Lemon Water... A Hot Topic

Lemon water is a very hot topic in the health and fitness industry right now…

People everywhere are touting how beneficial it is.

Lemon water for weight loss.

Lemon water to cleanse and detoxify.

Lemon water for acid reflux and digestive health.

Lemon water for healthier skin.

Lemon water for hydration.

Lemon water for kidney stones.

Lemon water to prevent cancer.

Lemon water for inflammation.

Lemon water as a natural diuretic.

And the list goes on and on.

The claims are endless.

But are these claims legit or not? Would you like to know? Inquiring minds want to know! LOL

So what exactly does lemon water do to and for your body?

Let’s take a look at what the published research and scientific studies have to say straight.

Lemon water offers a wide array of health benefits because you not only get the benefits of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, you also get all the benefits that water alone has to offer.

By combining the two, you really do have a powerful beverage that benefits your health.

#1: Promotes Hydration

It’s no secret. If you hope to maximize and improve your health, staying hydrated is a must.

Sadly, many people fall short on the hydration front. They just don’t drink enough water.

We tend to wake up in the morning, down a cup of coffee, and then follow that with another coffee mid-morning. Lunch includes soda, and when you get home from work and have dinner, you may treat yourself to a beer or a glass of wine.

All of these beverages are only going to dehydrate you further, moving you away from the place you want to be. This is why it’s critical that you take extra steps to ensure that you’re getting proper hydrated every day.

And what better way than with lemon water? Truth be told, adding a hint of lemon to water, for some people, makes it more palatable, helping you to meet your body’s daily requirements.

A good rule of thumb on how much to drink (as mentioned in an earlier broadcast) is 8-10 glasses a day(four to five 16oz bottles), or if you’re trying to lose body weight and have a lot to lose, then ~50% of your body weight in ounces of water daily.

This will help to eliminate bloating, aid in digestion, improve mental clarity and increase overall energy.

#2: Excellent Source of Antioxidants (Helps fight free radicals)

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant in the body, which is why everyone should be getting more of it. You might ask, “What is an antioxidant?” So let’s ask this question first: "What is oxidation?"

Have you noticed how when metal that is outside and is exposed to the elements, over time rust accumulates on it? This is exactly what happens to our cells over time when exposed to free radicals. These free radicals literally cause our cells to rust. That’s why we need an anti-oxidant to ‘de-rust’ our cells and protect them from ‘rusting.’

Vitamin C is one of the important nutrients that aids in improving your immune health, de-rusting and protecting your cells from the damage that occurs from these free radicals that you encounter in your body.

It’s good to know and keep in mind that these free radicals are linked to accelerated aging and quite a few of today’s health challenges.

Also, vitamin C is water soluble, so it needs to be taken daily in order to really be beneficial. Your body doesn’t store Vitamin C, so the excess that is not used inside your body is excreted, so it’s important to get an adequate amount into your body every day.

#3: Helps to Prevent Kidney Stones

“The citric acid in lemons can help break up and prevent certain types of kidney stones,” says Dr Erica Matluck, ND, NP. Researchers have found that drinking four ounces of lemon juice in water increases citrate levels in the urine, which, in turn, can help ward off kidney stones.

Now citrate is a component of citric acid, which ironically makes urine less acidic and can even break up small stones. Drinking lemon water not only gets you citrate, but also the water you need to help prevent or flush out stones.

#4: Improved Digestion

There is research published in the Postgraduate Medical Journal that has noted that consuming lemon water first thing in the morning may help get things moving along by easing constipation and improving bowel regularity.

Adding more water (more specifically lemon water) to your diet also helps to improve the digestive processes. It ensures that food moves through the body more quickly and the enzymes in the stomach are better able to do what they need to do in breaking down the foods that you’ve eaten.

Also, fresh squeezed lemon juice can help break down the foods you eat so your body can benefit from their full nutritional value.

#5: Promotes Younger, Healthier Looking Skin

Dehydration tends to lead to dry and dull, even droopy skin, so adding more water to your day by drinking lemon water will help bring back the moisture to your skin cells, giving you a more healthy glowing complexion in the process.

In addition, the vitamin C that comes from the lemon water will help with improving the production of collagen in the body. And collagen is needed for replenishing skin cells and also helps the skin to maintain its firmness.

If you are hoping to fight fine lines and wrinkles, collagen can help. Drinking a daily dose of lemon water can help your body produce more sufficient levels of collagen as needed.

Research published in the American Society for Clinical Nutrition has noted that those who have a higher intake of vitamin C in their daily diet tend to have a lower likelihood of a wrinkled appearance.

In other words, the extra vitamin C, along with adequate hydration can help you look younger. WooHoo! That’s huge!! Especially for the ladies!

#6: Detoxifies Your Body

By drinking lemon water, you’ll also receive excellent detoxification benefits. The composition of lemon water is remarkably similar to the digestive juices that are found in the stomach, so it helps to increase the overall bile production of the liver.

And this is another way it helps food move more effectively through the digestive tract.

This helps speed up the flushing of toxins out of the body, reducing the chances they have negative effects on your health.

When your liver is producing sufficient amounts of bile, research shows it can also aid in weight loss.

#7: Acts as a Natural Diuretic

There is no scientific evidence that lemon water is an actual diuretic, but from my experience is nutrition and weight loss counseling if definitely makes a difference.

If you feel bloated and are retaining water, especially for women around their monthly cycle, a full cup of hot lemon water twice a day, morning and evening, for at least three days, will help to relieve the bloating and flush the system.

Just squeeze a quarter of a lemon into a hot cup of water and sip like a hot tea. It’s better not to use a microwave to heat the water, as the microwave changes the molecular structure of the water, not to mention our food. Heating it on the stove top is best.

The heat helps the water flush through the system better and makes you pee, so you are flushing out the excess water that your body has been retaining. As you are flushing excess fluid, you are also flushing toxins from your body.

Bloating and water retention can also add pounds to your frame and make you feel very uncomfortable. As mentioned earlier, it helps your body naturally release some of the water it's holding onto to reduce your symptoms of bloating and discomfort, therefore aiding in weight loss.

#8: Improves pH Balance & Prevents Acidity

Most people assume that fresh squeezed lemon juice is very acidic… but in all truth, it’s actually the exact opposite. Once lemon juice enters the body, it will help get you in to a more an alkaline state, which helps to maintain proper pH balance.

Maintaining a proper pH balance in the body is a must if you hope to combat as well as prevent disease (i.e. cancer thrives in a sugary environment which is not alkaline, so the cancer cells multiply faster). Also, a proper pH balance improves energy levels, enhances sleep quality and keeps your organs in proper working order.

Most people in today’s world are living in a state where they are too acidic.

This is due to the over-consumption of foods like processed meats and dairy, and refined grains. Additionally, if you’re not eating enough fresh fruits and vegetables, this can also contribute to an acidic environment in the body.

Now because lemon juice is very alkaline, once it moves through the digestive track, it can help bring your pH balance to a more alkaline state. This can greatly influence how you feel on a day to day basis.

The Bottom Line:

Research shows lemon water has quite a few potential health benefits, such as improved immunity, better digestion, weight loss, and kidney stone prevention and other things as mentioned above. Aside from those, adding lemon to your water will hopefully help you drink more water throughout the day and keep you hydrated. Staying hydrated is critical to good health. Of course, it definitely won’t give you superhero strength, but it might help you drink more water, so lemon water is pretty much a win-win in my book.