Does Lemon Water Help You Lose Weight?

Lemon Water for Weight Loss: Does Lemon Water Help You Lose Weight?

Throughout my career as a personal trainer, I have often been asked by my clients about the impact that various foods and drinks can have on weight loss.

Today we are examining the question does lemon water help you lose weight?

There’s no evidence that lemon water is better for losing weight than plain regular water.

However, if you swap out sugary drinks for lemon water, it’s a healthy move that can help cut down on calories which is a good thing for creating a calorie deficit and managing weight.

Lemon water is also a cool and refreshing drink that gives you vitamin C and helps you stay hydrated.

So, without further ado, let’s check out how lemon water could be good for your health and maybe even help with losing weight.

Lemon Water Nutrition

First off lets take a quick look at the nutrition aspect of lemon water.

Lemons are packed with vitamin C, a super-strong antioxidant.

Just like other citrus foods—think oranges, grapefruit, and limes—lemons are loaded with flavonoids.

These are special compounds that are beneficial for aspects of your health such as helping to fight off diseases.

But when it comes to other nutrients, lemons are a bit on the light side.

Lemon water doesn’t have much protein, fat, or carbs.

It only has tiny amounts of other vitamins and minerals, like potassium, folate, and some B vitamins.

Check out what you get from one glass of lemon water (with a 48-gram squeezed lemon), according to the United States Department for Agriculture:

Vitamin C: 18.6 milligrams (21% of your daily value)
Folate: 9.6 micrograms (2%)
Potassium: 49.4 mg (1%)
Vitamin B-1: 0.01 (1%)
Vitamin B-2: 0.01 (1%)
Vitamin B-3: 0.06 (1%)

Even though one glass might not seem like a nutrient powerhouse, lemon water is a healthy, low-calorie, and low-sugar drink that can give you a good dose of vitamin C.

Just to give you an idea, swapping the lemon for half an orange would give you almost twice as many calories, about three times the sugar, and only 24% of your daily value of vitamin C.

Lemon Water Benefits

Lets take a look at seven health benefits you can experience from drinking lemon water.

1. Lemon Water for Vitamin C

Citrus fruits, like lemons, are a great source of vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant.

These antioxidants help shield your cells from free radicals that can cause inflammation in your body and lead to various diseases.

Vitamin C also plays a vital role in different processes, such as:

Making collagen and L-carnitine
Managing protein metabolism
Renewing other antioxidants
Slowing down the development of certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases
Assisting in iron absorption
Producing hormones

On the flip side, not getting enough vitamin C might result in:

Higher susceptibility to infections
Dry mouth, skin, and eyes
Fatigue
Trouble sleeping
Loosening of teeth

2. Lemon Water for Weight Loss

Drinking lemon water can help you to drink more water, and some people suggest it could be a good idea for losing weight. However there’s not a ton of proof backing this up.

In a study from 2018, researchers found that people who drank water before a meal ate less compared to those who didn’t have a water warm-up. Even though the water drinkers ate less, they didn’t really feel less full.

Pre-meal water consumption therefore may be considered an effective tool for eating less, which can in turn help create a calorie deficit required for weight loss.

Lemons also contain a fibre called pectin, which might help you feel less hungry and eat fewer calories.

But here’s the thing: Lemon water is basically just water with a small hint of lemon, so it doesn’t have much pectin.

So, when it comes to weight loss, there’s no strong evidence saying lemon water is better than plain water.

Still, swapping out sugary sodas for fresh lemon water could be a smart move to cut down on calories and take a positive step towards managing your weight.

3. Lemon Water for Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are like a gathering of minerals in the kidneys. To avoid these, it’s helpful to increase citrate in the body, which stops calcium from teaming up with other stuff. And guess what? Lemon water has a bunch of citrate!

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases says that sipping on lemon water might be a good way to steer clear of kidney stones.

Here’s the deal: Not having enough water can up your chances of getting kidney stones. So, drinking more water, with or without lemon, can help put a damper on kidney stone risks.

The citric acid in lemons does a cool thing—it makes urine less acidic and might even break up tiny stones.

The National Kidney Foundation suggests mixing 4 ounces of lemon juice concentrate with water as a little extra help, along with other treatments, to prevent kidney stones.

4. Lemon Water for Hydration

Making sure you drink enough water is super important for your overall health.

It helps you avoid dehydration, which can lead to different symptoms like feeling tired, being really thirsty, having dry skin and lips, getting headaches, feeling your heart beat faster, getting too hot, and having trouble going to the bathroom.

Not everyone loves the taste of regular water, so tossing in some lemon juice can make it more enjoyable to drink.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases say that adults should aim for six to eight glasses of water (each about 8 ounces) every day.

5. Lemon Water for Digestion

Having a glass of lemon water before meals might be a good way to help your digestion.

In a small study from 2022, researchers discovered that the citric acid in lemon juice could amp up the production of gastric acid.

This special stomach fluid helps your body break down and process the food you eat.

Another study in 2021 had people drink either regular water or lemon water (300 millilitres) before meals for four weeks.

