specifically on lemon water, but research exists on the benefits of lemon and water separately.
Here are seven ways your body may benefit from lemon water:
1. Aids in digestion
Acid helps break down food. That’s why there’s so much of it in our stomachs. The acid in lemons may be especially helpful in supplementing stomach acid levels, which tend to decline as we age.
2. Helps you 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.
3. Weight-loss friendly
We’re creatures of habit. Ponder the impact of replacing your morning orange juice or latte with lemon water. Not just once, but perhaps 20 times a month — and multiply that by 10 years. Your waist line will thank you.
4. 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.
5. Supplies a healthy dose of vitamin C
Juice half a lemon into your water and you’ll add a mere 6 calories to your diet. Plus you’ll get more than a sixth of your daily vitamin C, which is needed to protect us from cell damage and repair injury.
6. Provides a potassium boost
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.
7. Helps 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.
