“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”
Simply put Lemons are well-stocked with vitamin C and other powerful nutrients. The Juice in the lemon contains 5-6% of citric acid and has a pH level of 2.2 – which makes them a hit in culinary preparations, including Salad, drinks, etc. Nothing can satisfy your thirst like a tall glass of sweet lemonade on a hot, sweaty summer day. Even plain lemon in a glass of water can put a stop to your weariness in a jiffy while pumping your body with various essential nutrients.
If you have decided to take a U-turn in your life to live up to a healthy life, then this yellow super-fruit is the best companion you can ever get. So in this post, we will discuss the 13 research-based benefits of lemon water in our body.
1. 13 Benefits of Lemon Water
Experts say certain nutritional deficiencies – like iron can actually cause hair loss. The real truth is there is no magic pill that creates long hair, but we can help ourselves nutritionally ward off early hair loss with natural vitamins that support hair growth and thickness. So here, we have mentioned Essential Vitamins and Other nutrients that could help you save your hair.
1.1. Keeps You All Day Long Hydrated
How much water you need depends upon the lifestyle you have been carrying on. But doctors have been recommending across the board that “Hydration” is important. The juice part is what makes you more hydrated than simply drinking water. Adding just a half-cut lemon not only makes your drinking tastier but also has many benefits of lemon in water.
In accordance with “My fashion bible” and “Go-to magazine,” drinking lemon water when you first wake up helps your body’s enzymes function and stimulates your liver and helps it to detox.
1.2. Encourages a Healthier Blood Sugar Level
The two main factors in developing type-2 diabetics are your blood glucose level and insulin production. The polyphenol antioxidants present in the lemon will improve insulin resistance, which keeps your blood sugar level steady, improving your overall health. However, lemon water may not directly impact your blood sugar levels and make it to come down all of a sudden, but it can surely help prevent untimely spikes.
1.3. Helps to Maintain a Healthy Weight
Researches have shown on an overfed mouse that the antioxidant present in the lemon reduced weight gain. The Benefits of lemon in water will be possible when drinking lemon water two times a day and that will stop you from gaining weight. Due to the lemon water is low in calories and can promote fullness in the same way as regular water, it can be an effective way to help reduce calorie intake.
The study have shown that drinking about 16.9 ounces (0.5 liters) of water before breakfast decreased the number of calories consumed in the meal by 13%.
1.4. Provide a Sufficient Amount of Vitamin C
Citrus fruits like lemons are rich in vitamin C – a primary antioxidant that helps protect cells from damaging free radicals. You must have heard that vitamin C may help prevent or limit the duration of the common cold in some people, but studies are conflicting. Every 100 grams of lemon juice contains about 39mg of vitamin C.
1.5. Improves Skin Tone and Reduce Wrinkles
This is related to hydration. The more you drink more your skin becomes young and wrinkle-free. The antioxidants present in lemons can help reduce the damage your skin takes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Vitamin C stimulates collagen production and it helps to reduce signs of aging.
Some of the benefits of lemon water in the morning are improvements in the skin’s texture, firmness and you can help yourself preventing fine lines as well.
1.6. Your Kidneys Will Be Young and Healthy
If you would ever have kidney stones, you must have known them how painful they are. The citrate in lemons binds to calcium, clears up 80-85% of kidney stones. So drinking ½ glass of lemon water each day reduces your risk of developing kidney stones and get your kidney young and healthy.
1.7. Lemons Promote Immunity Level
One of the benefits of lemon water is the promotion of the immunity level in humans. Studies show that vitamin C can reduce the duration of a cold – an ailment that occurs due to a weak immune system. Lemon water mixed with honey can be a tremendous way to boost up the body’s capability to fight diseases. The refreshing taste of lemon water makes it a perfect drink to have throughout the day and strengthen your immunity.
1.8. Can Treat Anemia
The vitamin C in lemons has many benefits; it promotes the absorption of iron from plant foods, thereby treating anemia. Your gut absorbs iron from meat, and fish (known as Heme Iron) very easily, while iron from plant sources (Non-Heme Iron) not as easily. So the vitamin C in lemon can help in improving the overall iron absorption of your body.