They checked participants’ poop before and after the test, and they also looked at the tiny living things in their guts.

The study found that having lemon water before meals seemed to improve digestion and peristalsis.

Peristalsis can be best explained as the wavy movements that help push food through your digestive system.

Still, we need more big studies to really get the full picture of how lemon water affects digestion.

6. Lemon Water for Antioxidants

Antioxidants are like bodyguard molecules that help shield the cells from damage.

By minimising cell damage, antioxidants play a vital role in lowering the risk of various health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer.

Their superhero power lies in neutralising free radicals—those troublesome, disease-causing compounds in the body caused by oxidative stress.

Research indicates a link between persistent inflammation, increased oxidative stress, and the risk of specific health issues like arthritis, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, and cancer.

A review from 2019 highlighted that the antioxidants and flavonoids present in citrus fruits, such as lemons, can positively impact heart health and various metabolic markers.

This includes improvements in glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and fat metabolism.

7. Lemon Water as a Sugary Drink Alternative

Sugary drinks like juice, soda, sports drinks, and energy drinks have the most extra sugars in the American diet, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) explain that added sugars are used to:

Preserve food and drinks.
Maintain texture, thickness, and colour.
Make contents more enjoyable to consume.

However, the DGA recommends that less than 10% of the calories you take in should come from added sugars.

Regularly having sugary drinks might up your chances of having certain health issues, like:

Gaining weight
Becoming obese
Developing type 2 diabetes
Getting heart disease
Having kidney or liver problems
Dealing with tooth decay and cavities
Developing gout

If you’re looking for a healthier and natural option to satisfy your thirst and sweet cravings, lemon water could be a good choice.

Lemon Water Myths

Whilst lemon water has its benefits, various misleading myths about lemon water that lack scientific backing also exist. You can find some of these lemon water myths listed below.

Lemon water alkalises the body

Some folks believe that lemon water makes the body more alkaline based on the alkaline diet concept. This diet suggests that foods leave an “ash” in the body, affecting its pH level.

Despite claims, what we eat or drink doesn’t impact the acidity of our blood or cells. While eating alkaline foods like fruits and veggies is healthy, their benefits likely don’t come from changing the body’s acidity.

Lemon water fights cancer

There’s a notion that lemon water can prevent cancer due to the alkaline diet theory, claiming certain cancer cells struggle in an alkaline environment.

A balanced diet with diverse fruits and vegetables can indeed lower cancer risk. However, no research supports the idea that lemon water alone prevents or treats cancer.

Lemon water cleanses and detoxes

Although water aids in waste elimination through urine and bowel movements, there’s no evidence favouring lemon water over plain water for this purpose.

Most claims about foods or drinks detoxifying organs lack scientific backing, including those about the lemon water detox diet.

Lemon water raises IQ

Staying hydrated, whether with plain water or lemon-infused, prevents dehydration that can affect focus. However, there’s no scientific proof that lemon water boosts intelligence.

Lemon water is a diuretic

Water itself serves as an effective diuretic, promoting urination.

Any food with potassium, including lemons, can increase urine output. This includes a wide range of foods like fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy products.

Best Way to Make Lemon Water

Creating lemon water is easy! Squeeze half a lemon into 8 ounces of warm or cold water.

For an extra kick of flavor or a health boost, try adding:

A few sprigs of mint
A teaspoon of maple syrup or raw honey
A slice of fresh ginger or cucumber
A dash of cinnamon
A sprinkle of turmeric

If you want a quick way to add lemon to your water, make lemon ice cubes. Just squeeze fresh lemon juice into ice cube trays and freeze. Drop a few cubes into your water whenever you want.

Kickstart your morning with a warm mug of lemon water, and keep a pitcher of water infused with a few sliced lemons in your fridge to sip on throughout the day.

Lemon Water Side Effects

Lemon water is usually okay to drink, but there are a couple of things you should know.

A study from 2015 showed that citric acid, which is in lemons and lemon juice, might slowly wear away tooth enamel if consumed in excess.

To be safer, you can try sipping lemon water through a straw and rinse your mouth with plain water after drinking it.

It’s also worth noting the consumption of citrus fruits can lead to an increase in stomach acid production, potentially causing heartburn for some people.

Does Lemon Water Help You Lose Weight?: Summary

Lemon water is a cool and tasty drink that makes it super easy to get some extra vitamin C and antioxidants in your diet.

Throwing in a bit of lemon can make water more interesting, which might help you skip sugary sports drinks and juices.

Though we still need more research, some suggest that lemon water might be good for digestion and even weight loss.

It’s no doubt a healthy option that keeps you hydrated and gives you a boost of vitamin C. Just remember not every claim about lemon water is backed by science.

Making lemon water at home is simple—just squeeze a lemon into water. You can also mix in other things like honey or mint to make it even tastier.

Always remember, there are no miracle foods or drinks that magically cause weight loss.

Reaching and maintaining your preferred weight involves consistently balancing the calories you consume with the ones you burn in the long run (calories in versus calories out).

Thanks for checking out does lemon water help you lose weight?

Keep pushing.

Speak soon.

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