Three to four days after drinking plain lemon water in the morning, I thought – lemon water might not replace my habit of drinking tea (and some days coffee) in the morning, but it can be my go-to drink after I wake up in the morning.
Because there are many good benefits of drinking lemon water and roughly it takes about 2 minutes to prepare lemon water. So, worth the little effort.
In this guide, you will find everything you need to know about lemon water (LW).
First, you will read about the benefits of drinking lemon water, which lemon water tests better & other interesting things you should know about LW.
Also, if you think your taste buds will get bored just from drinking PLAIN LEMON WATER… well, I got your back. You will also get – 5 lemon water recipes.
What Is Lemon Water?
Lemon water is simply water with added lemon juice in it.
But you can prepare and drink many types of lemon water by adding some other healthy ingredients like honey, cucumber slices, turmeric etc.
Some of the popular lemon water variations are – cucumber lemon water, warm lemon water with honey, lemon water with turmeric, lemon water with ginger etc. You will read more about those lemon water recipes & their benefits later in this guide.
Top 10 Benefits Of Drinking Lemon Water
1. Drinking lemon water aids digestion
Drinking one glass of warm lemon water in the morning empty stomach can help you to get your digestive system moving.
Also, it balances and reduces the chances of acid formation in your stomach.
To prevent constipation many people drink one glass of lemon water in the morning. They gave positive feedback about its effectiveness.
One glass of lemon water can give you relief from acidity.
“When you drink lemon water after a meal it aids digestion.”
2. Freshens your breath
Lemon water is one of the oldest natural remedies to avoid bad breath.
When we have a dry mouth for some time, bacteria make our breath smell bad.
It’s common to have bad breath just after we wake up.
Drinking lemon water stimulates our mouth to release saliva.
Water and lemon juice both help to prevent a dry mouth and freshen your breath.
3. Drinking lemon water boosts your energy level
When we sweat our body loses minerals (zinc, magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium and water (source.)
During the summer season or in a country with hot weather, you will sweat. The amount of sweating can vary from person to person and what activity they are doing.
If you feel less energetic due to sweating you can drink one glass of cold lemon water with a pinch of salt to boost your energy level.
I live in India. And during summer, people sweat a lot here when they are outside. From childhood, we drink lemon water in hot days. It freshens your mood and you notice a higher energy level than before.
In summer, cold lemon water is a widely popular beverage in India and in other Asian countries. Share on X
4. Good source of vitamin C
Lemons and other citrus fruits contain a high amount of vitamin C.
Studies show that having enough vitamin C in your body may reduce your risk of cardiovascular diseases and risk of stroke.
Drinking Citrus water or lemon water supplies vitamin C to your body. Vitamin C also acts as a primary antioxidant and helps to protect your cells from damaging free radicals.
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Here’s how much vitamin C an adult need.
- Men, 90 mg per day
- Women, 75 mg per day
- Pregnant women, 85 mg per day
- Breastfeeding women, 120 mg per day (source.)
Water-soluble vitamin C can also help to repair & regenerate tissues, maintain connective tissue and protects the body from Immune system deficiencies.
5. Drinking lemon water reduces joint and muscle pain
If occasionally you feel pain in your joints or after waking up in the morning your joints remain stiff for some time then you can get relief from it by drinking one glass of lukewarm lemon water with organic honey.
Vitamin C present in lemon juice promotes good ligament, joint tissue and bone health.
You need to drink lemon water for at least one week to get this health benefit.
6. Lemon water helps you to drink more water
Adequate fluid intake for an adult man is 3.7 litres and for women 2.7 litres. Everybody knows they should drink more water to be healthy. But some people drink less water than recommended.
Drinking enough water is crucial as it impacts our body fluid level.
On many occasions, you may find it difficult to drink enough water. You can solve this problem by drinking one or two glasses of lemon water. It will please your taste buds and give your body an ample amount of water supply.
Here are some reasons to drink more water every day:
- Drinking an adequate amount of water makes it easy for your kidneys to take out toxins from your body.
- Drinking enough water is good for your skin.
- Drinking enough water throughout the day helps you to avoid muscle fatigue and many more.
7. Protects you from the common cold
If you regularly drink lukewarm lemon water with honey, it reduces the chances of getting affected by the common cold.
Even if you get common cold due to unexpected weather changes; drinking lukewarm lemon water with honey can help to bring your cold and cough under control.
Suggested reading: 7 Simple Lifestyle Changes That Have Huge Impact On Your Life
8. Improves athletic performance
Drinking lemon water boosts your energy.
So you can take it as a pre-workout to improve your athletic performance.
Also during exercise or physical training, it’s important to keep yourself hydrated. During a workout, if you don’t like to drink water then you should try lemon water.
Lemon water tests good and it’s refreshing. The best part is it’s natural and contains fewer calories than other gym drinks.
