There are plenty of bogus health trends to avoid, but daily lemon water isn’t one of them. You may have seen this one popping up around the Internet for months now.
Lemons are vitamin C rich citrus fruits that enhance your beauty, by rejuvenating skin from within and thus, bringing a glow to your face. One of the major health benefits of drinking lemon water is that it paves the way for losing weight faster, thus acting as a great weight loss remedy.
Lemon water flushes out body toxins and is extremely beneficial for the body. Warm lemon water serves as the perfect ‘good morning drink’, as it aids the digestive system and makes the process of eliminating the waste products from the body easier. It prevents the problem of constipation and diarrhea, by ensuring smooth bowel functions. So make it a part of your daily routine to drink a glass of warm lemon water in the morning and enjoy its health benefits.
Because of the effect of lemon juice on the enamel of your teeth, it’s important to dilute it with water of any temperature (though lukewarm is recommended). Drink it first thing in the morning, and wait for 15 to 30 minutes before having your breakfast. This will help you fully receive the benefits of lemon water, which are listed below.
1. Gives your immune system a boost.
Vitamin C is like our immune system’s jumper cables, and lemon juice is full of it. The level of vitamin C in your system is one of the first things to plummet when you’re stressed, which is why experts recommended popping extra vitamin C during especially stressful days.
2. Excellent source of potassium.
As already mentioned, lemons are high in potassium, which is good for heart health, as well as brain and nerve function.
3. Aids digestion.
Lemon juice not only encourages healthy digestion by loosening toxins in your digestive tract, it helps to relieve symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn, burping, and bloating.
4. Cleanses your system.
It helps flush out the toxins in your body by enhancing enzyme function, stimulating your liver.
5. Freshens your breath.
It also helps relieve toothaches and gingivitis (say wha?). Because the citric acid can erode tooth enamel, either hold off on brushing your teeth after drinking lemon water or brush your teeth before drinking it.
6. Keeps your skin blemish-free.
The antioxidants in lemon juice help to not only decrease blemishes, but wrinkles too! It can also be applied to scars and age spots to reduce their appearance, and because it’s detoxifying your blood, it will maintain your skin’s radiance.
7. Helps you lose weight.
Lemons contain pectin fiber, which assists in fighting hunger cravings.
8. Reduces inflammation.
If you drink lemon water on a regular basis, it will decrease the acidity in your body, which is where disease states occur. It removes uric acid in your joints, which is one of the main causes of inflammation.
9. Gives you an energy boost.
Lemon juice provides your body with energy when it enters your digestive tract, and it also helps reduce anxiety and depression. (Even the scent of lemons has a calming effect on your nervous system!)
10. Helps to cut out caffeine.
I didn’t believe this until I tried it, but replacing my morning coffee with a cup of hot lemon water has really done wonders! I feel refreshed, and no longer have to deal with that pesky afternoon crash. Plus, my nerves are thankful.
11. Helps fight viral infections.
Warm lemon water is the most effective way to diminish viral infections and their subsequent sore throats. Plus, with the lemon juice also boosting your immune system, you’ll simultaneously fight off the infection completely.
Reference:
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/11-benefits-lemon-water-you-didnt-know-about.html
By:
Paola Hines
AB-Masscomm, New Era University
