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 Alkalive’s pH booster (or Prime pH or another pH drop) 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!
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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Hi
I was drinking lemon and honey with hot water , i wanted to lose my weight by i didnt im the same, tell me what else i can have to lose my weight as soon as possible can you help me out with giving out some tips ,can you please help me reduce my weight.
if you do that i will be very greatful and thankful ………….”"”"”"”
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hi
im meena i started drinking lemon with water to lose my weight do you think i can put down my weight very soon .
from meena
Hi,
I dont think lemon water will help you lose weight. Maybe exercise (even just brisk walking) and cutting down the number of calories you eat would be a more sensible measure.
You can over do lemons, moderation is the key to all good things. If you increase your intake of lemons and start getting a rash maybe you should decrease the number back to 1 or 2 a day.
Anyway, my question is would lemon water be able to counteract the acidifying effects of other foods? I somtimes smoke, drink and eat out with friends and was hoping that by having lemon water before sleeping that maybe I could stay akalinised?
Earlier some one was talking about lemon juice reducing the enamel on your teeth. I think if you make sure you wait at least 20 minutes before brushing your teeth after drinking any fruit juice including lemon water then it should be ok.
cheers bobby
Is this just with tap water? I read something that you should use ionised water - is that just mineral water?
Meena, Lemon water is for alkalising not for losing weight. Exercise and diet are the only ways to lose weight I think
How warm does the water have to be? How do i prepare a healthy lemon water drink?
Hey bobby
Tap water is not ideal in any circumstance - but is also better than nothing! If you absolutely have no way of filtering your water then don’t lose sleep over it.
Ashley - the water should be luke-warm. Not hot i.e. you should be able to put your finger in it and not burn yourself. I usually squeeze the lemon into the glass, then add room temperature (i.e. not chilled) distilled or filtered water and then top it up with a bit of water boiled in the kettle - just to give it that warmth.
Think of it as if you were making a cup of tea, but the cold is the same amount as you would normally have hot and the hot is the same amount as you would normally use milk! Make sense?!
I HAVE A BIG PROBLEM MY URINE TESTS VERY ACIDIC ALL THE TIME IF I EAT SPINACH OR BEETS I GET VERY SICK I NEED FOODS LOW IN OXALATES BECAUSE I GET KIDNEY GRAVEL YET IF I TRY TO EAT ALKALINE FOODS THEY ARE HIGH IN OXALATES…????????. I AM VERY ACIDIC YET THE ALKALINE DIET IS HIGH IN OXALATES??? HELP
Cory,
Sounds like a problem…….hopefully Ross has an answer for you before that nasty ol’ PAM has a chance to jump all over it LOL
Dear Ross and Mike,
Thank you very much for this website. For years, I’ve been doing a personal research on how to be healthy and sometimes it is confusing as there are so many sites on the net spousing this and that and sometimes I don’t know anymore which one to belive.
Just yesterday, I saw an officemate with a pitcher of water with lemon chunks in it and we discussed a bit about what her chiropractor told her, which is, to drink lukewarm water with lemon first thing in the morning.
For days now, I have been feeling sluggish and easily fatigued with painful gas in my stomach so I thought about drinking water with lemon. I don’t know if it’s just psychological but so far I’m feeling better after I drank a glass of lukewarm water with lemon in it and I intend to keep up doing it. First of all, it is natural (although not all natural is good) and it appeals to my faith. What I do is I try to keep a balance, knowing that everything should be done in moderation.
For a couple of years now, I have been battling this acidity thing. I have a question though. There are some who say that some abdominal problems (GERD/dyspepsia/ulcer, etc.) are due to the lack of an acidic environment in the digestive tract and they would advise to drink apple cider vinegar and eat yogurt and probiotics while others would say that it is due to being overly acidic and some doctors would tell you to abstain from citrus fruits. What do you think? Your opinion will be greatly appreciated even if you are not a professional health practitioner. Thanks.
