You may have heard some sort of health adage about drinking a glass of lemon water first thing each morning. It will help you lose weight; it will give you energy; or it will jumpstart your metabolism are all common beliefs. But is there any truth to these statements? Are there really health benefits to drinking a warm mug of water infused with fresh, organic lemon each morning? We were curious too, so we decided to do some digging.
Lemons are rich in Vitamin C. In fact, one lemon has about 51 percent of the recommended daily intake.
This is important because our heart needs Vitamin C to combat heart diseases and potential strokes. While this is good news, we're going to bet that no one is drinking the juice from an entire lemon (pulp included) each morning. If you are, you're awesome. For most of us though, a thin slice is about all we can handle in the early am.
The good news is leafy greens are also high in Vitamin C, as well as broccoli and brussel sprouts. While a warm mug of lemon water in the morning is definitely not harming your health, it probably shouldn't be your only source of the good ole' Vitamin C; make sure to pack a lunch full of greens as well.
Another benefit of lemons is that they are high in citric acid which evidently help prevent kidney stones for people who have already had them.
This is excellent news, and studies show you only need about a half a cup a day to keep the kidney stones away. Unfortunately, the jury is still out as to whether drinking lemon juice prevents kidney stone development for people who have not had them.
Lemons also help your body to absorb iron, which is incredibly important for protection against anemia. This is especially crucial for people who maintain a plant-based diet because iron from plants is much more difficult to absorb than iron from animals. Vegans recommend using lemon juice on anything you can (salads, veggies, etc.) for optimal iron absorption.
While all of these are great reasons to drink lemon juice, none of these benefits are directly linked to consuming lemon first thing in the morning. Additionally, the amount of lemon juice needed to achieve these benefits is probably much more than any of us are comfortable gulping down at the beginning of the day.
Moral of the story: drink lemon water in the morning if it makes you feel good and motivates you to make healthy choices throughout the day, but don't let it be your end all, be all.
Drinking warm lemon water will not help you to lose weight or clear up your skin, rather a balanced and consistent diet full of colorful fruits and veggies will. Besides, some of us prefer a cup of tea or coffee anyway.
Do you drink lemon water in the morning for health benefits? Share with us the results you've experienced on Facebook or Instagram!
