Hot lemon water benefits

“Lemon water makes you skinny” is probably a sentence you hear a lot when the conversation is about weight loss. It seems to be the miracle cure to get rid of all the unwanted fat and fluffy areas on your body. It´s so easy, you just drink a cup of hot lemon water in the morning and you are good to go! There are absolutely benefits of drinking hot lemon water.


Read more about the benefits of lemon water in the morning for weight loss. Including "How to make the best hot lemon water" recipe! #lemonwater #lemonwaterbenefits #health #nutrition #weightloss



1. A rich source of Vitamin C

Lemons are mostly known for their high levels of Vitamin C and therefore most commonly known to prevent colds especially during winter season. It´s also an antioxidant, which means it helps cells to protect against the damage from free radicals. To give you an overview of how much Vitamin C you really get from lemons, have a look:

lemons: 53 mg/ 100gr
strawberry: 62 mg/ 100gr
acerola juice: 1.000 mg/ 100 gr !!
broccoli: 90 mg/ 100 gr
spinach: 51 mg/ 100 gr

The recommended daily intake is 110 mg.


2. Enhances skin quality

Squeezing a lemon into your water might help to reduce wrinkles and make you look younger.

lemonVitamin C has a special role when it comes to building collagen. Collagen is the most abundant protein in our body and it gives strength to the skin and elasticity. The collagen synthesis naturally slows down with age and we get wrinkly. So it makes sense to do our best and eat all the nutrients our system needs to function properly.


3. Psychological effect

Starting your day with a healthy routine like drinking warm lemon water gives you the benefit of a positive feeling. You are more likely to stick to healthy choices during the day if you already started on the positive side.

Another psychological effect is the placebo effect. The Journal of Neuroscience published an article where they say that patients who got placebos for pain relieve, reported less pain. That shows how powerful our brain and our imagination work. Just by expecting a pain reliever with the placebo pill they experienced less pain.
Regarding drinking hot lemon water for weight loss you might see some miracle effects on the scale but it might not be from the lemons all alone.


How to find the best lemons

To get the most out of your lemons there are a few pro tips to find the best, most juicy lemons:

  • lemons ripen from the inside out; the color is not always an indicator for their ripeness
  • if you are growing your own lemons, be aware that lemons never truly ripen once they are taken from the tree; they may become softer, but they will not become juicier
  • the size is not necessarily an indicator for the amount of juice you can get out of it
  • lemons with a thin skin tend to have more juice

The havier the fruit and the thinner the skin is, the more fresh lemon juice you will get out of it.


Lemon water recipe

There is no hidden magic in making hot lemon water. You can either drink it in the morning to awake your vitality for the day. Or you can drink it before bed and benefit from the warm beverage to clam you down.


250 ml hot water

1/ 2 lemon

Try: cucumber, strawberry, honey, mint

If you don´t like the sour taste of lemon water but you want to drink it anyway to get all the benefits, you can mix it up with cucumber, strawberries, honey or with a few fresh mint leaves.


5 Side effects of drinking lemon water

In general lemon water is safe to drink. But like most things in life, too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing. So, sensitive people might experience some side effects.

1. Damage your teeth

Since lemons are highly acidic, it can have a negative effect on your teeth. Frequent exposure to aggressive acid can erode your tooth enamel. To protect your teeth from the acid you can use a straw. That way there is minimal contact between the lemon water and your teeth.

2. Hurt your stomach

Livestrong reports that too much lemon water can upset your stomach. Too much of acidic foods can worsen gastrointestinal side effects.

3. Can cause cavities

If you believe that cavities can only be caused by candy you are wrong. It might come as a surprise that something as sour as lemon juice can cause cavities too. Lemon water alone will not cause cavities but in order to make lemon water more likable, sugar or honey are often added. And that extra sugar load can result in cavities.

4. Can worsen mouth sore

Have you ever had that feeling when you wake up and out of nowhere you have a painful blister in your mouth? When that happens it is better to avoid drinking lemon water. The affected part will probably hurt even more after it is exposed to lemon water.

5. Possible trigger for migraines

The majority of people will not suddenly suffer from migraines when they didn’t have that situation before. But if you are among people that suffer from migraines regularly you might consider being careful with lemon water. WebMD advises to “watch out for citrus fruits” as triggers for migraines.


Bottom line

Lemon water is healthy and a good addition to a healthy diet. However, lemon water benefits still need more studies to be proven.

No matter if you prefer the beverage cold or hot, in the morning or before bed. It is not a secret weapon to melt fat away but it is a healthy alternative to sugar-fueled sodas.