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Lemon Water: Myth or Pillar of Health

4/23/2012

10 Comments

 
Hello friends and fellow health enthusiasts,

I recently was asked by an attendee of one of my presentations about the benefits of drinking lemon water. There a lot of information on the internet and it’s sometimes difficult to sift through opinions, blogs and articles to just get the facts. Is lemon water really as good as everyone claims it is? The short answer is yes...sometimes, but let me explain. I hope the following points will help you understand some of the benefits associated with regularly drinking fresh lemon juice in water. 

Alkalizing our bodies: This point seems counterintuitive since fresh lemon juice is very sour and acidic however lemons are considered a very alkaline food. Despite the acidity of the juice, once it interacts with water molecules and enters the body it actually forms alkaline molecules that contribute to a healthy and balanced pH level. One of the reasons is that lemon juice contains alkaline minerals such as magnesium and calcium. It is essential to maintain a balanced pH level in our bodies to prevent disease. It is true that our bodies tightly regulate our blood pH. However, our environment and the foods we eat often promote an acid pH outside of the bloodstream and cells. To counteract and prevent this harmful acid build up we need to eat and drink “alkaline forming” foods such as lemon water.

 

Stimulates the liver and digestion: A diet heavy in fat and animal based foods puts excess stress on liver function and impairs the smooth flow of bile, which is essential for optimal digestion. A glass of lemon water in the morning is a simple way to stimulate the liver and promote bile flow which in turn aids in digestion. The acidic and photochemical properties of lemon “kick start” your digestive organs so they are ready to function well all day.  Interestingly enough, lemon water also sometimes helps resolve heartburn symptoms by stimulating healthy stomach function. 

 Anti-microbial: Lemon Juice as has been traditionally used as a home remedy for a sore throat or cold. There is some merit to this use since lemons have anti-microbial properties. A cup of warm water and lemon juice is a cheap and easy way to combat a sore throat.

Despite its many benefits, lemon juice is sometimes touted as stimulating weight loss, building bone and combating heartburn. It can definitely indirectly contribute to general health but it has not been proven to substantially impact weight loss or bone health. It will improve digestion and hydration which can indirectly promote better energy production but it won’t shed the pounds for you. In some cases it can also irritate the stomach lining if a gastric ulcer is present. Additionally, prolonged exposure of lemon juice to dental enamel can promote erosion so it is recommended to rinse out your mouth with plain water after drinking lemon water. Please exercise caution if you experience stomach upset after taking lemon water.

An ideal time to drink lemon juice in a day is the morning. There are a number of benefits to this approach: 

a)     As mentioned above, it stimulates optimal digestion, something you want right at the start of the day.

b)     You get the added benefit of water plus lemon juice. Water is its own right should be taken in the morning to also promote digestion, flush out toxins and hydrate our cells.

c)     Adding lemon makes the water taste a little better therefore we tend to drink more. Generally, most people don’t drink enough water throughout the day so any little incentive helps.

d)     The morning lemon water habit can offset other morning habits such as drinking coffee that don’t have the same health benefits.

   

A good dose is the juice of half a lemon mixed with 500mL of lukewarm water. Drink it on waking, 30 minutes before eating any food. An easy tip is to mix up the glass in the evening before bed so you don’t have to think about it in the morning. Room temperature or lukewarm water is best because even though we are more refreshed by cold water it can hamper blood flow to your stomach and thus impair digestion. 

I hope you learned more about this easy, cheap and effective strategy to further improve your health. Some many common household foods and items can be turned into powerful health tools. Try a big glass of lemon water in the morning for a month and discover for yourself the power of simplicity.

10 Comments
ludhfiq
6/16/2015 11:08:26 pm

Hi,
Nice post you got here. Health is something that interests people which leads to more productive and quality life. However, there is something that quite bugging me about the alkalinizing ability of lemon juice. Is there any scientific evidence on how an acidic substance can evolve into an alkaline? Even if a lemon juice contains Magnesium, Calcium and sodium (the alkaline metals), how do they transform themselves into hydroxides (alkaline compounds) in the human body? Please take note that those metals are trapped inside the lemon in an acidic environment as chemical salts. eventhough they are released as cations, there is no way that they can become hydroxides, at least they only form chlorides salt. Please pay attention to this. Thankyou!

