Lemon is often added to water at restaurants as a way to add flavor and to make it more refreshing. But adding lemon to water also has health benefits beyond taste, including increasing water's hydrating effects. Drinking lemon water on a daily basis may also help with weight loss. Cutting slices of whole lemon and placing them in water is one option, or you can buy concentrated lemon juice in a bottle, add some to water and refrigerate the rest.
Digestive Aid
One way that lemon juice may be helpful for weight loss is that it is often considered a digestive aid. According to medical writer Deborah Mitchell in her book, "Natural Medicine for Weight Loss," lemon water quickly and easily promotes digestion by stimulating digestive enzymes and HCl. This stimulation helps to not only better digest foods, but also to increase the utilization of fats, which can be helpful in promoting long-term weight loss.
Adds More Flavor To Water
Drinking enough water is necessary not only to keep you properly hydrated, but also to make you feel full. Consuming water throughout the day often diminishes excess hunger, and also can make your body feel fuller faster when it is drank with meals, according to Jeanie Blanton-Trimble in her book, "Healthy Weight Loss Diet and Cookbook for Seniors." Because water is flavorless, adding lemon to it can make it more palatable and refreshing, increasing the likelihood that you will consume higher amounts of water. Fresh squeezed lemons work well, as does lemon juice from a bottle.
Good for the Liver
Another benefit of lemon juice in water is that it may help to cleanse the liver, according to health and fitness expert Theresa Cheung in her book, "The Lemon Juice Diet." Particularly when drinking it first thing in the morning, it acts as a tonic for the liver, notes Cheung, stimulating it to produce bile that helps with digesting the day's foods, which may help with weight loss. Good liver function is also important in order for detoxification purposes, which is necessary for good health.
Help Stabilize Blood Sugar Levels
Lemon juice in water may also aid in weight loss as its high vitamin content may help to stabilize blood sugar levels. According to Cheung, the acidity and lactic acid of lemon juice appear to lower blood sugar when drank with or near a meal. Stable blood sugar levels are necessary for weight loss or to maintain normal weight levels. This is due to both insulin and hormone production that stores fat when blood sugar is low, and also cravings for high sugar and high fat foods are common when suffering from low blood sugar.
References
- "Natural Medicine for Weght Loss"; Deborah Mitchell; 2009
- "Healthy Weight Loss Diet and Cookbook for Seniors"; Jeanie Blanton-Trimble; 2010
- "The Lemon Juice Diet"; Theresa Cheung, MA; 2010
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