For a long time, farmers used lemons only as ornamental plants – to decorate gardens and plots. The Crusades played an important role in the spread of lemons in Europe in the 11th century. At that time, lemons treated scurvy – a dangerous disease of the New World. In the modern world, the main suppliers of lemons are Italy, Greece, and Turkey.
Naturally, it is quite problematic to use lemons in their raw form because of their sour taste. In this case, you can find an excellent solution – to make lemon water. T
his drink turns out to be very cheap to prepare, but the benefits of lemon water are impressive. This drink, made from citrus fruits, has a huge number of health-improving properties. Doctors use it as a medicine, a trainer as a detox drink, and cosmetologists in the skin healing industry.
Many people have been trying for years to find a profitable universal remedy for maintaining a healthy diet, skin, and general condition of the body.
Water with lemon is a real discovery because it can be used not only for medical and cosmetic purposes but also household purposes, as a cleaning agent. In this article, we consider a huge range of benefits of drinking lemon water.
Chemical composition
What is lemon water? This is a drink in which water is mixed with lemon juice. The composition of the drink almost coincides with the composition of the fruit. Lemon consists of ascorbic acid which is high in vitamin C, vitamin B, as well as carotene. The fruit also contains rutin.
Lemon water, like lemon juice, is famous for its high level of fiber, organic acids, phytoncides, and flavonoids. The drink contains a sufficient amount of natural sugars (fructose, sucrose).
Lemon essential oils are also useful for the human body. The pulp of the fruit is saturated with pectins, which are extremely important for the normal functioning of the digestive system.
Among the trace elements and minerals that make up lemon water, we should highlight the following:
- Iron
- Copper
- Zinc
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Calcium
- Phosphorus
- Sulfur
- Sodium
If you add lemon juice to the water, all the useful properties of the fruit will turn into a liquid. The drink contains a large amount of citric acid, so housewives widely use it for cleaning dishes. Also, water with lemon has an antiseptic effect.
Main benefits of lemon water
We can divide the advantages of drinking lemon water into several main categories:
Benefits for digestion
The structure of lemon juice is atomic. It is very similar to the structure of the digestive juice. Bile helps food to move smoothly through the gastrointestinal tract. Lemon water also protects the liver and helps it to remove toxins from the body.
Many people suffer from a feeling of heaviness in the stomach, and lemon juice helps to hydrate the body. It is also important not to forget about the urinary effect of the fruit.
Positive effect on the skin
Vitamin C contains a large number of antioxidants. A large amount of vitamins is contained in fresh lemons. The drink and its vitamin composition keep the skin fresh and radiant, slowing down the aging process. When the body receives a sufficient amount of vitamin C, it begins to produce collagen more intensively.
This substance helps to smooth out wrinkles on the face. Many creams and skin masks contain lemon juice because it rejuvenates the skin and improves its tone.
Promoting weight loss
Lemon water is low in calories. Nutritionists recommend this drink to their patients because it helps to lose weight. Only 100 ml of lemon water contains only 33 kcal. In addition, this drink will not just quench your thirst, but saturate the body with proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
Increasing tone
Many people think that only coffee or energy drinks can increase the amount of energy in the body. This is a misconception because lemon water is better to cope with the task of toning the body.
One lemon can give you a boost of energy for the whole day. This fruit contains negatively charged ions, getting into the stomach, increasing the energy level. And the smell of lemon, in turn, reduces the level of stress and raises the mood.
Strengthening the immune system
The main health benefits of lemon water are in improving immunity. Vitamin C is a nutrient that reduces the impact of infections on the body. Lemon water also helps to treat malaria and pneumonia.
Prevention of kidney stones
Kidney stones are a serious disease that brings a lot of inconvenience and pain. It is accompanied by back pain, nausea, and blood secretions. Citric acid also helps to prevent small deposits in the kidneys. The Duke University Medical Center conducted a study. In patients who were treated with lemon water for 4 years, stones began to form with a minimum probability of 0.13 per year.
Lemon Water Nutrition
The health benefits of lemon water-primarily depend on the presence of a large amount of vitamin C. One glass of lemon water can replenish 187% of its daily norm. Lemon provides the body with potassium, magnesium, and copper. This can help to improve your nutrition. It is important to drink lemon water, one glass of it, in addition to everything mentioned in the article, contains:
– 1 gram of dietary fiber
– 0.1 mg of thiamine
– 0.1 mg of vitamin B6
– 112 milligrams of vitamin C
– 31.7 micrograms of folic acid
Such a set of useful substances will improve your diet, as well as the work of the stomach and intestines.
Are there any cons of Lemon Water?
Today, many social networks promote the use of water with lemon on an empty stomach. The drink helps to increase the energy level and gives a boost of energy from the early morning. Isn’t this a plus? But the benefit of any product depends on it. There are several contraindications to the use of lemon water.
