Drinking warm lemon water first thing in the morning will have tremendous effects on your overall health. It’s the perfect ‘good morning’ drink to kick start your body.
Lemons are a good source of Thiamin, Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Iron and Magnesium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Potassium, and Copper. Lemons also have medicinal value and antibacterial properties.
Health Benefits Of Drinking Warm Lemon Water
Improves Digestion – Lemon juice has a similar structure to your stomach’s juices and helps to loosen and flush out toxins from the digestive tract. Lemon juice can help ease indigestion, heartburn, and bloating. It also helps to move your bowels in the morning, hydrates your colon, stimulates bile production, and infuses water in your stool.
Boost Immune System – Lemon juice is rich in Vitamin C, which helps strengthen the immunes system and fights cold and flu. But not only Vitamin C is important for a good working immune system, iron is another important nutrient, and lemons improve the ability to absorb more iron from the food you eat.
Hydrates Your Body – It is important to stay hydrated especially during the summer months. Plain water is best but many people find this boring and are not drinking enough of it. That’s where lemon comes into play to make things more interesting. So feel free to not only start your day with lemon water but drink as many glasses as you wish during the day to stay hydrated.
Boosts Energy – Lemon water gives you an instant boost of energy and improves your mood right at the start of your day.
Promotes Healthy and Rejuvenated Skin – Lemons are rich sources of antioxidants that prevent free radical damage. These free radicals are responsible for premature aging of your skin. Vitamin C helps to maintain your skin’s elasticity to prevent the formation of wrinkles and decrease blemishes.
Reduces Inflammation – Lemons have the ability to remove uric acid from your joints. Uric acid built-ups are one of the major causes of inflammation.
Weight Loss Aid – Although lemon water on its own is no weight loss miracle, it can definitely help you to achieve faster and long-term results. Lemons assist in fighting hunger cravings, boost metabolism, and give you a stuffed feeling, making it less likely to snack in between meals.
Alkalizes Your Body – Lemons are a great cleanser and purifier of blood, liver, and kidneys. Lemon juice (although acidic in nature) is anionic and therefore produces an alkalizing effect on the body. This is important because the more alkaline your body is, the healthier it is. Too much acid can cause inflammation, obesity, and major diseases like cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s.
Cleansing Properties – Lemons help your entire body to flush out more toxins to prevent built-ups and damage to your cells, tissues, and organs. It stimulates your liver to produce more enzymes and work more efficiently. Lemon juice works as a diuretic to keep your urinary tract toxin-free and can also change the pH levels which discourage bacterial growth. This is very helpful for people who often suffer from UTI (urinary tract infection). And like mentioned before, lemons loosen and flush out waste from your digestive tract and cleanse your colon.
Antibacterial and Antiviral Properties – Lemons have antibacterial and antiviral properties. They help fight the flu, cold and soothe a sore throat. Although people who drink their daily lemon water every day are less likely to get these in the first place.
Reduces Mucus And Phlegm – Lemon water helps to reduce mucus and phlegm formation. People who drink cow’s milk are often more sensitive to mucus production. So starting your day with lemon water can definitely help to lessen mucus if you’re not ready to go dairy-free.
Freshens Breath – Lemons freshen your breath and fight mouth bacteria. Although lemons are great for your overall oral health, avoid drinking or using it undiluted. The citric acid can erode tooth enamel, so don’t brush your teeth with it, but have a glass of lemon water instead.
Boost Brain Power – The high levels of potassium and magnesium show beneficial effects on our brain and nerve health. Lemon water can give you the boost you need to fight depression and stress. It creates mental clarity and more focus, making it a great drink for students or people with busy and stressful jobs.
Anti-cancer – Lemon’s antioxidants not only protect your skin from aging but also reduce the risk of several types of cancer. They are great in neutralizing acids as well. Cancer loves to grow in an acidic environment. Alkalizing your body may stop cancer cells to grow and may reduce the risk of getting cancer in the first place.
Get of Caffeine – Many people are able to get off caffeine by replacing their morning coffee with lukewarm lemon water. It gives a similar energy boost to wake your body and boost energy as one cup of coffee would.
How To Make Lemon Water
Making lemon water is super simple. It takes less than 5 minutes of your precious morning time. Just squeeze half a lemon in lukewarm water. If you weigh more than 150 pounds, use a whole lemon.
Why use lukewarm (or room temperature) instead of cold or hot water to make this healing morning drink? Well, hot or cold water takes more energy to process, so your first glass in the morning should be lukewarm or at room temperature to slowly wake your body and kick-start digestion.
If you love the taste, add more lemon water to your diet during the rest of the day during cold or hot weather. It adds up to your daily water need, is less boring than plain water, and adds tons of benefits for body and mind.
However, it is very important to note, when lemon juice comes directly in contact with the teeth, can ruin the enamel on the teeth. So, it is advised to consume it diluted and also rinse your mouth thoroughly after drinking lemon juice.