Dear Mike and Ross,
Is it all right to drink water with lemon while at the same time taking vitamins and mineral supplement such as Iron and Magnesium? Second, what is the cause (in your opinion) for being acidic (GERD, hyperacidity, ulcer) is it due to an overproduction of acid in the stomach particularly of HCl or underproduction of that? Third, will apple cider vinegar, yogurt and probiotics make one alkaline? Fourth, why do the medical doctors advise patients to abstain from citrus fruits when one is acidic? I will appreciate any opinion of yours in this matter even though you are not professional health practitioners. Thanks a lot!
I drink lemon water Mon.-Fri. My office offers filtered water and lemons free so I drink it all day long. I’ve rarely drank soda the past 4 years I’ve been working here. I probably drink a whole lemon or two a day. I started drinking it because it was free but soon after I simply liked the taste over soda. Just recently, I thought I would check out the health benefits of drinking lemon water. What a suprise to find that it has so many health benefits. I’m certainly fortunate to have free access to both filtered water and lemons.
I have been drinking lemon water for some time now - around 4-5 days. I drink it first thing in the morning. One lemon in about 2 glasses of water. And ofcourse i feel energetic throughout the day. And i could also feel the benefit of it.
But i have also heard that continuous drinking of lemon water over a period of around 10-15 days would make you weak and prone to diseases. Is this true. I have heard from friends regarding cases in which the person has become very weak and had been bed-ridden after 20 days of lemon water.
I would like to know-
#1. If you use half a lemon, is the other half useless after thirty minutes?
#2. Is the pulp good or okay to add to your drink?
#3. How long should you wait before you eat once you have drank the lemon water?
Thank you in adavance!
I have tried many skin care items to clear my skin and hot water and lemon always seems to work to start with. However, as with other remedies, I was just wondering whether the body becomes immune to it and whether it will stop working on my skin.
Answeerss appreicated =)
Thankyou
I have another question- I have just been drinking lemon and water. Is that a wrong thing to do? In other words, Is the ph drop a must?
Thanks again (if you are still out there),
Tina
So what you are saying is that the “REAL LEMON” out of the green plastic bottle does not do the job at all. I have seen the urin become cloudy. Is that a sign that it’s working?
I love lemon water and it’s super healthy for you. The acid lemon becomes alkaline in your body. It’s natural and it’s good.
Is this thread closed?
Hi Tina
The pH drops are a great benefit, but not a must i.e. don’t stop drinking lemon in water just because you don’t have the drops - but if you can get hold of them then that is fantastic!
Cheers
Ross
Thank you Ross and my questions from earlier are-
I would like to know-
#1. If you use half a lemon, is the other half useless after thirty minutes?
#2. Is the pulp good or okay to add to your drink?
#3. How long should you wait before you eat once you have drank the lemon water?
Thank you in adavance!
Hi Tina
The moment you cut open fruit or veg it does start to lose the nutrients it contains, but don’t let this put you off too much. There is some discussion about this in earlier comments.
If I’m making the lemon water first thing, I usually manage to find a use for the other half of lemon somewhere pretty quickly anyway.
The pulp is fine!
I usually wait about 30 mins, but it isn’t too much of a concern…
Hope this helps!
hi will drinking lemon with warm tea have the same benifits as with water.
thank you
Hi, Can u please help me.
I have put my self on weight is forteen stones, my height is 5ft 9 inches tall….average weight should be 10 and half stones…..just wondered , does lemon drinks would able to burn fatty calories from me to lose 3 half stones….if you know the answer and how many should i take lemon drink a day?
Thankyou,
Neil
Hi everyone,
Is Agave Nectar as bad as honey, sugar and maple syrup when it comes to lemon water?
Thanks!
the best way to lose weight is to excercise and eat healthy, im a 14 year old boy, but im not dumb, a good way to shed off the kg’s fast is to drink lemon water and eat apples, i done that for 3 days and my body looked better and i felt better, but ofcorse this could be dangerous if you’re too fat.
