Almost as cunningly simple in its title as ‘green drink’ – lemon water is quite blindingly straightforward in its makeup: it is water with lemon squeezed in. Could it be any easier?
The beauty of lemon water is that it is tasty, refreshing and best of all, alkalising. The lemon juice raises the alkalising effect of the water so even with standard tap water you can make your drink nice and alkalising.
However, for the full lemon water effect: distilled/ionised water with pH drops (or PuripHy ) and lemon creates the ultimate alkaline water. The trick however, is to have the water lukewarm. If the water is too hot or too cold then it will cause the body to expand energy in order to process it. Lukewarm water also has that comforting feeling to it…
I know a lot of you know about lemon water already, through reading/learning about alkalising or through Gillian McKeith (who also recommends lemon water on rising) – but it is always a good thing to reinforce the basics.
So What Are the Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water?
Apart from being an amazing body alkalizer/alkaliser, lemon water also gives the following health benefits:
- Lemons are antiseptic
- Lemon water has excellent digestive properties and can ease heartburn, bloating and other digestion problems
- Lemon water cleanses and stimulates the liver and kidneys
- Lemon juice contains calcium, magnesium and potassium
- Lemon juice has been known to relieve asthma
- Lemon water (hot) offers relief from cold and flu symptoms while providing some much needed Vitamin C
- Lemon juice is a great skin cleanser
So if you do not do anything else – start every single day with a glass of lovely lemon water!
PS – I have noticed that someone just found this page by googling: ‘do not leave lemon in lemon water’ and it reminded me of how true this is! Obviously if you are going to drink the water there and then by all means leave it in, but if you are making a batch up then the water can easily get too lemon-y if you leave the squeezed lemon chunks in.
Also, and more importantly, unless you have REALLY washed the lemons or have bought organic then the pesticides and chemicals could leach out of the rind and into your water if they are left soaking for too long.
PPS – yes, it is fine to add some cayenne (cayene) pepper to your lemon water for a bit of a kick, but PLEASE DO NOT ADD MAPLE SYRUP – this will make it have an acidic effect on the body!
NOTE/UPDATE: given the amount of comments that have been left all saying “I thought lemons are acidic” (or something slightly more forceful than that), I thought I should point out the following:
It is not the relative acidity/alkalinity of the food but rather the effect it has on the body that is important. Seemingly acidic foods such as lemons, limes and tomato are acidic in their basic state, but once metabolized by the body have an alkalising effect. The high alkaline mineral content of these foods means that once consumed and metabolized they increase the alkalinity of the cells of the body.
Here is a video with reknowned nutritionist and blood specialist Gareth Edwards where he explains that lemons are alkalising once consumed.
Extra Update: I’ve received a few emails and comments about tooth enamel and lemon water, and while I’ve been drinking lemon water for years with no trouble on this front here are a few suggestions if you are concerned:
- Clean your teeth after your lemon water. Toothpaste is highly alkaline so neutralises any acids in the mouth – remember the lemon is still acidic until you metabolise it, and at this point it has an alkaline effect on the body
- Drink a glass of (pref alkaline) water – or just rinse your mouth out
- Drink the lemon water through a straw
Further resources:
- Our Energise Alkaline Diet Resources
- Middle Path’s Benefits of Lemon Juice – lists ailments helped by lemon water!
- About.com’s lemon water article
- Mommylife gives some other lemon juice benefits here (about 2/3 of the way down!)
Note: This blog is only my opinion. It is not medical advice or diagnosis. Only opinions based upon our own personal experiences or information detailed in medical/academic journals or other publications is cited. WE DO NOT OFFER MEDICAL ADVICE or prescribe any treatments. Please consult with a medical professional before making any diet or nutrition changes. Refer to our full disclaimer for more information.
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apparently limes have a much more alkalizing effect on the body than lemons. Limes are also less acidic in their natural state.
