Lemons, a tart citrus fruit with a variety of culinary and practical uses, contain high quantities of vitamin C and flavonoid antioxidants. This fruit has a high acid content, giving it an average pH of only 2 to 3. The lemon's acidity is responsible for its sour flavor. Consuming lemon water daily may provide health benefits, but do not use it to treat any condition without first consulting your physician.
Waste Elimination
Lemon water helps your body to be more efficient at eliminating wastes, which leads to improvements in bowel regularity, says Tricia Cunningham, a certified dietitian/nutritionist, in her book "The Reverse Diet: Lose 20, 50, 100 Pounds Or More by Eating Dinner for Breakfast." You can drink lemon water as a hot beverage that replaces coffee or tea. Consumed in this manner you'll drink more slowly, and it may help curb your appetite. Sipping hot lemon water tea can also relieve anxiety, deter compulsive eating and promote weight loss.
Antifungal
Lemon juice has antifungal properties, according to a South African study published in the March 2009 issue of the journal "Phytomedicine." In the study, 90 patients with oral thrush, a fungal infection that occurs frequently in HIV patients, drank lemon juice or an infusion made from lemon grass, a citrus-flavored perennial grass, for 11 days. Both were effective and provided an alternative to gentian violet, which causes unsightly purple stains.
Energy
Drink a cup of warm water with 1 tsp. of lemon juice each day for two weeks, and you may see noticeable improvements in your energy levels and digestive function. Less bloating, improved immunity, fewer aches and pains and improved mental clarity are some of the benefits that can occur from making lemon water a daily habit, says Dr. Thomas Potisk in his book "Whole Health Healing: The Budget-Friendly Natural Wellness Bible for All Ages."
Alkalizing
Lemon water has an alkalizing effect on your body that can fend off infections and reduce inflammation and its associated aches and pains, says naturopath and certified nutritional consultant Michelle Schoffro Cook in her book "The 4 Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan." Pathogens thrive in an acidic environment and inflammation also increases when your system is acidic. Even though lemons are acidic, by nature, when broken down by your digestive system, they create a highly alkaline effect. Improved elimination from drinking lemon water further assists in removing acidic toxins from your body, unburdening your liver and kidneys and contributing to a more alkaline environment.
References
- "The Reverse Diet: Lose 20, 50, 100 Pounds Or More by Eating Dinner for ..."; Tricia Cunningham; 2007
- "International Journal of Food Microbiology"; Effectiveness of Lemon Juice, Vinegar and Their Mixture in the Elimination of Salmonella Typhimurium on Carrots (Daucus Carota L.); I. Sengun, et al.; November 2004
- "Whole Health Healing: The Budget-Friendly Natural Wellness Bible for All Ages"; Thomas Potisk; 2010
- "The 4 Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan"; Michelle Schoffro Cook; 2010
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