12 Incredible Benefits of Lemon Water You Never Knew

Celebrities and naturopaths won't start their day without guzzling a glass of lemon water. Here's what this a.m. habit can and can't do for your health.

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Lemon water may help you lose weight

Lemon water may be a dieter’s best friend. “The polyphenols in lemon may aid in reducing appetite,” saysย Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, a certified diabetes educator and author of Belly Fat Diet for Dummies. Rodent studies have suggested that the polyphenols in lemon mayย help to prevent weight gain. Plus, she adds, “when you drink a glass of water, especially before a meal, this helps to fill your stomach, offsetting the amount of food needed to feel satisfied.” Lemon-flavored water is also a healthy option to replace your morning glass of orange juiceโ€”think of all the calories saved! To make lemon water, use whole lemons (not lemon juice in a bottle). “Try squeezing the juice from one lemon into 8 to 12 ounces of water,” Palinski-Wade says. You can also grate in a bit of the zest (just wash the lemon first). Find out about the added health benefits if you heat the water up.

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It helps keep you from getting sick

We’ve all heard that vitamin C, which is found in citrus fruits like lemon, gives your immune system a boost (although research is conflicting). Lemon water may help prevent infection. “Certainly the acidic environment in the stomach serves as a barrier, deterring pathogens from gaining a foothold and causing illness,” says Roxanne B. Sukol, MD, medical director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Enterprise. “Ingestion of highly acidic foods, including lemon juice, contributes to the acidic environment.” According to The Cleveland Clinic, chemicals in lemon known as phytonutrients have antioxidant properties that can also help protect the body from disease.

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It aids digestion

Another one of the benefits of lemon water is that the acids help to digest food. “The citrus flavonoids in lemon aid the acid in the stomach in breaking down food, which may improve overall digestion,” says Palinski-Wade. “Warming the water seems to provide the greatest digestive benefits.” Aiding digestion is especially important as we get older because the amount of acid in our stomach declines with age. A study published inย Journal of the American Geriatrics Societyย showed that over 30% of men and women over age 60 had atrophic gastritis, a condition marked by little to no stomach acid. In addition, if you add lemon slices and zest to your water, you may be able to harness some of the benefits of pectin, a fiber found in the pulp and peel. Research published inย Nutrientsย have shown that fiber improves digestion and gut health. Here’s how drinking enough water changes your body.

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Lemon water gives you a vitamin C boost

Citrus fruits are a great source of vitamin C. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 1/4-cup of lemon juice yields 23.6 mg of vitamin C, about a third of the recommended daily allowance for women and a fourth for men. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect cells against free radicals, according to the National Institutes of Health, and this could even help protect us again cardiovascular disease and cancer. And although we don’t think much about this ailment anymore, “vitamin C prevents scurvy, a disease of weakened connective tissue that results in bleeding gums, among other symptoms,” says Dr. Sukol. Connective tissue is also crucial for wound healing.

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It keeps you hydrated

Hydration is not a direct benefit of the lemon, but drinking flavored water might entice you to consume more of it. “Fluids, in general, provide hydration. However, some people struggle to drink an adequate amount of water per day simply because they find water boring or do not enjoy the taste,” Palinski-Wade says. “Adding lemon to water can make it more appealing to some, helping them to drink more and improve hydration.” Although the old rule was to drink eight 8-ounce glasses a day, nutritionists now recognize that the amount will vary based on what you weigh, how active you are, and where you live. One test to make sure you’re getting enough? Your pee should be straw-coloredโ€”if it’s yellow or dark, you need to drink more. Check out the different types of water that all count towards your daily fluid intake.

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It may help liver function

Another benefit of lemon water? It helps your liver to do a better job being the body’s filter. “Boosting overall hydration can help to improve the function of all organs in the body, including the liver,” Palinski-Wade says. “In addition, animal studies have found that the citrus flavonoids in lemon may protect the liver against toxins and reduce fat in the liver, protecting against fatty liver disease.” Your liver is the body’s natural mechanism for flushing out toxins; so although claims of “detoxification” from lemon juice aren’t exactly proven, helping the liver to work better could benefit your body. (Find out why reaching for water that’s been sitting overnight might not be the best way to stay hydrated.)

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It increases your potassium levels

We generally associate potassium with bananas, but it turns out lemons are a good source as well. “Potassium is found in large amounts primarily in fruits and vegetables,” Dr. Sukol says. “It is an element that is essential for cell function and metabolism, transmission of nerve signals.” Potassium is an electrolyte and helps to conduct electricity throughout the body. This nerve-muscle communication helps skeletal-muscular functionโ€”which is why you need it when you get a Charley horse. (Here are foods higher in potassium than a banana.)

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It makes you more regular

Along with helping your gut and liver, lemon-flavored water can be part of aย healthy way to help you go to the bathroom. “Increasing fluid intake can help to promote regular bowel movements,” Palinski-Wade says. “If adding lemon to your water helps you to drink more fluid throughout the day, this may help you to become more regular.” And although lemon juice doesn’t provide much fiber, getting in pulp and zest from the peel could help boost the fiber content, which helps you go as well. Use these other tricks to drink more water throughout the day.

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It helps prevent kidney stones

Kidney stones often develop as a result of dehydration, so one of the benefits of lemon water is that it helps flush out your kidneys and prevent these painful deposits. “Some kidney stones result from precipitation of calcium salts,” Dr. Sukol says. “Acidification of the aqueousโ€”or wateryโ€”environment in which this occurs is thought to reduce the likelihood of precipitation, and therefore prevent the formation of some stones. It’s purely a chemical reaction.” So in other words, the acid from the lemon can help keep the stones from forming. Here’s what to expect if you do develop a kidney stone.

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It freshens breath

When it comes to personal hygiene, it may help your mouth smell cleaner. “The citrus in lemon water may help to reduce the growth of bacteria in the mouth, which may lead to fresher breath,” Palinski-Wade says. However, the acid in lemon juice could, over time, erode the enamel of your teeth. Try drinking it through a straw to reduce exposure to your chompers.

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It may boost metabolism

Lemon water is a great addition to your morning routine because it could jump-start your metabolism, helping you keep a healthy weight and be active. “Staying hydrated and drinking ice-cold water has been shown to provide a metabolism boost,” Palinski-Wade says. “Aim to drink at least three cups per day to help fire up your metabolism while providing a feeling of fullness that may help you to eat less.” Drinking your lemon-flavored water cold could have even more of a beneficial effect. “Chilling it may provide an even greater metabolism boost as the body needs to warm the water to body temperature during digestion,” she says. Just make sure you recognize these signs that you’re drinking too much water.

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Sources
Medically reviewed by Michael Spertus, MD, on September 19, 2019

Tina Donvito
Tina Donvito is a writer, editor, and blogger who writes about health and wellness, travel, lifestyle, parenting, and culture. Her work has been published online in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, and Parents, among others. Chosen by Riverhead Books and author Elizabeth Gilbert, her writing appears in the anthology Eat Pray Love Made Me Do It: Life Journeys Inspired by the Bestselling Memoir. Tina was previously editor-in-chief of TWIST magazine, a celebrity news title for teen girls with an emphasis on health, body image, beauty, and fashion.