“Lemon juice is a great skin cleanser”
This is true but:
Be careful because if you get it on your skin and sit in the sun you will get a nasty chemical/solar burn called phytophotodermatitis
I used lime juice as deodorant because I ran out. I went to the beach later and laid in the sun. That evening my armpits looked like they’ve been badly burned. It took a week+ to go away, but the skin is still very dark.
How in the name of god can Lemon water be alkali? Lemon juice is acidic, hands down, Adding water to it will not change that. That is just plain stupid. Listen you, I have an acid stomach. How dare you try to con me into drinking acid to make it feel better. I feel like kicking you in the stomach so you know how it feels.
Nice article. Glad to see lemon getting it’s due!
Just wanted to tell you and your readers about a product that not only helps to eliminate the contamination that you speak of, but is also a ton more convenient than slicing lemons. True Lemon is a great product – 100% all natural, 0 calories and 0carbs. It’s essentially just crystallized lemon in a packet.
If anyone is interested in trying the product, just send me an email at taylor@truelemon.com with your mailing address and I’ll send you some samples. Just mention the “energise for life” blog in the email.
Thanks,
Taylor Block
True Lemon Community Outreach
Limes are acidic
lemons are Basic
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_a_lime_acidic_or_basic
Nick
Not sure of the point you’re making by your answer is quite poor for two reasons. One – the source you cite to prove your point is the least reliable I’ve ever seen. Two – the article, plus many other articles on this site continually point out that it is not the pH of the food BEFORE you ingest it, but the effect the food has on the pH of your cells AFTER it has been digested.
See here for more of a detailed answer.
Ross
Hooray for Lemons! They are truly extraordinary. If you want a great source for information check out this book – The Lemon Book by Ray Collins. By the time you finish reading, your head wil be buzzing with hundreds of ideas about how you can change the way you eat, clean your home, buy food and treat every day ailments. I received the book as a birthday present and I can’t believe how many simple but amazing changes I’ve made since then. Ray Collins also has a free newsletter you can sign up to which is really brilliant.
I went to a alkaline water workshop and i learnt that when you put the whole slice of lemon in the water and leave it in for the entire time you drink the water it will remove and absorb all of the toxins and chemicals that are present in your tap water, so leaving the lemon in can be quite beneficial however eating the lemon after wards can be quite toxic.
Great post about the benefits of drinking lemon water. Also lemon water acts as a detox for the body as well. So before going out to buy all those expensive detox products, try a healthier way to detox the body. It will serve your body better in the long run!
for HOSS. Hey seriously. Keep an open mind. Do we know everything about nature or our bodies? Doesn’t truth change all the time? Listen man. I thought it was crazy to eat something acidic when i had heartburn, but a gulp of vinegar or lemon would eliminate it in seconds. Also lemon water has been documented to heal stomach ulcers. Have you ever considered that putting more acid in your stomach will prevent your stomach from producing its own? and what if, after the lemon water breaks down to a chemical level and its recidue makes your stomach alkaline…. I don’t know man, but sometimes the answer is sooo simple.
Hi Russ
It is true, sometimes things are that simple and I agree 100% with what you are saying there.
Ross
I have a question combining lemon water and one kiwi, is it ok?
I usually start my day with kiwi and lemon water. Thanks for answer.
Miro
I forgot to mention cup of green tea afterwards.
Miro
p.s.you can add green tea to previous comment…
not sure where this guy is getting his information, but lemons are acidic. infact, they’re highly acidic with a pH of about 2.3. limes are even more acidic.
you can look this up all over google, or even buy some pH strips and test the lemon juice yourself.
the first measure of acidity was taste. a sour taste meant acidic and a bitter taste meant basic.
-this coming from a 3rd year chemistry major
Chris, Chris, Chris
I’m not sure how many times I have to say this on this blog – it is not the acid/alkaline level of the food before consumption – it is the effect it has on the body once metabolised. Once metabolised the high alkaline mineral content of the lemon has an alkalising effect on the body.
Ross
Yes, that’s right, Ross.
