Ah lemons, they truly are the zest! If you look at the social media pages of well-known beauty, lifestyle, or wellness gurus, it’s likely that you’ll stumble upon at least one post of theirs praising the health benefits of drinking lemon water. From freshening breath to aiding digestion, the benefits of lemon water can’t be beat and are enough to make even the most avid tea or coffee guzzler change up their morning routine. It's also a great way to spice up your regular water intake throughout the day! To learn some of the detoxifying and digestive benefits of this citrus fruit, keep scrolling!
Health Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water
Freshens Breath
Brush your tongue. Replace your toothbrush every three months. Incorporate mouthwash into your dental routine. These are just a few of the recommended practices to not only keep your teeth clean but also your breath fresh. But guess what? Drinking lemon water can help keep oral odor at bay, too! Because lemon is naturally acidic, it’s the perfect natural remedy to cleanse your mouth. It also stimulates saliva production, preventing dry mouth, a common oral condition where the salivary glands in your mouth don’t produce enough saliva naturally. Other factors that contribute to dry mouth are aging, smoking, and even certain medications. So, the next time you find your breath is giving off a pungent smell, pour yourself a refreshing glass of lemon water (or two)!
Improves Digestion
It seems that digestive upset is becoming a bigger and more common issue for many these days. But before you run to both the pharmacy to load up on pro and prebiotics and the produce section of the grocery store to stock up on fibrous fruits and veggies like raspberries and broccoli, try guzzling a glass of lemon water to kickstart your digestive system. And if constipation is a condition you continually battle with, it’s recommended that you start your day with a glass as it can work as a gentle and natural laxative thanks to its citric acid content. And the benefits don’t end there. The acid present in lemons helps to break down food more efficiently and even works to loosen the toxins that are present in your gastrointestinal tract. Nothing like a good colon cleanse to regulate digestion and keep your gut feeling glorious!
Promotes Hydration
One of the most popular health benefits of drinking lemon water is its ability to promote hydration.
Lemon gives bland water a bit of taste and if you have difficulty getting your daily intake of H20, adding a lil’ citrus zing may incline you to drink more. And being well-hydrated not only maintains proper brain, heart, and muscle function, but also helps with nutrient absorption, waste excretion, blood circulation, and more! No wonder drinking lemon water has become a healthy habit of many!
Prevents Kidney Stones
Before we dive into this benefit, do keep in mind that drinking a whole lot of lemon water won’t guarantee that you’ll never get…
But taking precautionary measures is never a bad thing, especially if you’re stone prone, which some are (shoutout to genetics). For those who don’t know, kidney stones form when there’s a high concentration of minerals and substances in your urine such as calcium, oxalate, and uric acid. And instead of flushing these substances out, the body retains and traps them in your urinary tract. Drinking lemon water not only prevents dehydration (which can trigger kidney stones) but also provides the body with citrate, a component of citric acid. This in turn makes urine less acidic, making it more difficult for stones to form!
Increases Vitamin C Intake
Increasing your vitamin C intake with this citrus fruit is…
Citrus fruits like lemons are high in vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin and antioxidant that helps neutralize free radicals. And in case you forgot, antioxidants are molecules that fight free radicals (AKA unstable atoms that can damage cells) in your body. Vitamin C gives the boost your body needs when it comes to defending itself against bacteria, germs, parasites, and all kinds of other icky stuff, so giving yourself an extra dose of it by drinking lemon water is sure to help kick common infections and viruses to the curb! Whether it’s topped with a bit of fresh mint or sweet honey or enjoyed plainly, lemon water is the perfect health-boosting drink to kickstart your day.
Do you start your mornings this way? If you do, follow and message us on socials and let us know what your favorite health benefits of drinking lemon water are! And don’t forget to join us next time when we cover the benefits of blueberries.