One glass of water mixed with the juice of one lemon contains about 10 calories and less than a gram of sugar. Lemon water is very rich in vitamins C, B, A, and also contains a little folic acid, potassium, and iron.
The drink additionally contains compounds called flavonoids, which have antioxidant properties that can help reduce oxidative stress in the body. Contraindications to the use of lemon water:
- It is forbidden to use it for inflammatory diseases of the stomach, for gastritis with high acidity (heartburn may develop)
- It is not recommended for people with low blood pressure.
- With inflammation of the bladder, doctors do not advise drinking lemon water
- With angina, lemon juice can cause a burn of the throat
- Lemon is a citrus fruit, so allergy sufferers should not consume it in large quantities
- Drinking an excessive amount of lemon water can lead to the destruction of tooth enamel because it contains citric acid
Many nutritionists provide medical advice about the use of certain products, based on the results of blood tests and allergic tests. If the patient has such diagnoses as digestive diseases or allergies, then lemon water is strictly contraindicated for them.
How much lemon water to consume per day?
Doctors and nutritionists recommend drinking lemon water in the morning, before meals. It is believed that if you drink a glass of water 20-30 minutes before eating, then digestion will improve. I
t is useful to drink no more than 250 ml. per day. You also should additionally drink plain water up to two liters. If you excessively use this thing in the morning, then health problems may arise. Then you will have a consultative diagnosis or treatment by a professional doctor.
Hot lemon water
Many people might think that we are talking about tea with lemon, but this is not so. James Hesketh in his book “The Way of the Well” talks about the 6 stages of general recovery. The first stage is the improvement of blood circulation. When drinking hot lemon water in the morning, the circulatory system is activated. There is no need to load the body until you have given it an invigorating wake-up call.
Why is it recommended to add hot water in the book? Why does cold water or warm water not give such an effect? When the heat is near the vessels, they open wider. Hot water in the morning will increase blood flow to the gastrointestinal system, and citric acid will give tone and promote the production of gastric juice. Therefore, drinking warm water will not give you such an effect.
How to make lemon water?
Water with lemon is a cheap and affordable drink. It is as easy as possible to prepare. Many recipes allow you to make a drink unusual and especially delicious.
To prepare lemon water, you need to take half a lemon for one glass of water (200 ml). It is necessary to use only clean, filtered water. In 200 ml of warm water, you need to put two lemon slices or juice squeezed from half a lemon. Before adding lemon slices to the water, it is necessary to thoroughly wash it with running water.
Often, lemons sold in supermarkets are covered with paraffin, so it will not be superfluous if you scrape off the top layer of the fruit peel. Knowing the proportions, you can prepare any amount of drink, but you need to keep in mind that you need to store it in the refrigerator, no more than three days. The acid contained in the drink can hurt the tooth enamel. Therefore, to reduce the impact on it, it is advisable to rinse your mouth with clean water after drinking the drink.
There is another easy recipe for lemon water with ginger. The benefits of ginger water with lemon are discussed when evaluating the overall effect of the drink on the body.
This is possible due to the influence of all components. Ginger, which is part of the preparation, is considered a valuable spice, the root of which is used for medicinal purposes. The product has useful properties:
- acts as a general tonic
- prevents the penetration of viruses, infections
- increases immune strength
- promotes the normalization of digestive processes, the removal of toxins from the body
In addition to the main healing properties, ginger is called a natural “fat burner”. It breaks down fat deposits, prevents the formation of new layers. The combination of ginger and lemon in one drink leads to an increase in the benefit indicators. Composition properties:
- restores the water balance in the body
- increases the body’s defenses
- strengthens the cardiovascular system
- promotes purification from harmful substances, improves digestion
To activate a useful calorie burner, it is necessary to prepare the drink correctly. The recipe of ginger and lemon is supplemented with honey, which makes it especially delicious. The composition is prepared by brewing ginger root. It is covered with a thin peel, which is cleaned, and the pulp is crushed in any convenient way.
Most often, the product is rubbed on a grater or a blender is used. Therefore, ginger-lemon water is prepared in stages:
- First, the root is brewed
- After cooling, add lemon
Sugar or honey of liquid varieties is taken as a sweetener.
Conclusion
The use of lemon water is a choice in favor of your health. If there are no contraindications in the form of gastritis or allergies, then you can safely start taking care of your body. Why spend a lot of money on vitamins or medicines when you can buy cheap lemons?
The complex of vitamins and minerals in them with regular use will strengthen and tone your body. Increasing immunity, preventing the formation of kidney stones, improving skin color – all this can give you lemon water.
If a simple recipe for a drink seems boring to you, then you can experiment and create new culinary masterpieces by adding honey and ginger there. There is no means cheaper and more effective than the wealth of natural resources. Your health is only in your hands! Drink lemon water and improve your body!