I have a question. I have been reading and maybe I missed something. How many lemons should I use in my water. For instance if I have a oz bottled water and I squeezed my lemons and I have cups of lemon juice. How much should I put in my oz of water?
Thanks
Luvleta
I’m sorry the number key was not on. I have a 24oz water bottle and I have 2 cups of lemon juice.
I do have to add a warning, though endorsing all the benefits of lemon juice in water because I have found over years that it’s excellent for just about everything – except your teeth!
My teeth have actually been eroded by my drinking lemon juice in water at the start of each day. It took my dentist and I nearly a year to work out what was the problem, mainly because she had never come across anyone who drank lemon juice in water before and it was only after consulting other dentists at a conference that she found the answer.
I have had to have quite a bit of work done on my teeth (expensive!) to repair the ravages the lemon water has done. Sadly I’ve given up drinking the lemon water now (and drink liquid ionic minerals and trace elements instead).
My dentist says that cleaning your teeth immediately after drinking the lemon water (which I didn’t) doesn’t help the situation and may be even makes the erosion worse – so there really doesn’t seem to be an answer. (Unless mouthwashing with bicarbonate of soda might help?)
So just be warned…!
Hi Maryon
Thanks for the warning! I’ve personally not had this problem – but your bicarb mouth wash is a great suggestion and exactly along the lines I was going to suggest! The toothpaste works because it is highly, highly alkaline. So washing your mouth out, even just with a little alkaline water would do the trick. Water with pHour Salts, Sodium Bicarbonate, some pH drops or if you have a water ioniser to set it to pH 8 or above would work brilliantly.
Ross
Hi Luvleta
I usually go for about 1/4 to 1/2 lemon in around 500ml of water.
Ross
I’ve been drinking lemon in lukewarm water in the morning for a while now but recently have started noticing that my teeth are getting much more sensitive than they used to be and I’m worried that the juice is eroding my tooth enamel – any tips on stopping this happening?
Thanks.
I make a vegetable/fruit smoothie every morning for breakfast and I add fresh lemon juice to it. The smoothie is my effort to help my alkaline level.
How about drinking the lemon juice through a straw to prevent damaging the tooth enamel.
please do not brush your teeth AFTER drinking lemon water, the lemon in your mouth is acidic and will start to demineralise the tooth enemel immediately, this will soften it and then if you brush a very small amount of this softened enamel will be brushed off. SO better to clean your teeth BEFORE drinking the lemon water so your mouth is alkaline or swill water round your teeth after the lemon water
Hi. I have GERD and I was told to drink alkaline water. I have also read that, as you said, lemons are alkaline once digested. The problem is I cannot tolerate it. After a few hours of taking in lemon juice or water, I have acid regurgitation. How much lemon should I put in, say, a glass of water?
@Annie
Hello sweety. GERD can definately put a damper on your lifestyle, I’m sorry to hear you’ve been struggling. I’m currently undertaking my Masters in Holistic Science so I can’t give a professional opinion, but some insight and advice. Because the lemons are quite acidic until metabolized, as is your poor tummy in that condition, it can be hard to handle. Take it slow. You might want to try some other options like liquid chlorophyll or a green diet. Apple cider vinegar is another option. The vinegar is acidic, however less acidic than the human stomach therefore a mild alkaline effect.
But the lemon water is a beautiful thing with so many health benefits and I suggest you still give it a try with baby steps. It can help cleanse your liver and your digestive system as well.
Good luck on your endeavors.
Love and Light
Thanks to Ross for the wonderful articles. May your expertise continue to help many many more!
Does lime water work just as well?
I’m so glad to have found out about warm lemon water ! I changed my diet from extremely acidic to alkaline in Nov of 2009. no need to take anymore Protonix for acid reflux disease (it’s completely gone, has been for 9 months). no need to take anymore Lyrica, no more Fibromyalgia. our bodies are meant to be alkaline. as incredible as it may sound, lemons are alkaline inside our bodies, and cure many stomach ailments, constipation, premature aging, gout, and many infections caused by acid and inflamation. Please give it a chance and you will see for yourself !
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