Also, read – Benefits of living a healthy lifestyle.
9. Lemon water and kidney stones
A study conducted by National Kidney Foundation found that if you drink 2 -2.5 litres of water daily then you are 50% less likely to develop kidney stones.
The citric acid in lemon helps to block stone formation. If you drink lemon water regularly it can help you to prevent kidney stones.
10. Lemon water supplies antioxidants
61 grams of fresh lemon juice has 31% of vitamin C in it (source – whfoods.)
Vitamin C is considered one of the most important antioxidants in nature.
In lemon water, there is a substance called Flavonoids, which is known to improve metabolic health and can protect cells from damage.
Suggested reading: 10 Best Fruits Which Helps In Weight Loss
Drinking Lemon Water In The Morning
I have been drinking lukewarm lemon water + honey in the morning (empty stomach) for a couple of weeks now. Here is what I noticed and some recommendations.
- Drinking lukewarm lemon water in the morning helps to remove sleepiness. Also, it gives a boost in energy level.
- It also increases the metabolism rate slightly.
- After three-four days of drinking lemon water in the morning, I noticed it helps to bring down acidity in the stomach.
- Personally, I found no complications in drinking lemon water on an empty stomach first thing in the morning.
I tried drinking plain lemon water with filtered water but I found I like lukewarm lemon water with two teaspoons of honey (it taste better.)
5 Popular Lemon Water Recipe
Warm lemon water
Morning is the best time to drink a glass of warm lemon water to get its amazing health benefits.
Warm lemon water has all the health benefits of lemon water and some more.
Lukewarm lemon water in the morning is more effective to cure and control stomach problems. It also helps in preventing the formation of wrinkles and acne.
Drinking warm lemon water in the morning also reduces joint pain as it dissolves uric acid. To avoid getting infected by common cold it’s one of the best home remedies.
Warm lemon water with honey
If you want to see the advantages of drinking lemon water then you should try it with honey.
In the morning get two teaspoons of honey and squeeze half lemon juice in it. Add some lukewarm water in it and stir it for 10 seconds (to dissolve the honey) and enjoy your drink.
Preparing the drink takes less than two minutes and it’s so simple to make. But it has some amazing health benefits.
- Honey is a natural fat burner. If you drink lemon water with honey; it can give you good results in weight management.
- It will help you to strengthen your immunity system.
- Lemon water with honey is a powerful home remedy for cough and common cold.
- It will give you an instant energy boost. Because honey is an excellent source of natural energy boosters.
- Drinking lemon water with honey helps you to prevent metabolic stress and boosts memory. Thus after drinking it in the morning you will be much more productive and focused. So it’s great for those who want to complete some work in the morning.
How to prepare lemon water with honey
Lemon water with honey is a great healthy drink to start your day.
In this drink, you should use lukewarm water.
Ingredients
- 2-3 teaspoons of honey
- 1/2 of a lemon
- Lukewarm water
How to prepare
- Squeeze the lemon in a glass
- Add 2-3 spoons of honey
- Pour lukewarm water
- Stir it for 10 seconds
Lemon water with chia seeds
If you are someone who likes to eat food and drinks that promotes good health then you might consider drinking lemon water with chia seeds a couple of times a week.
Chia seeds with lemon water is a great way to build endurance and burn body fat.
Later in this article, I will tell you about how to prepare these drinks step-by-step.
Here are all the major health benefits of drinking lemon water with chia seeds:
- Chia seed provides many essential nutrients like fibre, protein, manganese and calcium. It also contains plenty of antioxidants and most important – omega-3 fatty acids.
- Antioxidants present in chia seeds promote tissue repair and protect your skin.
- Chia seeds contain a high amount of protein and fibre. Which promotes weight loss.
- Consuming chia seeds enhances athletic performance. Its often used by athletes to build endurance and to boost their performance in the field.
How to prepare lemon water with chia seeds
Ingredients you will need to prepare lemon water with chia seeds
- ½ of a lemon
- 1 tablespoon of whole chia seeds
- 1 glass/ cup of lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon, unfiltered raw apple cider vinegar
How to prepare
- Add chia seed in the glass and pour, half a glass of warm water
- Stir it a little bit and cover it for 5-10 minutes.
- Add apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and water
- Stir well and your drink is ready.
Drinking lemon water with turmeric
Consuming organic turmeric helps you to detox your body. You can get a detox drink when you add turmeric to your lemon water.
Turmeric is widely popular in the middle east and Asian countries for its countless health benefits.
Turmeric and curcumin present inside it both acts as an antioxidant and have anti-inflammatory properties. It’s highly effective to give you relief from acid reflux.
Lemon water with turmeric can help you to get faster recovery from workouts and physical work. It also boosts your energy.
