10 Health Benefits of Lemon

Lemon water is a go-to home remedy, believed to help with the common cold, aid digestion, help in weight loss, and detox the body. Lemon may be the smallest thing in your shopping cart as compared to other fruits and vegetables. However, it is one of the highest nutrition food items in the basket.

Lemons contain roughly 18.6 milligrams (mg) of Vitamin C or 21% of the daily recommended intake value. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps support the immune system. Antioxidants help prevent oxidative damage by free radicals and play an important role in disease prevention and health promotion.

Along with a boost of vitamin C, lemons are infused with the goodness of fiber, calcium, thiamin, pantothenic acid, folate, magnesium, and copper. By indulging in a tasty, low-calorie beverage, you will be getting hydrated and reaping five benefits at the same time. Drinking lemon water first thing in the morning has been a popular trend for years. It’s been publicized as rejuvenating your skin, boosting metabolism, fighting off viruses, and more but is it so absolutely, incredibly, fantastically beneficial, and life-changing.

Health Benefits

Improve Digestive Health

Lemon water can help aid digestion and relieve symptoms of indigestion such as heartburn, burping, and stomach bloating. The citric acid found in lemons supplements your natural stomach acids which help break down food.

Boost Immune System

As mentioned above, lemons contain vitamin C. When you drink lemon water first thing in the morning, it gives your body an immune boost.

Fight iron deficiency

One of the most common nutrient deficiencies in developing countries, iron deficiency, is a leading cause of anemia. It has been found that pairing foods rich in iron with foods rich in Vitamin C, such as lemons, helps the body absorb iron.

Weight Management

Drinking water, especially warm lemon water, first thing in the morning, can help you increase your metabolism and maintain a healthy weight.

Boost heart health

Lemons contain more than 20 mg of Vitamin C, which reduces the risk of strokes and heart disease.

Flushes out toxins and kidney stones

Lemon juice is known as a diuretic, which means it helps your kidneys eliminate water and some toxins by increasing the frequency of urination. The citrate in citric acid makes urine less acidic and may even help break up kidney stones. The water then flushes the stones out.

Lowers Blood Pressure

Daily lemon digestion is linked to lowering blood pressure, especially for people who are at high risk for high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Freshens Your Breath

The citric acid in the lemon contains antibacterial properties that can kill the bacteria that cause bad breath.

Improve Skin Health

Vitamin C plays a crucial role in your skin health. The vitamin C in lemons also promotes collagen production, which helps produce smooth, healthy skin.

Improves the Flavor

Adding lemon to your water is a tasty way to take a break from plain water.

Side Effects Of Lemon Water

No matter how beneficial lemon water can be for your body, you need to consider its side effects. Citric acid can be the reason for heartburn in some people. Others, however, experience relief from heartburn after drinking lemon water, since lemon juice becomes alkaline, reducing acidity in digestion. Some people visit the bathroom more frequently after drinking lemon water. However, there is no evidence that vitamin C from lemons has diuretic effects. One of the main negative effects of long-term consumption of lemon water is tooth enamel erosion, which leads to cavities.

Conclusion

Drinking lemon water may aid in weight loss, better skin, promote digestion, prevent kidney stones and boost heart health. Lemons are not only healthy, but their distinct fresh smell makes them a great addition to water and other foods or beverages. Ultimately, lemon water makes a healthy, refreshing alternative to carbonated and other sugary drinks.

If you don’t usually have lemons at home or this sounds like too much trouble for each morning, buy three pounds of lemons and juice them all at once. Freeze the fresh juice in ice cube trays and when frozen, pop the cubes into a ziplock bag and store in the freezer. Drop a frozen lemon cube into your water each morning and enjoy!

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