Lemon Water
Lemon water doesn’t just quench thirst better than any other drink – it also provides our bodies with plenty of vitamins, minerals and vital trace elements. It’s also a great energy booster for when we wake up first thing in the morning as our tissues are dehydrated and in desperate need of fluid to push out toxins.
Benefits of Lemon Water
Warm lemon water in the morning helps kickstart the digestion process for the day. According to Ayurvedic philosophy, choices that you make regarding your daily routine either build up resistance to disease or tear it down. Ayurveda invites us to get a jump-start on the day by focusing on morning rituals that work to align the body with nature’s rhythms, balance the doshas and foster self-esteem alongside self-discipline.
Benefits of Drinking Warm Lemon Water Every Morning
Here are 21 great benefits to starting off your day with a lemon water beverage.
1. Aids Digestion
Lemon juice flushes out unwanted materials and toxins from the body. It’s atomic composition is similar to saliva and the hydrochloric acid of digestive juices. It encourages the liver to produce bile which is an acid that is required for digestion. Lemons are also high in minerals and vitamins and help loosen ama, or toxins, in the digestive tract. The digestive qualities of lemon juice help to relieve symptoms of indigestion, such as heartburn, belching and bloating. The American Cancer Society actually recommends offering warm lemon water to cancer sufferers to help stimulate bowel movements.
2. Cleanses Your System / is a Diuretic
Lemon juice helps flush out unwanted materials in part because lemons increase the rate of urination in the body. Therefore toxins are released at a faster rate which helps keep your urinary tract healthy. The citric acid in lemons helps maximize enzyme function, which stimulates the liver and aids in detoxification.
3. Boosts Your Immune System
Lemons are high in vitamin C, which is great for fighting colds. They’re high in potassium, which stimulates brain and nerve function. Potassium also helps control blood pressure. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C. found in lemons demonstrates anti-inflammatory effects, and is used as complementary support for asthma and other respiratory symptoms plus it enhances iron absorption in the body; iron plays an important role in immune function. Lemons also contain saponins, which show antimicrobial properties that may help keep cold and flu at bay. Lemons also reduce the amount of phlegm produced by the body.
4. Balances pH Levels
Lemons are one of the most alkalizing foods for the body. Sure, they are acidic on their own, but inside our bodies they’re alkaline (the citric acid does not create acidity in the body once metabolized). Lemons contain both citric and ascorbic acid, weak acids easily metabolized from the body allowing the mineral content of lemons to help alkalize the blood. Disease states only occur when the body pH is acidic. Drinking lemon water regularly can help to remove overall acidity in the body, including uric acid in the joints, which is one of the primary causes of pain and inflammation.
5. Clears Skin
The vitamin C component as well as other antioxidants helps decrease wrinkles and blemishes and it helps to combat free radical damage. Vitamin C is vital for healthy glowing skin while its alkaline nature kills some types of bacteria known to cause acne. It can actually be applied directly to scars or age spots to help reduce their appearance. Since lemon water purges toxins from your blood, it would also be helping to keep your skin clear of blemishes from the inside out. The vitamin C contained in the lemon rejuvenates the skin from within your body.
6. Energizes You and Enhances Your Mood
The energy a human receives from food comes from the atoms and molecules in your food. A reaction occurs when the positive charged ions from food enter the digestive tract and interact with the negative charged enzymes. Lemon is one of the few foods that contain more negative charged ions, providing your body with more energy when it enters the digestive tract. The scent of lemon also has mood enhancing and energizing properties. The smell of lemon juice can brighten your mood and help clear your mind. Lemon can also help reduce anxiety and depression.
7. Promotes Healing
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C), found in abundance in lemons, promotes wound healing, and is an essential nutrient in the maintenance of healthy bones, connective tissue, and cartilage. As noted previously, vitamin C also displays anti-inflammatory properties. Combined, vitamin C is an essential nutrient in the maintenance of good health and recovery from stress and injury.
8. Freshens Breath
Besides fresher breath, lemons have been known to help relieve tooth pain and gingivitis. Be aware that citric acid can erode tooth enamel, so you should be mindful of this. No not brush your teeth just after drinking your lemon water. It is best to brush your teeth first, then drink your lemon water, or wait a significant amount of time after to brush your teeth. Additionally, you can rinse your mouth with purified water after you finish your lemon water.
9. Hydrates Your Lymph System
Warm water and lemon juice supports the immune system by hydrating and replacing fluids lost by your body. When your body is deprived of water, you can definitely feel the side effects, which include: feeling tired, sluggish, decreased immune function, constipation, lack of energy, low/high blood pressure, lack of sleep, lack of mental clarity and feeling stressed, just to name a few.
10. Helps Weight Loss Fast
Lemons are high in pectin fiber, which helps fight hunger cravings. Studies have shown people who maintain a more alkaline diet, do in fact lose weight faster. I personally find myself making better choices throughout the day, if I start my day off right, by making a health conscious choice to drink warm lemon water first thing every morning.
11. Regulates Blood Pressure
Daily ingestion of one lemon is estimated to reduce high blood pressure by 10% – drinking lemon water is a great way to work towards that quantity.
12. Cleanses Skin
The vitamin C component, as well as other antioxidants, helps reduce wrinkles and dark spots and fight free radicals. Vitamin C is vital for healthy and radiant skin since its alkaline nature kills certain types of bacterial known to cause acne. In fact, it can be applied directly to age scars or marks to help reduce their appearance. Since lemon water cleanses toxins from the blood, you can help keep your skin clear from defects on the inside as well as on the outside. The vitamin C in lemons rejuvenates your skin from inside your body.
13. Reduce Gout Pain
Gout pain can be attributed to a buildup of uric acid – lemon water helps dilute this acid, thereby reducing this pain.
14. Protects Body Through Pregnancy
The vitamin c in lemon helps lemon water act as an adaptogen, allowing the body to better cope with various viruses. It can also help the bone tissue formation of your unborn baby.
15. Relieves Heartburn
Mixing a teaspoon of lemon juice per half glass of water can help relieve heartburn.
16. Kidney Stone Relief
If kidney stones are a concern for you, drinking lemon water can help dissolve not only those but gallstones, pancreatic stones and calcium deposits as well.
17. Joint Healing
Lemon water can help reduce both joint and muscle pain.
18. Fights Respiratory Infections
Lemon water can help you battle everything from sore throats to tonsil inflammation, thanks to the anti-inflammatory property of lemon.
19. Regulates Bowel Movement
Lemon water can help you better regulate your bowel movements.
20. Increases Metabolism
Being a powerful antioxidant, lemon can protect your body from various free radicals and also strengthen your immune system.
21. Reduce Depression and Anxiety Symptoms
Lemon water has a high potassium content – depression and anxiety are often linked to not having enough potassium in your blood.