When consuming turmeric with lemon water for the first time you should add one or half teaspoon into 8 ounce glass of lukewarm water. Later you can add more turmeric according to your taste.
Lemon water with turmeric recipe
To prepare this detox drink you only need 3 ingredients.
- ½ of a lemon
- One glass of lukewarm water
- ½ teaspoon of organic ground turmeric
You can also add one or two teaspoons of honey to it for better taste.
How to prepare lemon water with turmeric
- First, squeeze the lemon into a glass or mug.
- Add ½ teaspoon of turmeric
- Pour lukewarm water into it
- Stir for 10 seconds
- Add honey if you want to.
Note: if you drink slowly then the turmeric may fall at the bottom. So, keep the spoon near you.
Lemon water with cucumber
Drinking lemon water is good for your skin health. You can also enhance its health benefits by adding 3-4 round slices of cucumber to it.
Most of the beauty parlours and spa centres use cucumber in their therapy and beverages because of its health benefits.
When it comes to skin health cucumber gives some amazing results.
Consuming cucumber can protect your skin from the effect of ageing. You don’t need to buy expensive anti-ageing creams, eat some cucumber daily.
Cucumbers contain water, fibre and anti-inflammatory substances like flavonoids & tannin. So it’s also good to maintain a healthy weight, prevent constipation, get relief from pain and in reducing bad breath.
Lemon water with cucumber recipe
Ingredients you will need to prepare cucumber & lemon water
- 4-6 round slices of cucumber
- ½ of a lemon
- Water
- Ice cube & honey (optional)
Preparation
- Place the cucumber slices in the button of a mug
- Add lemon juice to it
- Pour water
- Add 3-4 ice cubes and honey (optional)
- Stir well
Lemon water with ginger
Lemon and ginger both are very popular in Ayurvedic medicine for their impressive health benefits.
Both of them contain antioxidants and have immune-boosting capabilities. When you combine both ingredients into a single drink, it becomes more healthy for your body.
- Lemon water with ginger act as a natural metabolism booster and promotes calorie burn and weight management.
- The presence of vitamin A in ginger improves the texture of your hair.
- Drinking lemon & ginger water everyday can give your skin a fresh look by adding a natural glow.
- Lemon water and ginger are also effective to cure a common cold and cough.
A person with a sensitive stomach or anyone have ginger allergy avoid this drink. Or talk to your doctor if you can drink it without any complications. Some people reported they suffer from heartburn after they drink this beverage.
Lemon water with ginger recipe
To prepare this drink you need ½ lemon and a little amount of sliced ginger ( 10-25 grams will do the job.)
Now there’s two ways to add ginger to your lemon water.
- You can put the ginger in the water overnight. Boil the water in the morning with ginger. Filter the water and add lemon to it.
- Extract ginger juice from the ginger and mix it with lemon water.
Preparation
- Squeeze half lemon in a glass.
- Add the ginger juice and water. Mix it for 15 seconds.
How much lemon water you should drink in a day
You can drink 1-4 glasses of lemon water in a day.
Drink lukewarm lemon water in the morning, evening or at night. It’s best to drink cold lemon water or lemon water with ice during noon.
If you are drinking lemon water for the first time then you should start with drinking 1-2 glasses.
Drink 1-2 glasses of lemon water for a couple of days then add another one if you want.
Also, if you are drinking 3-4 glasses of LW then you might consider using a straw to protect your tooth enamel. If you are drinking one or two glasses of lemon water in a day then you don’t need to worry about it.
Lemon Water Detox: how effective?
Talking about detox, water is an important element of detoxing. Drinking more water helps you in detoxing.
One glass of lemon water helps you to drink more water and thus it helps you to detox.
But if you are drinking lemon water only for detoxing then you should try – Lemon water with turmeric, lemon water with cucumber and lemon water with ginger.
These detox drinks will help you in detoxing more than plain lemon water.
Is there any side effects of drinking lemon water?
Drinking lemon water is safe and there are no major side effects of drinking lemon water.
But concentrated lemon juice can decay tooth enamel over time. So, if you are adding too much lemon in your drink or drinking lemon water many times in a day then use a straw.
For most people drinking lemon water is safe and provides many health benefits. But if you have any health problem that requires you to not drink lemon juice then consult your physician before drinking lemon water.
Myths about lemon water
There are many health benefits of lemon-infused water. But drinking lemon water can’t solve every health problem. Here are some common myths about lemon water:
- Balances your body pH level. Lemon water can’t balance your body’s pH level. What lemon water can do is it can give you relief from acidity in your stomach.
- Increases IQ. It’s not proven if drinking lemon water increases your IQ over time. But drinking lemon water in the morning helps you to be more focused.
- Prevents Cancer. Lemon water does not help in cancer prevention. No scientific study proved that lemon water can prevent cancer.