Hi
is it okay to drink a glass of cold water with the juice of one lemon before bed or is it reccomended near wake up time?
I have been drinking lemon water for about a week now. The lemon comes from a bottle. The ingredients in the bottle are Water, concentrated lemon juice and metabisulfite. What is metabisulfite ? Is it bad for my body? Am I getting any benefits from it or was I just wasting my time?
Ive Been Drinking grean tea for a week but I started Drinking lemon with watter and sometimes lemon with greantea, Is That Good Or Unhealthy, Im Trying to Loose Waight, Cuz Im 120 pounds, I Wanna Loose 30 Pounds..
I Stoped Fast Food And Pop
I won’t say not to drink lemon water. Lemon is a fruit, and fruit is good for us. However, I think the underlying reason given here for drinking lemon water is BS. Lemon juice is acidic period! The only reason it appears to have an alkalizing effect is because anytime the body takes in an acid it needs to dump alkaline substances into the blood to maintain the proper alkalinity. Of course, the body overcompensates at first, which is why acids - all acids - seem to cause alkalinity. It’s similar to the effect of sugar, where the body overreacts and causes some drowsiness after we’ve pigged on on sugar and had a sugar high. So drink lemon water if you want, but not because acid “magically” increases your body’s alkalinity overall.
Love all the information provided here. I have been using foodgrade hydrogen peroxide in water. Will adding the lemon juice have any adverse effects, if not, what about benefits?
This is my first time viewing this page, it has been absolutely briliant, loving the questions and answers. thank you Ross.
after reading this page i will now be drinkin warm water with lemon in the morning and at night ,i also enjoyd reading the argument between mike an pam very amusing
peace and love ppl
Thanks for the article. I’m about to try lemon water as part of my regular morning ritual.
I did notice an error (typo?) in your article though. I think you meant to say ‘expend energy’ rather than ‘expand energy’.
Dear Ross,
I am so thrilled with tis website. I have been comsuming lemon water first thing in the morning for the last 3 months.
Three weeks ago I mixed it with honey and kept it for more then 5 hours and took it every hour.
I felt very uncomfortable after two days because of gas and eventually became worse.
I was on mediaction for gastrics, it is much better today (26/1/08) but still is there.
If I continue with the lemon drink will it cause any discomfort again?
Please help..I appreciate it.
Thanks,
Anita
MY NATURE HEALTH DR. TOLD ME ABOUT LEMON IN WATER TO REDUCE ACID AND HEARTBURN. I HAVE NOT HAD IT SENSE!!!
Very interesting and helpful. Just started to drink lemon and water. Thanks
I have just started drinking lemon water in the last 5 days and I feel more energy and even lost a half pound . I will put the pulp of some lemon in my water too and it is more benifcial
hi, is lemon water good or bad for acid stomach? someone has acid stomach can still drink lemon water please? thanks in advance
I have fibromyalgia and have been told by a nutritionist that people with this condition don’t tolerate lemons well. Don’t see why this should be - do you?
HI! I was just wondering if i just drink this stuff right after waking up and before sleeping,,will it still work if i don’t drink this throughout the day?
I have UTI,,will it help? I really find the water too sour,,and I cant get limes so is there any other option?
my recipe is one whole lemon to 1 quart or 32 fl oz….THANKS
Hi Ross,
I am just interested in hearing your replies to some of the questions above, like the one for the person who had toothaches after starting to drink lemon juice?
And also whether lemon juice will cause gas and continue as long as you keep drinking it?
And also whether drinking it over a period of 10 days or more will make your body weak and prone to disease?
Is there a limit to when one should stop drinking lemon juice or is it perfectly ok to drink it for the rest of our lives (everyday)?
Thanks
Just a note:
Drinking distilled water is not regarded as “safe”. Distilled water has no minerals, which means it leeches minerals from the body and from the container it is stored in. Drinking distilled water can be good for detox, but should not be used long-term.
