More and more celebrities and naturopaths are talking about the wonders of lemon water and why they won’t start their day without guzzling a glass of it. If you are wondering what you stand train by indulging in it, here are five things lemon water can do to your health.
It Keeps You Hydrated
Hydration is not a direct benefit of the lemon properties themselves. Drinking flavoured water might entice you to consume more of it.
Fluids, in general, provide hydration, however, some people struggle to drink an adequate amount of water per day simply because they find water boring or because they do not enjoy the taste.
Adding lemon to water can enhance the taste, making it more appealing you and helping you to drink more and improve hydration. A simple test to know you are getting enough water is to check the colour of your urine. Your pee should be nearly clear—if it’s yellow or dark, you need to drink more.
It Can Help You Look Younger
The vitamin C in lemon juice might actually help your skin as well. One study conducted in the U.K. showed that higher vitamin C intakes were associated with fewer wrinkles. Vitamin C is a nutrient that can fight off free-radical damage.
This could be due to vitamin C’s effects on collagen, which helps make up the connective tissue under the skin. Also, the hydration from the water helps skin stay more subtle and provides a more youthful appearance.
It Can Help You Lose Weight
Lemon water may be your best bet if you are trying to lose weight. The polyphenols in lemon may aid in reducing appetite.
Studies conducted in rodents have shown that the polyphenols in lemon do help to prevent weight gain. More so, drinking a glass of water, especially before a meal, helps to fill your stomach, offsetting the amount of food needed to feel satisfied.
To make lemon water, use whole lemons (not lemon juice in a bottle). Try squeezing the juice from one lemon into 8 to 12 ounces of water. You can also grate in a bit of the zest. Enjoy it cold or warm, but if you will be having it to promote weight loss, drink it chilled with ice.
It Can Help Prevent illness
We’ve all heard that vitamin C, which is found in citrus fruits like lemon, gives your immune system a boost, but you should also know that lemon water helps prevent infection. The acidic environment in the stomach serves as a barrier, deterring pathogens from gaining a foothold and causing illness.
Ingestion of highly acidic foods, including lemon juice, contributes to the acidic environment. Certain chemicals in lemon known as phytonutrients possess antioxidant properties that can also help protect the body from disease.
It Aids Digestion
The acidic properties of lemon helps to digest food. The citrus flavonoids in lemon aid the acid in the stomach in breaking down food, which may improve overall digestion.
Foods that aid digestion is especially important as you get older because the amount of acid in your stomach declines with age. One study showed that over 30 percent of men and women over age 60 had atrophic gastritis, a condition marked by little to no stomach acid.
Adding lemon slices and zest to your water, may help you harness some of the benefits of pectin, a fiber found in the pulp and peel.