Can morning glass of water with lemon improve health - Doctor explains

Is drinking a glass of lemon water in the morning really beneficial?

"When you browse social media, you'll find claims about the tremendous benefits of lemon water: it detoxifies, kick-starts the gallbladder, prevents respiratory infections and kidney stones, and aids in weight loss. It almost feels like a reflex to drop a slice of citrus into your glass. But is there really that much benefit from a glass of lemon water?" - says a doctor.

She adds that lemons are rich in citric acid, vitamin C, and polyphenols.

"Eriocitrin, the main lemon polyphenol (LPP), is a yellow water-soluble antioxidant. Its effect on aging is not conclusively proven. Most studies illustrate that people who are more active and consume healthier diets usually include lemons in their diet. And all of this has a favorable impact on aging," - explains Belinska.

Lemon juice also contains citrate, which makes urine less acidic.

"There are suggestions to mix 113 g of lemon juice concentrate with water - as an additional dietary measure along with other medications to prevent kidney stones. But how certain are you about the amount of lemon juice in your glass?" - says the gastroenterologist.

How does the drink affect immunity?

Many claim that the high vitamin C content in lemon water prevents respiratory infections.

"It's proven that consuming vitamin C reduces the duration of illness by 6-8 hours, which isn't much. There's about 56 mg of vitamin C in 100 g of lemon. For comparison, blackcurrants have 181 mg per 100 g. The daily requirement for vitamin C for an adult woman is about 70 mg, and for a man - 80 mg. So, it doesn't significantly contribute to preventing respiratory infections," - explains the doctor.

Does it aid in weight loss?

"If you eat everything indiscriminately and drink lemon water, nothing will change in your life. If you drink lemon water, create a calorie deficit through portion control and physical activity, then you'll see results," - says Belinska.

Does it detoxify the body?

"Detoxification is a fairly complex process carried out in hospitals in cases of poisoning, kidney, or liver failure. A glass of lemon water definitely doesn't fall under the must-have list of an anesthesiologist," - says the gastroenterologist.

How does the drink affect the gallbladder?

Belinska explains that for the gallbladder to function normally, regular eating habits are necessary.

"There should be three meals a day, intake of fats, monitoring water consumption, and physical activity. A glass of lemon water won't magically jumpstart your gallbladder," - emphasizes the doctor.

Belinska says that drinking lemon water is acceptable, but she doesn't recommend it for people with chronic gastrointestinal diseases and acid reflux.

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This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.