Lemon Water: More Than What You Think You Know!

A couple of months ago, my sister got serious, I mean very serious about weight loss and fitness. She really tried to infect me with the fitness fever but it didn't quite latch on. She would go on and on about how important it was to watch my weight and I would just shake it all off and insist that I was fit enough and loved how I look. Top on the list of her fitness sermons was the benefits of drinking warm lemon water first thing every morning.

Every time she said it, I would wonder if she had forgotten the fact that I don't like bitter or sour things. Add some sugar in the lemon and I'll be glad to take a glass of lemonade every morning, but plain lemon water? No way! Anyway, today, I got a gift of a couple of lemons (no, not from my sister), and I was wondering what to do with them. I decided to even look up what my sister was always going on about, and with what I found - ehm, I think I might actually try out this lemon water therapy for a couple of days after all! Check it out!

5 Benefits Of Drinking Lemon Water

1. Activates Metabolism: Lemon water has a similar chemical composition to saliva and the hydrochloric acid in digestive juices. It encourages your liver to secrete bile that is required for digestion. It increases your metabolic rate and ensures quicker breakdown of food to produce usable energy. Also, increased bile secretion from liver requires Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) for its production. Thus, the ‘bad cholesterol’ in your blood is also kept in check by your daily intake of lemon water. 

2. Acts As A Detox: Lemons invariably increase the number of bathroom breaks you have to take. The upside, however, is that it helps flush out toxins and cleanses your gut. The citric acid in lemons also facilitates the secretion of enzymes in the liver that aid in toxin removal. Also, the citric acid is anti-bacterial in nature and helps kill germs that can induce acne. It oxidizes free radicals and prevents cellular damage. Thus, including lemons in your diet will give you healthy skin. 

3. Helps In Weight Loss: There are conflicting arguments regarding the belief that lemons contribute to weight loss. Most nutritionists believe that lemons do not directly contribute to weight management, but they contain the fiber pectin that helps fight hunger pangs. Drinking lemon extract in lukewarm water keeps you full for longer, without adding any calories. Thus, your food intake is regulated, and your calories checked! It is a good replacement to coffee with saturated sugars or simple water. Also, vitamin C present in lemons will ensure that you burn the stored fats quickly. 

4. Strengthens Your Immune System: Vitamin C in lemons helps fight colds, reduces phlegm and boosts immunity. It has anti-inflammatory properties and is used as a support for respiratory disorders. It also facilitates iron absorption that is required for oxygen transportation. Lemons contain potassium that activates brain and nerve functioning as well as helps regulate blood pressure. They also help in the removal of uric acid that is mostly responsible for joint pains and inflammation. It maintains your blood pH owing to the presence of citric and ascorbic acids. Ascorbic acid also promotes healing and maintenance of bones, cartilages and other connective tissues like ligaments. 

5. Relieves Bad Breath: Citric acid present in lemons helps relieve toothaches as well as gingivitis. It also reduces bad breath by killing the germs in your mouth and by adsorbing bad odor from the decay of food particles inside your mouth. However, it is capable of eroding the enamel of your teeth, so make sure you brush your teeth after you have had lemon water.

Somewhat Simple 

There you have it! Anyone else interested? #TeamLemonWater!

Oh, by the way, there is an emphasis on making sure you use warm water to make your lemon water because "cold water cannot easily pass through your digestive tract, and the juices of lemon will not be absorbed."

Cover image via Trueserenity