Reply
Alan Murrie
1/20/2016 08:10:20 pm

Lemon juice stimulates enzymes and bicarbonate production that alkalizes the lower digestive tract - NOT the blood. Abstract
The secretory effect elicited by the ingestion of 100 ml of orange-lemon juice (O.-L.J.) was studied on pure pancreatic juice obtained from a catheter placed in the human Wirsung duct at surgery. These changes were compared with those evoked by a regular meal (R.M.), the ingestion of a Sorbitol solution (S.S.), the intragastric infusion of an acidified peptone broth (A.P.B.) and an i.v. single injection of secretin (Boots, 1.0 U/kg). The O.-L.J. induced purer pancreatic secretion response (flow, bicarbonate and enzyme output) than that triggered by the R.M., S.S. and A.P.B. The O.-L.J. evoked peak values, were observed earlier (60 min) than with a R.M. (90 min) ingestion. The 120-min-cumulative values confirmed these findings and disclosed that O.-L.J. elicits a rate of secretion and bicarbonate output closely similar to that of an i.v. secretin injection and amylase response greater than that evoked by this hormone. Thus, O.-L.J. ingestion proved to be an unexpected powerful stimulus of exocrine pancreatic secretion. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/.../www.ncbi.../pubmed/3221108

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Cheryl
1/6/2019 08:17:20 am

The OLJ is lemon juice plus orange juice. How can you say it was the lemon juice that stimulates the exocrine pancreatic secretions?

Reply
Alan Murrie
1/6/2019 06:25:08 pm

If you know anything about fruit acids, lemon juice is high in citric acid. Other acids are present, so are many different bioflavonoids. I don't know what is exactly causing the pancreatic secretion to become more alkaline, but I suspect it is the acid. There is more acid in lemons than oranges. To be sure of duplicating the same response as that measured, maybe it could be a good idea to drink a mixture of juices, but I doubt there is no benefit from drinking either by themselves! My point is that people think that acid lemon juice somehow makes everything alkaline, where that is patently untrue. Stomach acid has to be neutralised somehow, so there is a set amount of alkaline produced in the bile. It seems that the body can identify citric acid and what it does is stimulate the body to counteract this extra acidity by inducing the production of more alkalines IN THE DIGESTIVE TRACT.

Cheryl
1/6/2019 07:41:48 pm

I can't reply to your second post Alan. But the study was about OLJ, so I didn't understand why you were picking out only lemon juice, so that was my point. If it was just lemon, then why didn't they just use lemon and not the OLJ. Both contain citric acid. Anyway I was just wondered.

Jane link
12/8/2016 01:08:39 am

Thank you for this post! I was planning to start drinking lemon water again. Reading this is very helpful. Great post!

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Winston perkins link
4/17/2017 08:34:01 am

Want to generate more cash!

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Milu Evergreen link
9/9/2017 02:42:41 am

Thank you for this post. I am commiting to 30 days of drinking lemon water first thing in the morning to see if that will help my bile. I am learning from Ann Louise Gittleman about health and weight loss. According to her research, improved bile function is the first step to weight loss. By the way, I wanted to share your post on Google +, but you have no button for it. Please consider adding a Share button for Google +, and even Pinterest. But for Pinterest, have an image ( of lemon or lemon in water ) which once you pin it, will lead to your post.

Reply
Orion
3/6/2018 02:51:56 am

Instead of lukewarm water and lemon juice, I add ice cubes and 1/8 tsp of stevia powder to make sugar free lemonade. I drink it with every meal instead of just in the morning.

Some stevia products can have a bad aftertaste, but this product I use is indistinguishable to me to sugar. But it only requires a tiny amount to sweeten.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M7595KZ

Reply
John Carston link
11/1/2021 10:24:03 pm

I like how you mentioned that lemons have so much Vitamin C that it gives your immune system a boost. My sister mentioned to me last night that she is planning to buy a lemon concentrate and asked if I have any idea if there are stores that offer delivery service. Thanks to this informative article and I'll be sure to tell her that it will be much better if she consults a trusted market as they can answer all her inquiries.

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