Drinking hot water and lemon has many health benefits. Hot water and lemon juice are the main ingredients in the lemonade diet, which is popular with celebrities for weight loss and detoxification. Drinking hot water with lemon has other health benefits that positively affect your skin, teeth and digestive system.
Skincare
Drinking water with lemon benefits your skin in several ways. The skin is the largest organ of the body and looks better from internal and external treatments. Drinking water with lemon is an anti-aging remedy that reduces blackheads and wrinkles, says Dr. Subba Rao in an article entitled "Lemon Water Health Benefits: Lemon Water for Skin Care, Stomach."
Digestive Health
Lemon juice has digestive qualities, says Ann Heustad, R.N. in an article entitled "The Amazing Health Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water." Therefore, drinking lemon water reduces symptoms of indigestion including bloating and heartburn. Lemon water helps the bowels better eliminate waste, which is beneficial for reducing constipation and diarrhea.
Mouth and Throat
Drinking hot water and lemon can relieve the pain of toothaches, says Dr. Rao. It also promotes gum health and reduces bad breath. Rubbing lemon juice directly onto your gums can stop bleeding. Drinking lemon water is also soothing for sore throats. Because of the antibacterial properties of lemon, drinking lemon with water fights throat infections and tonsillitis.
General Precautions
It is safe for almost anyone to drink hot water with lemon. The exceptions are people with lemon allergies and active ulcers, says Heustad. She warns that even though few people actually have a real lemon allergy, it is still possible. Speak with your doctor if you believe you may be allergic.
Hot Water and Lemon for Weight Loss
Dr. Michael Horiwitz says that doing the lemonade diet only two days a week helps you lose weight. You combine half a lemon and eight ounces of water in a glass, then add two tablespoons of grade B maple syrup and cayenne pepper to taste, he says in his 2006 article, "The Lemonade Diet." This gives you 100 calories of usable energy from the unrefined syrup. Dr. Horiwitz suggests drinking hot water and lemon from noon on day one until noon the next day, so you still get a regular breakfast the day one and eat normally after noon on day two. Doing this just two days a week for a year results in 104 days on the diet, which is the equivalent of dieting for more than three months each year. Drinking hot water and lemon two days a week significantly reduces the overall calories you eat. Dr. Horiwitz says that people will lose around 2 lbs. per week on the lemonade diet.
However, speak with your doctor before you try this or any diet. Drinking hot water and lemon for 24 hours does lower your calories during that time. The University of Maryland Medical Center states that consuming fewer than 1,100 calories per day puts people at risk for binging or overeating. It is also more difficult to get enough nutrients and vitamins. However, the medical center also says that reducing the number of calories you eat is the cornerstone of losing excess weight. Ask your doctor or a dietitian for assistance in targeting the exact number of calories you may cut safely.
In an article on MSNBC.com entitled "Experts Warn of Detox Diet Dangers," Lona Sandon, R.D., warns that long-term fasts lead to a lack of nutrients and health problems such as muscle breakdown. Sandon is a dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. The article continues to say that detox diets upset blood sugar levels and are dangerous for women who are pregnant or nursing, as well as people suffering from diabetes, heart or kidney disease. However, these warnings refer to diets that last three days to one month. The lemonade diet lasts a total of 24 hours at a time and is spaced over two days. Ask a medical professional if you are at risk.
References
- MasterTonic.com; The Lemonade Diet; Dr. Michael Horiwitz; March 2006 (pdf)
- DotHealthClub.com; Lemon Water Health Benefits: Lemon Water for Skin Care, Stomach; Dr. Subba Rao
- EMR Labs LLC; The Amazing Health Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water; Ann Heustad, R.N.
- University of Maryland Medical Center: How Many Calories Should You Cut
- MSNBC.com; Experts Warn of Detox Diet Dangers; Susan Moores, R.D.; 2007
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