First my little rant
There is no doubt that lemon water is a really good thing. There is plenty of evidence that it has several important health benefits that anyone could enjoy.
But we, people, like exaggerating. This is how we create terms like “superfoods” and such. Every good thing is immediately pronounced to be a panacea for every existing problem and disease. Unsurprisingly, this happened with lemon water.
Don’t get me wrong, I like lemon water, I really do. Heck, I drink it every day, starting early morning and throughout the day. At the bare minimum, it helps me stay well-hydrated without feeling nauseous because I don’t like plain water much, but I do drink a lot of it (benefits of proper hydration include preventing muscle cramps and young-looking skin, but that’s a topic for a separate article). I just don’t like any kind of overpromise-underdeliver stuff, so I decided to write this article based on scientifically proven facts, tell you why I believe them, and explain why I don’t buy the rest.
Let’s start from what lemon water is and what it isn’t from a purely scientific perspective
Obviously, lemon water is water mixed with lemon juice. This and only this determines what it is from a chemical perspective. Water aside, lemon is a great source of vitamin C, citric acid, and flavonoids. If you think about the whole lemon, it is also a source of pectins - a soluble fiber that has a value of its own but is not in scope for this article since it’s not present in the juice, at least not in a considerable amount. From a macronutrient perspective, it also has some carbs, mostly in the form of sugar. That’s it. Lemon is not a significant source of any other macro or micronutrients.
So any real benefits of lemon water must come from vitamin C, citric acid, and flavonoids, everything else is imaginary because nothing comes from nothing, right?
Also, unlike other citrus fruits (that might have similar benefits), lemon water is low in sugar and calories. For example, replacing the lemon with orange for comparable vitamin C content would provide almost double the calories and triple the amount of sugar.
Bottom line: Lemon water is a low calorie, low sugar beverage with great taste and lots of vitamin C and flavonoids. One squeezed lemon has only 11 calories and provides between 21% and 51% of vitamin C daily value (depends on age, gender, situation, etc.). Daily intake for flavonoids isn’t established.
What vitamin C and flavonoids do for your body
Vitamin C supports immune system function and wound healing (read my article on inflammation and immune system function). It also aids iron absorption from food, which is extremely important for vegans, since plant-based non-heme iron absorption is often inhibited by anti-nutrients contained in some plants (more information, tips & tricks for food prep to reduce anti-nutrients on our portal).
Flavonoids have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
The effect of citric acid will be discussed later in this article.
Unsurprisingly, all confirmed benefits of lemon water are based on the above.
Confirmed benefits of lemon water
Benefit #1 - Lemon water helps break down food, improving digestion
Reason: vitamin C is an acid, ascorbic acid to be precise. Your stomach uses acidity to break down food. Since vitamin C is absorbed in the stomach, it is no surprise that it can perform an extra function here and so it does. There is plenty of clinical evidence for that.
Benefit #2 - Lemon water increases iron absorption from food
Reason: based on lots of scientific evidence, vitamin C aids iron absorption for the exact same reason - ascorbic acid is well known for that. I don’t think anyone can argue with that. As I mentioned before, for vegans this fact is of high importance.
Benefit #3 - Lemon water helps prevent and treat kidney stones
Reason: Most kidney stones are a buildup of calcium oxalate. The most common medical treatment is a compound called citrate. Increasing the amount of citrate in the body prevents kidney stones from forming by stopping calcium from binding with other compounds. Since lemon water contains citric acid it creates citrates in the body. Numerous studies have found that citrus fruits, including lemon, increase urine levels of citrate, which may help treat kidney stones.
Secondary reason: insufficient hydration is a common cause of kidney stones. Drinking more water can, therefore, help prevent kidney stones, regardless of whether or not there is lemon in it.
Benefit #4 - Lemon water reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke
Reason: Again, it’s all about vitamin C. Observational studies have shown an inverse relationship between vitamin C intake and major cardiovascular events and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor.
Unconfirmed benefits of lemon water
There is low-to-no evidence for the following:
Myth #1: Lemon water aids weight loss
Reason: There is no evidence to suggest that lemon water has any more benefits for weight loss than plain water. The assumption is that if you drink more, you eat less, which is not untrue but has nothing to do with lemon water. That said, lemon juice is naturally low in calories. Replacing high-calorie drinks with fresh lemon water is a good way to reduce calorie intake, which is a positive step toward weight loss.
Myth#2 Lemon water cleanses and detoxes
Reason: Water helps eliminate waste from the body through urine and healthy bowel movements. However, there is no evidence to suggest that lemon water is better than plain water for this. There is nothing else in lemon that could facilitate that.
Myth #3 Lemon water alkalizes the body
Reason: According to advocates of the alkaline diet, lemon juice influences the pH of a person’s body — meaning, how acidic or alkaline it becomes. However, no food or drinks can directly affect the acidity of the blood or body cells, so the whole theory seems to be nonsense.
Myth #4 Lemon water fights cancer
Reason: The claim that lemon water could help prevent cancer is based, again, on the alkaline diet theory (see above) and also is based on the assumption that certain cancer cells cannot thrive in an alkaline environment. The American Institute for Cancer Research states that this claim is false, since the foods a person eats do not affect the acidity of their blood or body cells.
Myth #5 Lemon water raises IQ
Reason: Since proper hydration improves blood flow to the brain, drinking water, with or without added lemon, can boost focus and concentration, but it does not increase intelligence. Let’s just agree that this is a joke.
Bottom line:
There are many healthy habits that can improve your body and brain function, boost your immune system, help digestion, and whatnot. The more of them are present in your toolbox, the better your overall health is. Lemon water obviously is not a magic cure-all, but rather one of the many important accessories to improve your well-being.
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