Benefit of drinking Lemon Water

Sipping your special honey and lemon

A fresh- squeezed lemon in filtered water has high medicinal values. Lemon water helps cleanse the body, stimulate the liver, and improve digestion and elimination.

Let’s read some of the health benefit of drinking lemon water:

To promote hydration- One should have a normal intake of 91 to 125 ounces of water every day according to the dietary reference of Food and Nutrition Board. This water intake can be in the form of food and drinks. Water is known to promote hydration but its taste on its own is not liked by some people and as such they prefer mixing lemon juice with water to enhance its tastes.

High amount of vitamin C- Lemon and other citrus fruits are a rich source of vitamin C which prevents the cell from damage. This vitamin even decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke and lowers blood pressure. Even though lemon does not top the list of fruits rich in vitamin C still the benefit of drinking lemon water cannot be ignored. ¼ cup of raw lemon juice is known to provide 23.6 grams of vitamin C.

Improves skin quality– Lemons are a source of vitamin C which is known to prevent wrinkles and drying of skin. The more is the loss of water, the drier your skin becomes. It is recommended to have at least eight glasses of water per day to promote hydration and keeping toxins at bay.

Reduces weight– Lemons contain polyphenol antioxidants which reduces weight along with increased insulin resistance. The combination of honey and lemon when consumed in the morning makes you feel full for a longer period of time and reduces the craving for food even. Thus it helps in maintaining a healthy weight.

Improves digestion– The first thing to do after waking up in the morning is to have hot or warm lemon water to keep your digestive system moving.

Freshens breath – Lemons are thought to be an agent to neutralize odor. In the same way bad breath caused due to eating garlic and onions can be prevented by having a glass of lemon water after meals. It even stimulates saliva.

Prevention of kidney stones– Calcium kidney stones is prevented by the citric acid present in lemons. The benefit of drinking lemon water cannot be ignored in this as it adds up to the citric acid content in our body along with the water needed to prevent stones.

Antibacterial properties- Lemon water helps fight infections and prevent common cough and cold. It keeps the problems of respiratory tract infections, sore throat and inflammation of tonsils at bay.

Rich source of minerals- Along with vitamin C, lemons are also a rich source of potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium etc. which nourish brain and nerve cells.

Improved dental health – can be yet another benefit of drinking lemon water. It prevents toothache and gingivitis.

Building strong bones – in the child is one of the benefits of drinking lemon water by pregnant women. But pregnant women should be cautious to have it in moderation and after a proper consultation with the doctor.

Lemon water – is even known to reduce the amount of uric acid in our joints, which causes certain types of joint pains.

Benefit of drinking lemon water in Ayurveda and TCM:

Lemons have been used for centuries in many forms of holistic medicine. As per the Traditional Chinese Medicine, lemon water boosts digestion and stomach health. The cooling property of lemon enhances the functions of liver and gallbladder.

According to Ayurveda, lemons promote a healthy digestive system and stimulate the secretion of digestive enzymes whilst supporting regularity.

How much and how often to drink it?

• If you keep good health and your weight even is less than 150 pounds, take a fresh lemon and squeeze half of it in eight to twelve ounces of filtered water to reap the benefit of drinking lemon water.

         If your weight exceeds 150 pounds, have the same amount of lemon water twice a day. The other way is to squeeze two ounces of lemon into twenty four to thirty two ounces of filtered water and have it throughout the morning.

Only twelve ounces of water can be metabolized by our body at a time. Thus, if you exceed the limit of twelve ounces, then drink it in a few hours rather than drinking it at once. It’s preferable to store the excess water in glass or stainless steel sealed containers in cold temperature.

• If your consumption exceeds the above mentioned recommendations, it’s suggested to take it over time as the lemon juice will accelerate body detoxification and cause headaches, bowel changes, or fatigue. To gain the utmost benefit of drinking lemon water, have it half an hour before a meal to have the most energy and nutrients from your food.

In order to glean the benefit of drinking lemon water, choose fresh-picked, organic and locally grown lemon. It’s better to avoid pasteurized and packaged lemon juice.

Always use filtered water, free of contaminants but rich in naturally occurring minerals to have the best health benefits.

If you are wondering on whether to have the lemon water hot or cold, the answer is to have it warm or at room temperature. Lemon water which is kept at room temperature provides the utmost health benefit for the full enzymatic and energetic properties of the lemon.

• Which lemon to buy and how to make lemon water?

When it comes to buying lemons, you should go for fully organic, yellow lemons. Avoid buying dull, wrinkled, excessively, or the green lemons as they aren’t fully ripe. Lemons with a thin skin are juicier.

It is easy and simple to make lemon water as you simply need to mix some lemon juice with filtered water. The amount of lemon juice to be added may vary according to your taste. To ease out the process even more, squeeze out many lemons into an ice-cube tray and freeze it. Add a few cubes into a glass of warm water to readily have fresh lemon juice any time.