I have heard that drinking lemon water, especially in the morning, is beneficial for overall health. It is something I have been interested in learning more about for months now. 

As I was praying recently, I was inspired to drink lemon water each morning. I was also inspired to write a post about the benefits of drinking lemon water. There is a lot of research out there, some of it conflicting. I found the following benefits consistently in my research.

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5 Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water

1. It keeps you hydrated.

A fully hydrated body functions better. When you wake up in the morning you haven’t had anything to drink for hours. Drinking lemon water first thing in the morning helps restore hydration to your body.

The general recommendation is drinking about half your body weight in ounces of water each day. So if you weigh 100 pounds, you would drink 50 ounces of water every day. Because lemon water is a mild diuretic, plain water is best after a glass or two of lemon water.

2. It delivers extra Vitamin C.

The extra vitamin C found in lemon water helps with many bodily functions. Vitamin C is best known for boosting the immune system. It positively impacts cardiovascular, bone, skin and mental health as well.

Lemon water is a great way to fighting a cold. It even has beneficial properties for those exposed to colds and other illnesses.

3. It may aid in weight loss.

Drinking plenty of water has many benefits. Drinking a glass of water, especially before a meal, helps your body achieve a full feeling faster. This means you will need to eat less to feel satisfied.

Water has also been shown to raise metabolism levels. These benefits can be accomplished through drinking regular water or lemon water. Often, people who dislike plain water are happy to drink lemon water. It gives an extra burst of flavor. Because lemon water is a mild diuretic, it does help with bloating as well.

4. It may prevent kidney stones.

Citric acid decreases chances of kidney stones forming. A compound,  called citrate, that is found in lemons decreases the chances of kidney stones forming. Citrate prevents calcium from binding with other compounds to form kidney stones. Therefore, drinking lemon water could prevent kidney stones.

5. It aids in digestion.

Adding lemon to your water slows the digestion process. Is slowing down the digestive process a good thing? Actually, yes. When digestion is slowed, your body is able to absorb more nutrients from the food eaten. This means you gain the benefits of more nutrients in your system without eating any extra food. Lemon water is also reported to flush toxins from your system. That is another reason why it is so important first thing in the morning.

Related Post: Fit by 40, Week 1

Points of Caution

Keep in mind that the acidity of lemons can affect tooth enamel. It is important to drink lemon water through a straw or to rinse with plain water after drinking lemon water. These habits will help protect your tooth enamel. Another recommendation is to wait at least an hour to brush your teeth after exposing them to acidic foods. This means you may want to brush your teeth before consuming lemon water in the morning.

Also, lemon water is a mild diuretic. About 12 -16 ounces of lemon water daily delivers all of the benefits needed. After that, plain water is best.

Lemon Water Recipe:

Squeeze one half to one whole lemon into a glass (8 oz.) of water. Enjoy!

Yes, it really is that simple!

Moving Forward

Drinking plain water is extremely beneficial to overall health. My plan is to drink lemon water in the morning. I may also drink it at occasionally during the day. More likely, I will be drinking club soda made at home with our Soda Stream and squeezing some fresh lemon juice into it. Since club soda is carbonated water, I figure I will get the same benefits as I do from drinking still lemon water. Nick likes to drink club soda with lemon and lime that he makes with our Soda Stream.

I am interested in getting a lemon squeezer to keep the seeds out of my water, like this one:New Star Foodservice 42856 Enameled Aluminum Lemon Squeezer, Yellow

If you’re more likely to sip lemon water throughout the day you may want to invest in a fruit infuser water bottle like the one below. (Contigo AUTOSPOUT Straw Ashland Infuser Water Bottle, 26oz, Greyed Jade)

What are your thoughts on drinking lemon water?

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