Please check the medical research on this, it has been thoroughly checked out. The consensus among today’s doctors is that distilled water is not a good idea. In the 1970’s it was part of the health-food craze, but a closer look has shown that it is not a good idea to consume.
Hi Kyle
I’m open to changing my opinion, but I can’t understand where the logic is in saying that because something doesn’t have minerals in it that it will leech minerals from your body.
I’d be interested to read your sources.
Thanks for contributing though - it is much appreciated.
Hi Rosa
Here are my answers - have to get to sleep so apologies for the brevity:
Regarding tooth decay, I would be surprised - unless you are having it SUPER, SUPER concentrated. It is just a squeeze in water. Other drinks are far, far more acidic, but people don’t have such an extreme reaction. Having said that, I am not a dentist and I can only comment on my experiences - you have to do what is right for you and listen to what your body tells you - everyone’s body is different.
Lemon water won’t cause gas - if you have it with acidic, hard to digest foods then THEY might cause gas, but the lemon water shouldnt.
Regarding it making your body weak and prone to disease - no, no it won’t. I wouldnt recommend it if it did. I don’t recommend using lemon water as the main ingredient of a cleanse or detox - it is just a gentle, soothing, alkalising drink. I think some people here presume I am promoting it as part of the Lemon Master Cleanse - which I am utterly opposed to.
Therefore I consider it fine to have on a daily basis.
Hope this helps
Ross
Hi Ross
Just wondering I drink lemon and water every day. I use lemon juice in a bottle from store, says its “100%” juice. I love and crave it, also can drink it without water (only sips) can this harmful? I can drink up to 10 cups a day. Gave up soda and all I drink is lemon water, nothing else in it. Thanks
Hi Ross,
You are very very great person which provides good info. about lemon water. I wish I can have lemon water because it is the cheap way detox your body.
my question - half lemon of juice with 500ml water (after consumed) what is it equivalent to ph reading when compare to alkaline water? (because alkaline water be tested) roughly?
I have a gastric problem I did try lemon water - it is not suitable for me but there are many friends of mine whom would love this drink.
I have diabetes I think I think I need alkaline water about 9 ph - you have any suggestion?
Again you great & fantastic by providing good info. on this forum.
Thank you
Pete.
Hey Pete
I’d say that you’re a very great person too for leaving such a nice comment!
You can test the alkalinity of water with pH testing strips/sticks which are pretty cheap and effective. If you are in Europe you can buy them from us, they are only a few quid (http://www.energiseforlife.com/item–pHion-pH-Stix-pH-Test-Strips–96.html). If you are in the USA then I would suggest either http://shop.snyderhealth.com/index.php?category=ph-test-strips&osCsid=e502c7f6946864ea315a4c4136ac2057
Hope this helps!
Ross
Thank you Ross for your response,
I think you don’t understand my question( may be my English problem) well I’ll try again.
I live in Sydney it is very nice city have you been here?
water reading here is 6.8ph
My question is
half of lemon mixed with 500ml water after consumed what is it should be ph reading in term of alkaline water - because we can not test lemon water.
And of course lemons are different in size also vary in different country - but just guessing from your experience so I can have roughly idea.
Thank you Ross.
Pete
Hey Pete
I live in Sydney! I love it too!
I think I am understanding your question a little better now - is it:
Because lemon water cannot be tested for alkalinity (because it is alkaliSING to the body, not an alkaline substance) - what is it’s relative effect compared to alkaline water?
In an ideal world, you should be aiming for pH neutral with your water, or only slightly acidic. I wouldn’t worry too much about specifics.
I guess I’m still a bit unsure about what you are trying to answer with your question - but I’m happy to keep trying!
With regards to your earlier question about highly alkaline water - I would recommend either distilled or reverse osmosis purified water, with a pH booster added (such as Alkalive or Innerlight Prime pH).
Let me know if you need any more detail or if I have missed the point again!
Ross
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