1.9. Boost Digestive Health
Lemons are high in a fiber called pectin, which is prebiotic that assists good gut health by feeding healthy gut bacteria. Lemons also contain great amounts of citric acid which can increase urine production and decrease kidney stones as well as aid in digestion.
Some theories have been suggested that the benefits of drinking lemon water in the morning are more. As it can aid digestion and relieve constipation. Drinking lemon water when you wake up to keep your digestive system moving – the presence of detoxifying properties of lemons can boost digestion.
1.10. Enhance Liver Health
Lemons have antioxidant properties that may enhance liver health. They are rich in Vitamin C and protect liver from oxidative damage. You must drink lemon water every morning to reap the best benefits or add it in Green Tea for a double dose to live a good health.
In one study, lemon juice appears to be a protective agent on mice with alcohol-induced liver injury. Considering the overall health benefits of lemon water, one would say, there is nothing to be worried about your liver health if you have been drinking lemon water daily.
1.11. Reduce Your Risk for Certain Cancers
A few studies indicate that lemons and other citrus fruits have natural occurring ingredients that may have cancer fighting properties, namely modified citrus pectin and limonoids.
However, this hasn’t yet to be proven effective in preventing cancer in humans, but researchers believe compounds – such as lemonades and phenolic acids contained in lemons can have anticancer benefits.
1.12. Help Lighten Up Underarms
Everyone knows that the good old lemon is the best natural bleach and the best thing to lighten your underarms. Some anecdotal evidence suggests lemons can help light tightening our underarms’ dark part. Only you just need to cut thick slices of lemon and rub them on your underarms. Then, leave the juice for 10 minutes and wash them with cold water after that. Pat them dry and apply moisture. You can also mix some turmeric powder in lemon juice for better results.
1.13. May Aid Eczema Treatment
Applying lemon juice to the affected region may offer some relief. For the best result, you can mix honey with lemon juice. You should apply twice to thrice a day, allowing it to stay for 10-15 minutes each time. However, since there is little information regarding this, so it is recommended that you must consult a doctor before doing it.
These are some of the exceptional health benefits of lemon water you would find. Now, down the post, the provided nutritional values would let you know the calorie information.
2. Scientific Nutritional Value of Lemons from the USDA Source
2.1. Calorie
| Calorie Information | %DV | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 61.5(257KJ) | 3% |
| From Carbohydrates | 48.3(202KJ) | |
| From Fat | 5.3(22.2KJ) | |
| From Protein | 7.8(32.7KJ) | |
| From Alcohol | 0.0(0.0KJ) |
2.2. Carbohydrates
| CARBOHYDRATES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Amounts per Selected Serving | %DV | |
| Total Carbohydrates | 19.8g | 7% |
| Dietary Fiber | 5.9g | 14% |
| Starch | ||
| Sugars | 5.3g |
2.3. Vitamins
| VITAMINS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Amounts per Selected Serving | %DV | |
| Vitamin A | 46.6IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 112mg | 187% |
| Vitamin D | – | |
| Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol) | 0.3mg | 2% |
| Thiamin | 0.1mg | 0% |
| Riboflavin | 0.0mg | 2% |
| Niacin | 0.2mg | 1% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.2mg | 8% |
| Folate | 23.3mcg | 6% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.4mg | 0% |
| Pantothenic Acid | 0.4mg | 4% |
| Choline | 10.8mg |
2.4. Minerals
| MINERALS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Amounts per Selected Serving | %DV | |
| Calcium | 55.1mg | 6% |
| Iron | 1.3mg | 7% |
| Magnesium | 17.0mg | 4% |
| Phosphorus | 33.9mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 293mg | 8% |
| Sodium | 4.2mg | 0% |
| Zinc | 0.1mg | 4% |
| Copper | 0.1mg | 0% |
| Manganese | 0.1mg | 3% |
| Selenium | 0.8mcg | 1% |
Source: USDA
3. Conclusion
Lemons are quite common and easily available, and enjoying the benefits of lemon water will never go in vain. So you must start including the habit of drinking lemon water from today. Don’t forget to comment down below. Do comment whether you take lemon water on a regular basis or not.
